happiness
Happiness, defined; things that help you find happiness, keep it, and share it with others.
Just Be You
I have casually been working on an article about how I pulled off starting a business during the pandemic. That was until earlier today when I encountered an internet troll. I try to stay off of socials as much as possible, and when I post I attempt to always put something positive out there. Today, I found myself defending my life choices to someone who had anger driven by envy. I knew better than to entertain ignorance but, for a moment I indulged. The topic was dropping out of school, something I had done as a teenager. My goal was to provide encouragement to any person reading, that anything really is possible.
By Martin Ahrens5 years ago in Motivation
A paint soaked matrix embedded within a canvas
Colors, shapes—a mix of lines, curves, lights, and darks—all working together to create the perfect image. The scraping sounds of the brush striking the canvas generate a melodic background noise that invents an original rhythm for my strokes, the music to which my whole being—especially my hands—moves, trying to recreate the same beat. The knife glides across the smooth canvas; the paint, which acts as a lubricant, allows me to work so effortlessly. My mind drifts into a meditative state. My senses are heightened. There is some awareness of my environment, but my mind is at peace, in a judgement-free zone and not feeling overwhelmed. Peace is in all the materials sandwiched between me and the canvas. This is the setting where freedom of mind exists.
By Ali SP5 years ago in Motivation
Kasut manek
It felt almost like I had existential crisis as a pre-schooler. Day in and day out, I crawled around the living room, eating, taking naps in between the day and staring at bugs that have landed in the room. Then in the evening when my parents return home from work, they will put on their favourite Cantonese drama and then soon it is bedtime. The cycle loops on and on, every single day felt like nothingness and I wondered about what my purpose on this earth was. The last time I describe this recollection of my childhood to a friend, he laughed. How could a 5 years old felt so deeply and felt so lost about life?
By Valentine5 years ago in Motivation
Starting From Scratch
It was the winter break of my senior year of highschool and my family was exchanging gift ideas for Christmas. I had always considered myself a lover of crafting and DIY projects, but I couldn't help but notice that every time I walked into a craft store I would see all the strands of shiny and colorful beads and didn't know how to make jewelry. I always really admired and aspired to be one of those "hands on" people that knew how to take on various tactical projects, but I never really had a creative outlet for myself. Jewelry has always been something I have thought to be inspiring from a young age. There are so many different designs and styles and it just has a way of making people feel unique and confident in their own skin. While writing our holiday wish lists I vaguely asked for "jewelry making" stuff from my sister in law knowing it would probably be a hobby I would never follow through with, but I was still hopeful and excited about the prospect. Christmas day finally arrived and I received a package containing two very informative "how to" beading magazines, some strands of beads, some beading wire and a few other supplies to get me started. So I dove into this new creative outlet, reading through the magazines' various projects and tips I needed to get started. One of the magazines helpfully contained a visual display of all the jewelry findings you could ever need and the function of each, a built in ruler (I always thought this was so cool!), and different project ideas with step by step instructions and picture aids. My first project was a simple pair of dangle earrings while the second was a clasp wire beaded bracelet. I remember feeling so accomplished reading through my first projects, going to Hobby Lobby to purchase all of my supplies including five sets of pliers I didn't really know how to use, and then seeing the tiny masterpieces after the fact. It was such a gratifying feeling creating those handmade pieces, and knowing that this was going to be such a fulfilling outlet for me. Although I was still a highschool student that year, I was also taking some dual credit courses at my local community college, and it was such a help to have this new hobby for therapy and stress relief during this busy time. This was the beginning of my love for jewelry, and the foundation of many more ideas to come.
By Melissa O’Connor 5 years ago in Motivation
Put a Little Love in Your Heart
Music is the single most important emotional balancer in my life. Music has been my constant companion through the heartbreak of divorcing my children's substance abusing father, the horror of learning that genetics can wreak havoc on the best laid plans of a well-meaning parent, and the pain of two divorces in between. It never cheated on me, used me, treated me poorly, or left me!
By Kristina Castor5 years ago in Motivation
I Am
I woke up and went to the mirror this morning constantly looking at myself. I was looking at the person looking back in that mirror and seeing what the outside version is not seeing. As I glanced at myself, I notice some changes in my appearance as well as my hair and my body and felt a bit sad. I felt sad and overwhelmed at how fast life is going for me and not aware how stressed my life has and the sacrifices that was put out. I’m still trying to grasp within my heart, “what am I now?
By Carrie Johnson5 years ago in Motivation
Woodworking
Woodworking Peace. Serenity. A readiness to learn something new and what I figured to be, exciting. Through the years many activities have made me wonder what it would be like to do them. None however kept that initial spark of creativity flowing. Not until my husband and I were talking about woodburning. To my utter surprise one day while in Walmart, I noticed that in the craft aisle that they had a wood burning set for sale. It took some doing, but finally my husband relented and with that my first woodburning set was bought.
By Sherry Flahrity5 years ago in Motivation
Being happy for what you have
Your ambition in this world will always lead to sorrow. This appears to make sense on the surface. When you don't receive what you desire, it hurts. The remedy is to stop seeking things, and your pain will disappear as a result. We often find ourselves desiring the tangible and lustrous things of this world, and if we do not have them, we become miserable.
By The Breatharian Blogger5 years ago in Motivation
Beauty Does Not Mean White
Combine this with the strong message that our value depends on our attractiveness and the toxic notion that only white women are beautiful (it's my skin color that's wrong, not a limited selection of primary colors) and you can understand the damage that the beauty industry is doing to women of color.
By Kandel gita5 years ago in Motivation
