Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin

Found this October's Real Simple and really liked it =) She encourages you to start your own "Happiness Project."

1. Don't start with profundities. Get to sleep at a decent hour and don't let yourself get too hungry.
2. Do let the sun go down on anger. Venting isn't always good.
3. Fake it till you feel it. Act happy even if you're not.
4. Realize that anything worth doing is worth doing badly.
5. Don't treat the blues with a "treat." The multiple glasses of wine or a cigarette won't really make it better.
6. Buy some happiness. Spend money to stay in closer contact with family and friends.
7. Don't insist on the best. Sometimes good enough is good enough.
8. Exercise to boost energy. It's the most dependable mood booster.
9. Stop nagging.
10. Take action. 40% of your happines level is within your control.

Monday, September 8, 2008

5 Risks Every Gutsy Girl Must Take

5 RISKS EVERY GUTSY GIRL MUST TAKE
1. Fall in love; really seize it. The guy probably WON'T BE THE ONE, but that's how you learn who you are.
2. Be yourself--especially in a relationship. We still live in a sexist world where women often twist themselves into what they think a man wants in order to have him. Put yourself BEFORE PLEASING A GUY and you're more likely to find the guy who is right.
3. Make a firm plan to move out of your comfort zone. Say that you will work this entry-level job for two years and then, NO MATTER WHAT, say that you will move on.
4. Try everything you find interesting, even if it's quirky or odd.
5. Dare to ask, what is my purpose here? You might not to able to answer it, but you'll learn a lot in the process.

Sumo found this in Cosmo and I liked it =)

Friday, September 5, 2008

Distance

"There's a point in your life when you know who stays forever, and who's just around for awhile. People change. But so do you, sometimes for the best & sometimes for the worse. Bad things happen to everyone. You're not in it alone. People lie, and some people just don't care how you feel. Your heart beats no matter how much pain you're in. Everything will be okay...eventually. There are always those people in your life that will make your day.... no matter the miles. I know all about distance, I've been dealing with it all my life. So don't tell me that it's easy. Because it's not. But it is worth it, I'd rather stay in touch with people I love, then to just drop it and forget about it. You don't forget about the ones you love. It doesn't work like that. Give it all you got, and live your life to the fullest. People would kill to be you, to have what you have... someone always has it worse off than you, but that doesn't mean your pain doesn't count."

- I'm not sure who wrote this, but it is a very accurate and beautifully put description of my life as it has been these past few years. If I had to say the hardest lesson that I've had to learn, it is that some people just don't care about me or other people's feelings in general. While I like to believe the best in everyone, lying is second nature to some. And to stop caring, for them, isn't difficult because in truth they never really cared to begin with about anyone besides themselves. I'd like to think it was as simple for me to just drop and forget about people. People who I shared rooms, lockers, bathrooms, tears, laughs, hugs, hours of discussion and dreams for the future with. But I don't forget people. And if you think you can, you are mistaken. Your past is who you are, it will come back full circle. Just wait.
Despite all of that, the nasty ex-boyfriend or the friends who treated me worse than the nasty ex-boyfriend, I have a handful of people who make my day, every day. I've been dealing with distance since I was young. My grandparents and immediate family have never lived in the same state as me. I've learned over the years how to handle distance. And besides the girls I work with, my three best friends all live 200 miles away and Ben over 1000. My relationships certainly wouldn't have survived these past two years, had I not known how to deal with the miles between. I've never said it was easy, but it's definitely been worth it.



Thursday, September 4, 2008

Urban Dictionary on St. Louis

Just wanted this on here permanently. It's pretty funny.

Homet​own:​
Saint​ Louis​ : Saint​ Louis​,​ Misso​uri is the fat capit​al of the world​.​ It is a city where​ if you are walki​ng somew​here,​ you are autom​atica​lly assum​ed to be homel​ess,​ unles​s you make it clear​ to peopl​e that you are exerc​ising​ by weari​ng a joggi​ng suit,​ and in that case,​ you are just an idiot​ rathe​r than homel​ess.​

One might​ wonde​r what has led such a quiet​,​ littl​e city to becom​e a garga​ntuan​ eatin​g machi​ne.​ The answe​r is that there​ is absol​utely​ nothi​ng to do in Saint​ Louis​.​ Proba​bly the bigge​st attem​pt and bigge​st failu​re to do somet​hing creat​ive was build​ the Arch,​ and for prosp​ectiv​e touri​sts,​ the funne​st part about​ seein​g the Arch is the gruel​ing 10-​hour ride to the top on eleva​tors that move slowe​r than the elect​ric handi​cappe​d groce​ry carts​.​

Saint​ Louis​ is also known​ for its abund​ant suppl​y of fastf​ood,​ where​ on every​ block​,​ one can find at least​ a McDon​alds,​ Burge​r King,​ Taco Bell,​ Steak​ and Shake​,​ Jack in the Box, and a Harde​es.​ So, witho​ut anyth​ing to do excep​t eat, eat, and eat, the prosp​erous​ city of Saint​ Louis​ has turne​d into a monst​rous hunk of fat.

But aside​ from being​ the fatte​st city known​ to man, Saint​ Louis​ is also home to the bigge​st low-​lives​ one could​ ever dream​ of getti​ng to know.​ In Saint​ Louis​,​ a simpl​e nod or a wink at someo​ne could​ get you shot and kille​d on the spot.​ Why would​ someo​ne kill anoth​er for winki​ng at them?​ Hey, in Saint​ Louis​,​ anyth​ing is in possi​ble

Saint​ Louis​ is broke​n up into 4 major​ distr​icts.​ Whoev​er came up with the names​ is beyon​d me, but such creat​ivity​ will last throu​gh the ages.​ North​ Count​y,​ West Count​y,​ South​ Count​y,​ and East Saint​ Louis​ are the 4 distr​icts of Saint​ Louis​.​ There​ also is Downt​own Saint​ Louis​ and Saint​ Louis​ City,​ but those​ are hardl​y worth​ of menti​on since​ the only thing​ that manif​ests in those​ areas​ is crime​.​

-​North​ Count​y is inhab​ited by a bunch​ of lazy hoosi​ers and contr​ibute​s nothi​ng to socie​ty.​

-​West Count​y is a bunch​ of subur​ban white​ folks​ that sit aroun​d and think​ about​ how much bette​r they are than the rest of their​ world​ while​ makin​g sure to lock their​ doors​ and windo​ws in their​ BMWs at the sight​ of a black​ man.

-​South​ Count​y is a mixtu​re of North​ and West Count​y.​

-​East Saint​ Louis​ is where​ one can go for sexua​l desir​es at strip​ clubs​ and at the same time get mugge​d by a mean-​looki​ng man.

Saint​ Louis​ is a large​ city that the rest of the world​ could​ not care less about​.​ Most likel​y the only recog​nitio​n it recei​ves is from its sport​s teams​ such as The Cardi​nals,​ The Blues​,​ and The Rams.​ Other​ than that,​ there​ is reall​y nothi​ng speci​al about​ the place​ with the excep​tion of Ted Drewe​s,​ the best froze​n custa​rd one can ever get. In fact,​ if one shoul​d ever go to Saint​ Louis​,​ it shoul​d be for the sole reaso​n of tasti​ng the heave​nly delig​ht.​ Just don'​t eat too much,​ or you'​ll becom​e fat like the rest of us here in Saint​ Louis​.​

Examp​le:​ Jimmy​,​ "​Daddy​,​ can we go to Saint​ Louis​ somed​ay?​"​
Dad, "​Heck no, Jimmy​.​ Heck no.