Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light

Kiss your life.
Accept it, just as it is.
Today.
Now.
So that those moments of happiness
you're waiting for don't pass "

I have been seriously neglecting this blog, which might explain my serious increase in stress! So to end the stress ( and because I can't seem to get comfortable to sleep) lets do another fun filled blog. I think there is a tendency as the weather gets colder and the school work gets pilled on along with all the other stresses to get bogged down and become a little grouchy and pessimistic. It's easy to let the cold weather sink into our souls and maybe make us a little cold too. While there is no harm in it, after all everyone needs to have bad days, it is easy to forget al the good things in our lives. Lately I am very guilty of this. I have been stressed with my last year of college, what to do after college, money, a broken foot, the repercussions of that on my dancing and to top it all off...it is cold and rainy and gets dark so soon. It might sound a little dramatic, but it has all built up to a lot of anger and frustration and frankly a very selfish me. I have noticed a lot of my friends falling into the same trap as well, and so I thought it was time to do something about it. "be the change you wish to see in the world" right Gandhi? How to change this though? It seems like the first step is remembering some of the good things in my life, and honestly sitting down and thinking about it, there are so many good things, new and old, that I have going on right now that should make me INCREDIBLY happy. I made a short list of ten of them, most of them in direct relation to the changing weather and fairly cliche, but hey it's late:

1) Friends that I know can make me laugh
2) Pumpkin smash jamba Juice
3) Being able to wear sweats and sweatshirts to bed
4) Dancing in the rain
5) Having someone that I know wants nothing more then to make me happy on a daily basis :)
6) wanting nothing more then to make them feel the same<3
7) The silly late night Denny's conversations after football games that my family and I have
8) Hearing a song and thinking of someone, or sometime that made you happy, past or present.
9) The smell of fires in the evening
10) Halloween and Thanksgiving :)

This list is nothing special. Honestly, a fair amount of these things could be on anyones list. Regardless though, they are the simple little things that help to bring a smile to my face, and also the simple little things that get taken for granted daily. So my inspiration for the night? Take a minute and make a list, or even just take a minute outside of yourself to count the blessings around you. Stop looking at the negatives and the shortcomings that are so easy to focus on and take a breathe and be thankful. Be thankful your alive, find something in your current situation to smile about :) something as simple as finding the perfect drink to give a little spring in your step, or finally recognizing how amazing the people around you are can make the cold weather feel just a little less gloomy.

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."

"Sometimes, it's the boring stuff I remember the most."

<3 L

We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support. Strength needs it far more.

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It has been a long time, I know but I have been busy, and life has been complicated as it always is. But never fear inspiration is back, because I know that so many people rely on my posts to make then happy :P but nevertheless I am here with a new one. The title quote of this blog is something I think everyone needs to realize. People spend a lot of time trying to show strength, do things alone and help the "weak". We define weak often as people who are emotional, who fall apart when bad things happen, or people who can't deal with the often horrible realities of life. But does being emotional and needing support make us weak? Absolutely not. All we do when we label something or someone as weak is belittle their existence and their feelings. Isn't being willing to admit our "weaknesses" a form of strength? I think too often we allow ourselves to be closed off and ashamed of our weaknesses, stunting our growth and relationships. Being willing to say "I need help" or "I am scared" is not always an easy thing to do but can create a connection with someone that is much deeper then anything we would originally suspect. That kind of connection is something very special, and though it is scary, it is not something that should be taken lightly or something we should be afraid of.

"Character comes from following our highest sense of right, from trusting ideas without being sure they’ll work."

Maybe even more importantly then the connection that we can create with other people, is the dep connection and understanding we can create within ourselves. Self-evaluation and analysis is essential in being a happy human being. Knowing exactly how we feel, what we think, and the things we like and dislike about ourselves is invaluable. No situation, no action and no weakness is a bad thing if we can look at it, understand where it is coming from and understand what we want/need to do about it. For example, many people consider dependency a weakness. Independence is something everyone strives for and makes you a strong person. Ultimately though, not everyone is independent. It is just as important to some to have someone to take care of and take care of them as it is for others to be completely self sufficient. In the end it is more a matter of choice then a matter of whats right. I feel a little like a broken record in saying this, but here it goes anyway; In the end the only thing that is right, that is strong and that is meaningful is that you understand yourself, and that you are ok with the decisions you make. That is my inspiration for today: Understand yourself, be self analyzing, and do what is right for YOU. Not for anyone else. I will leave you with hat and some quotes, because this blog is VERY long, and sometimes quotes say it beter then I can <3

"Remember where you came from, where you're going, and why you created the mess you got yourself into in the first place."

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This blog i gonna be a little different. Usually its quotes and me and there is a theme and I try and have something inspirational or hopeful, or at leas somewhat meaningful to say, but tonight I don't. This week has gone 0-60 all week. There are some good things, and some terrible things, and it is all catching up with me. With that being said, I still feel like I need to put SOMETHING down. I can't express all the events and emotions I am dealing with, so instead this is gonna be a jumble of quotes and lyrics and anything else that i like. Or that I need. I hope you find something inspirational in my confusion, and hopefully I will be back to my chipper self and a regular blog will come back soon. <3 L

"Young and full of running,
tell me where is that taking me
just a great figure eight
or a tiny infinity.
Love is really nothing
but a dream that keeps waking me.
For all of my trying
we still end up dying;
how can it be?"-- John Mayer, Edge of Desire

“Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” --Golda Meir

"All dogs go to heaven because, unlike people, dogs are naturally good and loyal and kind. "


"my God, it's so beautiful when the boy smiles,
Wanna hold him. Maybe I'll just sing about it.
Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table.
No one can find the rewind button, boys,
So cradle your head in your hands,
And breathe... just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe"-- Ana Nalick, Breathe(2AM)


"Be a best friend, tell the truth, and overuse I love
you, go to work, do your best, don't outsmart you
common sense. Never let your prayin' knees get lazy,
and love like crazy."-- Lee Brice, Love Like Crazy

“Grief drives men into habits of serious reflection, sharpens the understanding, and softens the heart”-- John Adams

"Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you." -- A.A. Milne

Love is everything it's cracked up to be…It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for...

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This is a BIG blog. A big blog on a BIG subject. A little four letter word that we all chase after, dream about, sing about, cry over and enjoy in some way. L-O-V-E. There is so many types of love, so many ways to show your love, and so many ways to get hurt from opening yourself up to love. I chose to write this blog now because I am in a good place to write it I think. I am not involved in any sort of romantic love, nor am I too recently heartbroken to be blinded by bitterness. I do however have so much love in my life, and have had my share of good and bad times with all kinda of love. There is so much to say, and so much out there about love because it is something that is so amazingly powerful and incredible to feel first hand. Anyone who has had a relationship with someone that they truly cared for, that they truly loved knows the power. Anyone who has been in such a low place in their life that they never thought that they would see the light again only to be pulled back by the love of your family and friends know the power. There is so much potential in a person if they are willing to open themselves up to loving people. It doesn't matter what the situation, showing somebody a little bit of kindness and spreading love instead of negativity and hate is a simple thing that EVERYONE could do, that could potentially change the world we live in.

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So mant people focus on the bad things that hurt them, and take those pains and hide away with them. They let the pain blind them and create walls against people, situations and ideas that are not comfortable. This turns into hate. It takes so much energy to try and keep people out, or to decide to disagree and hate the people that aren't like you. Wouldn't it make everything better to spend that energy in understanding and healing? I think that "love" is something that we have so much of, but are completely afraid to let people see or to give away. WHY? There is an unlimited reserve in all of us, so why are we so careful how much love we show and share? My inspiration today? let your love be bigger then you. Put yourself out there, tell the people that you love how much you love them. Tell that crush that you have had forever that you think they are cute, don't just pass by somebody without noticing them. Smile at strangers and be brave enough to risk getting hurt and rejected. And when you get hurt, because in love you will always get hurt, don't hold onto the pain and the anger....hold on to the LOVE.

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LIFE MOTTO...STARTING NOW

Ok I know i just posted, but I found this and since this is a optimistic quote blog, I couldn't pass it up. ENJOY!

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Some people weave burlap into the fabric of our lives, and some weave gold thread. Both contribute to make the whole picture beautiful and unique.

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"The person you consider ignorant and insignificant is the one who came from God, that he might learn bliss from grief and knowledge from gloom."

Relationships are not easy. Wether it be a friend, a family member, or a lover, nothing is ever simple when you are dealing with people and emotions. Easy enough to know, but not as easy to deal with right? It's a fact that relationships are hard, that is why we have a million break up songs, a million movies about lost love, or broken families and friends that grow apart. Everyone goes through it in some way, and everyone gets through it somehow. That is also what makes all of these relationships so worth it. Working on something, and making it last with someone is irreplaceable and invaluable. I also think that having someone leave your life, however traumatic it may or may not be, is something that HAS to be experienced.In experiencing it we do find ourselves, and of all the relationships in our lives, the one with ourselves have to be one of the most important ones.

I am also a true believer in soul mates. Not just the sappy romantic ones, but those people that are brought into your life and complete it. I think that can be family, friends, lovers, a random stranger, or even someone you never meet in person. Finding someone that can feed your soul is an incredible find. Having that person become a permanent fixture in your life is something that is rare, but even the ones that only stay for a little while have the ability to breathe new life and hope into you if you let them. LET THEM!

"You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you."

Here is my inspiration for the night: Always treat people that come into your life as a new chance for something amazing. Keeping that kind of faith in people, regardless of the horrible things or pain that they have caused you and the world around you is something that is much more powerful then we can imagine. If everyone met people with optimism the world could be so different.We could have deeper more meaningful relationships with people we sit next to on a bus, then the people we have known for years but have never taken the time to let in. I know what some of you are thinking, "this girl is young and stupid and needs to get out in the real world." True, I have not had to experience first hand too many horrible things, and true, I am young and wide-eyed, but I am not stupid. Yes bad things happen. Yes, there are bad people and YES I am still an optimist. I chose to be realistic about the bad and the complicated and painful, but be optimistic despite it. People are complicated and emotional beings. Life is a complicated web of bad and good events. Thus our relationships in life are going to be complicated, emotional, good and bad. LET THEM AFFECT YOU, LET YOURSELF BE CHANGED BUT NEVER LOSE YOUR OPTIMISM!

sunshine
layouts. Don't let this be you. BE THAT KID AGAIN.

"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes."

<3 L

Things are beautiful if you love them.

"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness."

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I love a LOT of things and people, and I think a lot of things and people are beautiful. To me beauty is so much more then just the outside, or the inside. There is an essence to everything, and everything has some sense of beauty in it. I also believe that in finding that beauty, we find the small joy's in life that cannot be obtained any other way. To find beauty is to find happiness, and to be happy is a precious thing.

Some things I think are beautiful and give me joy:
1-Peace
2-Love
3-mountains
4-sunny days at a baseball game
5-smiles
6-kids
7-chairity
8-people doing something their passionate about
9-crying
10-life
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That list may seem cliche, or even cheesy, but beauty and happiness is everywhere and causes inspiration in every way :)It's easy with the hardships and stresses we face to forget to notice the beauty in life. Sometimes we think because something is bad, or hard, or uncomfortable it can't be beautiful. I disagree whole heartedly. Just because something may seem bad at the time doesnt mean we can't draw beauty and inspiration from it. Finding a silver lining in something horrible is the best way to deal with that situation if you ask me.There is nothing wrong with being an eternal optimist, so take today, find the beauty in it, and let it inspire you. Smile at people you don't know, buy flowers and leave them on a random car, DO SOMETHING that makes today a little more beautiful for you and the people you share it with.

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"If your not making someone else's life better, your wasting your time"

<3L