Everything isn’t always as complicated and messy as we have come to believe. Sometimes, life is simply about happiness and the small ways we choose to engage in the beauty of being alive.
- Go follow @pugsofinstagram and laugh a little at those goofy freaking dogs.
- More importantly, don’t hold back your laughter in life. Smile at the silly antidotes that make life amusing. Laugh loud and genuinely. Give those bursts of joy all you have because you only have so many.
- Cling to your moral compass. Believe in the values that compose who you are and never allow others the power to strip that from you.
- Make pancakes whenever possible.
- Don’t forget your hobbies, they will save your soul one day. Try to set aside a little time for the little things you love.
- Have an open mind. Let the walls of your brain be temporary and kind to the existence of new ideas.
- Play. Play with your friends. Play with your pets. Play with your family. Play.
- Retain a hunger for knowledge. Let life teach you and understand at the core of your being that there will never be a day that you don’t need to continue to learn.
- Exercise forgiveness. Let your heart release the evil that weighs it down.
- When with your significant other, take a second to really look at them. Follow the curves of their body and study the pigment of their eyes. Watch the way they light up with a smile. Melt a little when you see them. Appreciate the beauty of those you love and let it captivate you.
- In addition to actually seeing the people you love, touch them. Give strong hugs. Lay on a long kiss that makes you ease into it with your whole body and forget everything else. Feel and physically exist with others.
- Blast a song in your car like you did when you first landed your driver’s license and the stereo was essentially the best part. Let the music consume you and vibrate life through you.
- Cuddle.
- Go outside.
- Seriously, if there aren’t any hazardous weather conditions outside, get out there as soon as you can. You can take five minutes from the day to just breathe in the air and let the sunshine warm your face.
- Don’t be afraid to fall in love.
- Love who you are while still constantly working towards self betterment. Know that you’ll always have room to grow.
- Share your funniest stories.
- Explore. The world is filled with unimaginable beauty if you take the chance to discover it. Traveling can be expensive, but you would be surprised by how many amazing places you can uncover in only a short distance from your home.
- Give yourself “me time” whenever life gets too overwhelming.
- Be completely enthralled by the people you are with. Put away the phone and emails while you are trying to have a conversation with someone. Half-hearted interactions are disguised failures.
- Be humble.
- Be imaginative.
- Be brave.
- Search for the positivity in your life and share it with others.
- Exercise your body as you do your brain. Train it to be healthy and strong in a way that supports you and all of your dreams.
- Look at the stars.
- Give real meaning to the phrase “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” and actually try to understand the perspective of others. It is so easy to judge or be angry with others without taking into consideration why they behave or feel the way they do.
- No man or woman carries the same burden as any other, and that is a beautiful obstacle we all must work to overcome and learn from each day.
- Express yourself freely.
- Take road trips.
- Dance.
- Let yourself be vulnerable and share your deepest thoughts.
- Show yourself to the people around you and allow them love you for all that you truly are.
- Indulge in a few Netflix marathons when you are feeling down.
- Let yourself have a good cry if you need one.
- Be healthy while still understanding that it is still OK to go for the extra cookie every once in awhile.
- Cookies won’t kill you, I swear. I’m a firm believer that they may actually be saviors in some ways.
- Try to do the things that scare you.
- Take photos.
- Play games. Anything from shooting hoops in the drive way to a deadly game of Go-Fish can do wonders for your overall happiness.
- Learn to love the beauty of the mini-conversation with the office janitor or check-out lady at the grocery. Too often we walk through our days ignoring the little opportunities we have to influence others.
- Spend more time with animals. Cuddle with your kitty. Throw the ball with your dog and laugh at all the funny ways he tries to grab it from the air. Love them for their innocent companionship and let them love you.
- Keep a list of goals and work towards them.
- Stop passing judgements. The condemnation of others will never make you better and won’t ultimately make you feel better either.
- Take a few cat naps.
- Create. Use your imagination and talent to create anything from a superb batch of brownies to a DIY Pinterest creation for your new apartment.
- Laugh at yourself.
- Engage in the activities that cause you to be sincerely proud of yourself. These are the moments where you can feel in the pit of your stomach that you are doing something solely because it makes you feel accomplished, happy, and meaningful. Keep feeling that way and working towards those moments.
- Make a difference. Make a difference with your work, with your smile, with your bare hands, or with your heart. You are alive; live each day understanding what an incredible opportunity that is. You are an opportunity for greatness, so seize it.
