Forgive the cheese that I am about to bestow upon you, but I must share this nugget of information:
I am a believer of the smile. Be it genuine or fake, big or small, private or loud, I believe that a smile has more power than we know. For some reason, whenever I smile, even if it's to convince someone that I am "fine" when I clearly am not, I feel better. Perhaps it is my optimism or my permanent smile wrinkles but when the corners of my mouth perk up, so do I.
I suggest that you to smile when things get rough and to laugh when they get rougher, because life is all about the small moments of happiness. I have found myself smiling a lot lately, not particularly because I am happy, but more because I want to be. Smiles are like the fertilizer for a happy life, they generally bring joy to others, make situations less awkward, and bring people together. However i have found that there is a catch, I can't smile just to smile, I need to mean it, even in the smallest way, or it wont do its job. In order to meet the qualifications, there needs to be some sort of bliss that combines with the grin, like a thought that whatever it is you're going through will soon be over, or that tomorrow is a new day, maybe that your smile its the easiest thing to accomplish on a list of really complicated tasks.
A smile is a free.
A grin is effortless.
And I almost promise it will make you feel better.
Smiling,
M.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
On Being Home
For some reason, being home always makes me more tired than I probably am. I constantly find myself on the couch, reading a book, watching TV or tanning and quickly dozing off. It has something to do with the comfort I think, knowing that I am in a safe place and not having to worry about anything. I am spoiled the second my foot passes the threshold, someone else is making my coffee and food, I can get a hug whenever I want one and then there is the simple luxury of not having to do much anything.
Whenever I come home it is usually for some sort of vacation, ironic because when I think of a vacation I am thinking about some island with exotic men and mixed drinks, it helps that my hometown is a Spring Break destination for others. Sunny San Diego for the win. I am 30 minutes from the beach and 2 minutes from several Mexican food places. No complaints here. Currently I am sunburned and blissful with plans to improve on both.
The worst part is leaving
I needed this chance to catch my breath again. I needed to remember what it was like to be a daughter and not have somewhere to be all the time. Because that's hardddd. Being home allows me to act my age, it lets me go to the beach on a whim, sleep in the middle of the day, read for enjoyment and not for school, it allows me to be Macenzie without any qualifying adjectives. So I am going to hang onto this feeling for a while because it's an amazing one. Smiles are easier when I am in the sunshine and home. I hope it is the same for you.
Enjoy the comfort, M.
Whenever I come home it is usually for some sort of vacation, ironic because when I think of a vacation I am thinking about some island with exotic men and mixed drinks, it helps that my hometown is a Spring Break destination for others. Sunny San Diego for the win. I am 30 minutes from the beach and 2 minutes from several Mexican food places. No complaints here. Currently I am sunburned and blissful with plans to improve on both.
The worst part is leaving
I needed this chance to catch my breath again. I needed to remember what it was like to be a daughter and not have somewhere to be all the time. Because that's hardddd. Being home allows me to act my age, it lets me go to the beach on a whim, sleep in the middle of the day, read for enjoyment and not for school, it allows me to be Macenzie without any qualifying adjectives. So I am going to hang onto this feeling for a while because it's an amazing one. Smiles are easier when I am in the sunshine and home. I hope it is the same for you.
Enjoy the comfort, M.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
On Doing Far Too Many Things
It's Sunday, and today I have nothing in particular to complain about except for the fact that Day light savings likes to steal sleep and I do not, under any circumstances want to wake up and go to class in the morning. My typical week is far too busy for any nineteen year old college girl, if I am not in classes, I am reading (for classes), going things for my sorority or working. It leaves little, if any, time for myself, not to mention time for my friends. I am in a constant state of rushing, I get overwhelmed and sometimes become forgetful. My calendar has for too many appointments and to-do lists. I am juggling my sanity with my desire for constant stimulation.
So, for those of you like me, for those of you are taking on just a little bit too much, I am going to give some advice that I myself should follow: Slow down, take some things off of that list and be you.
It's as simple and unrealistic as that. See, I have always seen myself as someone who is an amazing time manager. I could keep everything in line, my eyes set on the horizon and all ducks in a row. But that is aiming too high. I have too many ducks. They have procreated and quadrupled. I am learning that can't do everything. I know will try anyway and sometimes I will fail, but with that failure comes the gut check that helps me realize that I can't do it all. I need to let some things go.
Taking on too many things is like an addiction for me, it will take a long time to break the habit, and it will tempt me my entire life because I like to do things for people. I enjoy being busy. But I need to take some baby steps in the opposite direction. I need to do less so that I can be more. We cannot be the best versions of ourselves if we are stretched too thin. We need to let loose the tension of far too many responsibilities. I am a 19 year-old sorority girl and college student with so much joy and passion, that sometimes I need to remember that the most important thing to do, is take care of myself.
So, for those of you like me, for those of you are taking on just a little bit too much, I am going to give some advice that I myself should follow: Slow down, take some things off of that list and be you.
It's as simple and unrealistic as that. See, I have always seen myself as someone who is an amazing time manager. I could keep everything in line, my eyes set on the horizon and all ducks in a row. But that is aiming too high. I have too many ducks. They have procreated and quadrupled. I am learning that can't do everything. I know will try anyway and sometimes I will fail, but with that failure comes the gut check that helps me realize that I can't do it all. I need to let some things go.
Taking on too many things is like an addiction for me, it will take a long time to break the habit, and it will tempt me my entire life because I like to do things for people. I enjoy being busy. But I need to take some baby steps in the opposite direction. I need to do less so that I can be more. We cannot be the best versions of ourselves if we are stretched too thin. We need to let loose the tension of far too many responsibilities. I am a 19 year-old sorority girl and college student with so much joy and passion, that sometimes I need to remember that the most important thing to do, is take care of myself.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
On Sucky moments
There are times, ones with almost perfect certainty, when you don't want to think about anything. You just want to live; exist in a moment without the chaos of your brain in the way. However, it is usually in those moments that your mind is the loudest. Shouting at you everything you wish you could push away and push down and not think about, at least for a moment.
I need the clarity that exists in that moment. I need to catch my breath, I need to submerge myself in water for just long enough to feel everything and then come up and have it gone. And yet that is not how it works. Our brains run in circles, they guess and blink, they can bring you up short. They make you second guess everything and anything.
To that, I say, fuck it (Sorry mom). Our brains should be on our sides, there should be nothing that prevents us from having what we want, especially within the nine inches between our skulls. Nothing. So for every thought and second guess, I am going to challenge us to come up with something sure. I know I am smart. I know I am funny. I know I am beautiful. Because what we know is more powerful than what we could second guess. Take those rough moments, think about them, internalize them but eventually let them go. Holding on will just make it worse. Be sure of what is known, and let go of the rest. It will make you lighter, happier.
I need the clarity that exists in that moment. I need to catch my breath, I need to submerge myself in water for just long enough to feel everything and then come up and have it gone. And yet that is not how it works. Our brains run in circles, they guess and blink, they can bring you up short. They make you second guess everything and anything.
To that, I say, fuck it (Sorry mom). Our brains should be on our sides, there should be nothing that prevents us from having what we want, especially within the nine inches between our skulls. Nothing. So for every thought and second guess, I am going to challenge us to come up with something sure. I know I am smart. I know I am funny. I know I am beautiful. Because what we know is more powerful than what we could second guess. Take those rough moments, think about them, internalize them but eventually let them go. Holding on will just make it worse. Be sure of what is known, and let go of the rest. It will make you lighter, happier.
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