Day 18: Happiness Is Up To Me

One of the important things about "recharging my life" was making sure that every second counted.  I kind of already did that when I quit my corporate job 2 years ago to pursue my photography full time, but I want to squeeze every amazing moment out of this one life that I get.  I also fully believe that what I believe about myself is going to help in transforming me into a healthier, happier person.

Stress is a big part of people's lives and I truly don't think it is absolutely necessary to stress out.  Way back in the day, cavemen stressed because they didn't want to get eaten by animals, the had to protect themselves from the elements, etc.  What they didn't stress about (I would assume), was the way they looked in their loin cloths.  My mom has been telling me for years to ignore the tags on clothes when you buy them.  It doesn't matter if you are a size 8 or 28, if you put it on and you look good and feel good that is all that matters.  It hasn't been until the last year when I started to appreciate this advice.  People worry waaaaaay too much about what the tag says....WHO LOOKS AT YOUR TAG???  Nobody.  They appreciate the way you wear garments more than that.

Anyhow, that is only one part of the happiness piece.  I know a lot of people are probably saying "Well, you don't have my problems, so you can't tell me about happiness."  Bullshit.  I can.  I have struggled with bullying, self discovery, the loss of a parent at a relatively young age, the loss of grandparents, losing myself a few times, being pressured at work, making very little income and needing to support myself, etc.  I have lived a relatively average life in regards to hardships, but the thing is those aren't the things that I cling to.  I look at everything as what did I learn from this.  With bullying, I quickly figured out less friends is better than lots of frenemies.  I learned to ignore the insults and show them what I could do regardless of my size and I became MVP for volleyball, athlete of the week, etc.  With my father passing away, I wrote a book, had it published in honor of him and gave the proceeds to the pancreatic foundation Craig's Cause. 

I was pressured at work, so I quit and said my life is not worth the amount of trouble they were putting me through.  I went from a six figure salary to just above minimum wage and couldn't have made a smarter move.  I then quit that job to pursue my dream and it meant living off of oatmeal and noodles so I could pay my rent.  I worked part time at a restaurant at the age of 27 so I could make sure I had the money necessary until I built the clientele up.  And the whole time?  I was genuinely happy.  I found the glimmer of hope in each of those scenarios and made it work to make my life happier.



Blame it on the fact that I am a Libra, but I hate when my life just is not the way I want it to be.  I realize not everyone is able to just pick up and quit the job they hate because they have a family, need the income, whatevs.  But what you can do?  Is do the little things that make that life exciting, fun and beautiful.  There is absolutely no need to settle for mundane for the rest of your life.  That is not living.  Below is a list of the top 10 ways that I make myself feel happy every day.  They may sound "hooey-hooey" to you, but try it and see how you feel afterwards.

 

So yes, this is what I thought about on my drive home yesterday.  I hope that this has made your day slightly happier.  If not, well, you are on your own and can sit in a sad pool of tears by yourself.  

Oh and on a completely different side note, those brownies from yesterday taste even better today!! Yum yum yum!

Date: September 3, 2013!

Current weight: 240 back on my scale!

Goal for the day: Play with the children and maybe go for a walk while doing my photo

What is your plan for food today?

B: 1 small brownie, handful of almonds, coffee, and 2 egg whites

L: turkey chili
 

S: homemade protein bars

Su: Lemon spiced trout on the BBQ with quinoa as a side dish

Planned water intake: 108 oz (5 water bottles full)