Ain't Garbage

Every thursday me and my friends have a free dinner at a local Episcopalian church. I think it is such a wonderful thing they do for us poor students. It is so nice. I always wonder how we can thank them enough for what they do for us. It is hard, because it isn't like we see them every day.

Today, on our way to the church we passed an older lady with two dogs. We stopped, of course, to pet them. The lady was very kind, and was telling us what was for dinner and how much time they put into it. She was not boasting, but rather, she was just telling us how much she loved us. She continued walking away. After our delicious FREE dinner we walked out of the church, and the older lady was walking back towards us once again. She needed help with taking the garbage cans back to the building where they would be cleaning up after dinner. We gladly helped her take them around the corner and back to the church.

I am not boasting. I am not trying to do that at all. I love helping others, and to actually do it without complaint made it so wonderful. It just felt so good to do something so simple for a little thing. It was definitely not garbage:)
-gracie

Replace Sorrow

Today I read a story about a man and a woman who had been married for sixty-four years. When someone asked the man how he was doing a few months after his wife had passed away he said this: "I am lonely, but I'm not lonesome." What does it mean? What is the difference? The man was sad that his darling wife had passed away, but he had done something to make it feel better, make himself feel better. He had replaced sorrow with "service and had displaced self-pity with selfless love."

I think it is important to work through our pains and replace it with something that does bring happiness. If we stop focusing on the sadness and work to help others, it will make us happier and stronger. We will be able to overcome anything that confronts us in our lives. I think I may have said this before, but I do believe it is true. All we have to do is work hard to help others and we will find the happiness we need to push through our own trials.
-gracie

Stop

Let's keep it simple:

"While in the pursuit of happiness, one should stop and just be happy..."

Why not stop and smell the roses?
-gracie

Newton's Second Law

Yes, I know. The title of this post is rather.... interesting. I hope you find this interesting.

Just a while ago I was reading some "spiritual" material. There was a quote in there that really hit home for me. It said:

     "Each act of service, however small and incremental, adds to our spiritual momentum. Like Newton's Second
     Law, there is a transmitting of acceleration as well as a contagiousness associated with even the small acts of
     goodness."

I believe it is true. Not everyone believes in the same things, but a life without believing in something is a lot harder than living a life without it. If we believe in something, someone, it is easier to make it through things. That is spirituality. (You don't necessarily have to be religious...) So when it says little acts of service add to our spiritual momentum, it is saying that it helps us get through things. Gives us a boost for the day emotionally.

Oh how I love helping others. It really helps you get through the day and gives you that boost of energy that you need. I love it. I really do. I hope I can find someone tomorrow that I can help. I hope you all do too.
-gracie

Quit Complaining

I haven't written for the last two days. Whoops! Just been stressed and busy with different things. But I was trying to think of things to write, and as always happen to people who try to remember things... they were forgotten. There was one thing, blessed be it, that I didn't forget.

Today I was sitting with some people in the Cafeteria at lunch, and we were just talking. I must've been thinking about something important, or not important at all, but I got pulled out of thought quite abruptly when I heard someone say "SERVICE." My friends would probably just roll their eyes at me for saying that that of all things brought me out of my reverie. One of the girls who lives in another hall of my dorm had been saying that when she started complaining too much her friend would tell her to either make a meal for her or go serve someone.

I found that a rather interesting that she would serve when she started complaining (considering the "make a meal" was a bit of a joke). I think it is important for us to remember others instead of moping in our own grief. Don't get me wrong, we're allowed to be sad! We all have hard times. We all need times to cry, times to vent. But there is a difference from trying to get over something, trying to get it out of our system, and just plain wallowing in our own grief. We need to take charge over our lives and serve others. When we are actually just being the wallowers, we need to remember others and help them. It really helps you be the person you want to be. Even if you don't see yourself as a person who can do everything in the world, I think you are. I don't even know everyone... but I do believe it.

If we were to all just stop wallowing and begin to love and help others who need it deeply, we might just be able to make that happiness a method. A method to life.
-gracie

Little Deeds

Today I noticed something very simple, but it was very nice. Me and my roommate were doing our drawing assignments (pretty close to the bane of my existence) in our room. I had to draw the doorway open, so it was open halfway and taped off so nobody would move it. Me and my roommate were talking, drawing... just enjoying ourselves as much as possible when another girl from our floor walked by. She stopped, and asked if we had any trash that needed to be taken out. I believe this is her second or third time doing this. It makes me so happy to have a floormate who is willing to do little acts of kindness to make our day. 

I think it is important for us all just to remember to help others with the simple things. They really do notice it. I know I do (and I promise it isn't because I was looking for something to blog about. It just happened! Lucky me.)

-gracie

Optimism

It's come to be that time of the school semester where you need to start "worrying" about your new schedule for the next semester. I must say, it isn't the best timing. Seeing as it is also that time during the semester where I have a gazillion and one projects to finish and turn in. I went into the Dean of CPVA (College of Performing and Visual Arts) to discuss options for my schedule next semester. I was hoping for time next semester for a job... It does not look like it will. Needless to say, I started stressing once again. It is a wonder how I learned to stress so much. I don't think I was this bad just a few months ago. 

Anyways, I was sitting in my room looking at a future class schedules and the times for classes I needed to take. I was freaking out, to say the least. I would be taking classes as early as 8 and classes that ended as late as 6 pm... My boyfriend was talking to me, and he started telling me just not to worry, that if things were right that they would work out. He is great, always being optimistic. I decided that if happiness isn't a destination, I need to stop worrying about the future and begin to making my happiness a METHOD. 

If only everyone were optimistic... It might, just might help the whole world turn for the better. 

Let's make our happiness a method, shall we?

-gracie

Helping Hands

Yes, I know that the title to this blog is very much a cheesy one, but it really means something. This post is short, so don't let it throw you for a loop or anything. I still think that it has meaning to it.

I am a graphic design major, and one of the required classes is Drawing 1 and 2. I am in Drawing 1 right now, and may I say it is the bane of my existence. I am not a drawer, so when I started working on my self portrait assignment I was so frustrated I broke down into tears. I wanted it to actually look something similar to me, or maybe better! But no... it looked like I was the Phatom of the Opera in female form. The simplest thing turned my mood around. My roommate is a wonderful, wonderful friend to me. We came here together, knowing each other in high school. She is a phenomenal artist, and all she had to do to turn my mood around was to help me learn how to draw my eyes. Simple. Short. Helpful.

Thank you so much my dear roommate. You helped me realize that we all need to be aware of other's needs and that we all need to use our talents to help others. Oh how it helps others find that happiness we all are searching for.
-gracie

Short and Sweet

Today was actually quite a wonderful day. I personally was bouncing around in just a fantastic mood. I am a graphic design major, so I decided to go early to the Mac Lab to work on some projects. I was in there from 1:30-5. I was really trying to make my projects good. I wanted my teacher to be proud. I went back to my classroom at the end of the schedule class time, since I was in the Mac Lab doing the project, to see what my teacher thought. To put it simply.... he didn't like it. And you could tell. I wanted to cry in the moment. I ran outside and,  though I am a college student, I called home to talk to my mommy. My little 12 year old brother answered. He told me my mom wasn't home. I was upset, I wanted to talk to her so bad. Just wanted to have a mommy hug. Right before I hung up so I could call my mom's cell, my brother said: "Have a GREAT day."

He didn't realize what he did there for me. He didn't realize that he gave me a smile, a longing for a brother hug. A longing of joy that my little brother knew when I needed that. I love that kid. He will definitely be a great man someday.

I learned from this that even if you don't know what is going on with someone, it is important to pay a little attention and let them know you care. Give them well wishes. Help them feel loved, like I've said earlier. Just saw something short and sweet to make their day.
-gracie

Key to Happiness

I discovered something awesome today. Like I said before, we all are looking for stuff to make us happy, right? Well, what is the key to being happy? Someone said something to me today that really hit home for me. They said: Love is the source of happiness. What do you think? I think it's true.

Think about it. You are really happy when you feel loved. I know it's true for me. I love the feeling of a hug or a just a simple compliment once in a while. I've also found that I feel that love when you show love to others. I think everybody needs to feel that love, the love of a friend. I know that this post is short, and simple... but I really think everybody needs love. What do you say? Whoever reads this, will you do something to help another, to show them they are loved?? I make a promise to you that this week I will. I hope you all will too.

Loves to all!
-gracie

Just to be Nice

I always love hearing about the good e xperiences my friends have with complete strangers. It sometimes can be totally hysterical, others somber (yes, I did just use the word somber). Tonight, though, my friends told me about something I found rather heartwarming.

Today me and two friends went out of town to do some shopping, we were hoping two of my other new friends would catch up with us later. They never did. I made sure they were alright, but none of us knew what exactly happened. Apparently my two friends were on their way back to our dorm from a nearby city when the gas light came on in their car. And it wasn't just almost empty, the gauge said it was empty. They were a little freaked out, considering they were practically in the middle of nowhere. They found a gas station, but get this- it had no more gas. What kind of gas station runs out of gas? Apparently this one does. They were a little frantic, and by mere circumstance they found someone who had a can of gas in the back of their truck. My two friends were about to pay this lady for the gas they used when the lady refused the money. Not only did she refuse the money, but she ran away from them, or so the story is told. She let them have quite a bit of gas for free.

It seems like a simple story, but really, it means a lot to me. To think that someone genuinely did something out of the kindness of their hearts was beautiful. What would the world be like if we all just did something simple like that every day? Like I've said before, smile, write notes.... maybe even help someone who can't get back to their home. I think it's important to just look for those opportunities. I have found that it really does make a difference when you do something nice each day. It brings a smile, especially when you are having a hard time.

I hope whoever reads this takes this to thought.. Maybe we should pass on the kindness and do something simple each day, what do you say?
-gracie

Simple Smile

Have you ever thought about the power of a smile? My friends can attest to the fact that one thing that comes out of my mouth at least once a day- usually a quite bit more...- is "SMILE!" I know I am annoying, I know people probably get sick of me quickly. But nobody really realizes how much power one little smile has.

Today wasn't a horrible day. In fact, I loved it a lot. I guess it is understandable that someone who had a great day is hard to believe when said person tells you that it is easy to turn a day around. I won't be that said person. I know that it is hard. This last week has been hard on me. I've missed my family and friends deeply. But today was different. Though on all other days I told someone, my roommate, my friends, my boyfriend, it was still hard for me personally. Today, I decided to smile. I decided to push aside the thoughts of the stress of all my projects and other responsibilities. I decided to smile and be happy. It made all the difference.

One of my favorite songs of all times is by Carrie Underwood. I know that Country isn't always a favorite genre of music, but this song is good: "Lessons Learned." In the song is says:
     "And every tear that had to fall from my eyes,
     And everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night,
     Every change, life has thrown me,   
     I'm thankful, for every break in my heart,
     I'm grateful, for every scar, 
     Some pages turned,
     Some bridges burned,
     But there were lessons learned."

This song just helps me remember that if something bad happens, we move on. Some pages turned, some bridges burned, lessons learned. 

This post wasn't necessarily about any one 'tender mercy' or good deed I saw today. But I thought it was just a good thing to share. I just like thinking about being happy and simple things that help us along that way.

Smile ;)

-gracie

Make it a Method

I decided one thing- or rather- I decided to finally embrace one truth: Everything everyone does is only because they want to be happy. There are things in life that we all want, things we think we need every day. There are things that bring us happiness, bring us long-lasting happiness, and things that are just plain short-lived until you do it again and again. I think it is the little things that make us happy, little things each and every day that are simple. This is my idea, my method, to life.

This blog is just my way of showing off the "good" I see each day, things that make me happy, and things that I see make others happy. I just want people, if anyone ever chooses to read this blog, to see that there is hope in the future even when life seems so hard. That's all I want, is for those of you looking into this digital world to find happiness in each day. 

Today was an interesting day, it wasn't what I would call wonderful, fantastic, or even great. It was just an average day like any other. I am a college student, living in a old dorm. My floor is very close knit in some ways, but many of us still don't know each other that well, and it's already been almost 2 months since we've moved in. So I grabbed a post-it note pad and started writing notes to stick on the doors of some of the girls on the opposite end of the hall. Let me tell you, I did not know why I did it... But I did, and it just made me happy to think that I might be the carrier of a simple ray of happiness to someone who might need it. I'm not trying to boast in myself in any way, believe me. I just wanted to express the joy it brought to me when I was trying to bring joy to others. Even in simple ways.

Well, that is all for my first post. We'll see if this blog ever does anything. I hope so. Oh, how I want everyone to find some happiness out there.

-gracie