Merry Christmas to One and All

Today is a wonderful day. Think about it, it's Christmas! It's a season of happiness and joy. If you aren't seeing it, maybe you need to look inwards. Sure, things happen all around us that are hard and definitely not fun, not even happy; but, remember happiness comes from within. Look inside yourself, and spread the joy! Let it come from inside you, and share it with others. As my dear friend quoted Buddha on her blog, he said: "Happiness never decreases by being shared."

Make it a method to share your joy, even in little things. If one person doesn't appreciate the happiness with you, look for another to share with, and keep doing so until your joy has multiplied in it's fullness. If you make happiness an "object" to be shared with others, you will be able to help others find that happiness also. You will find that it will be easier to be happy. This season is a great factor in bringing some people grand amounts of happiness, but lets try to remember that the joy of this season can extend on beyond this month.

Let's try it ;)
Be Happy.
Share it.
-gracie

Harry Potter- Of Course!

I am sad to say that I did think about writing many a time in the last while, and have been lazy and have not done so. It makes me disappointed in myself that I am such a lazy couch potato. I will definitely be writing more from here on out, or I will be mad.... at myself I guess.

So, I have been reading a lot since I got back home for the break, because I am trying to read every book/series on the list that BBC released. I read Little Women first, and loved it tremendously. There were so many times that I read something in that book where I truly wanted to write something about it in here, but I would put it off, and then wouldn't be able to find the passage again.

Now that I have finished that book I have moved onto Harry Potter. Yes, I have read them before.... many a time, but I am re-reading all the books I have read on the list as well as reading all the ones I haven't yet read. I just decided I couldn't pass up reading them again as soon as I could, call me a fanatic (which, sadly enough, I am. Some of my friends don't see it as much down at school, but really..... I probably know everything about them hahaha..... anyways.) I was reading the first one a bit ago, and something made me smile really big, and I really wanted to write about it in here. Let me share the passage first:

"Hungry, are you?"

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't liked corned beef."

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on--"

"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."

"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron......

This doesn't necessarily take a BIG part in the book, maybe hardly at all. But this small incident plays a big role in all of our lives. Do we like sharing? Are we selfish? I know I am. I know ALL of us are, in all reality.

It is true that when we share selflessly, and enjoy the feeling of it, then we are becoming better people. You gain friends, you learn how to work with others, and you just are happier. I know it's true, do you? 

It's almost Christmas. Are you thinking of others? What have you done to help others find true happiness this season? Think about it, because truly, happiness doesn't come from the commercial part of the season.

-gracie

Made me Smile

Tonight me and my roommates exchanged gifts for Christmas. We all go our separate ways on Friday, so we did it tonight. It was a ton of fun, but there were two things tonight that actually meant a lot to me. My actual roommate wrote me a note and put it on my gift that she gave me. I didn't read it then, because there were a lot of people around. I forgot about it, and just went on doing stuff. Just a few minutes ago- which is a few hours after the gift exchange- I opened my door to go down the hall to find a note on my door with my name on it. I then remembered that there was another note I still needed to read. I gathered both of them up and read them both. Needless to say, I cried. I have some amazing people in my life. And to tell you the truth, I don't really think either of them fully comprehend what those small things meant to me. The last couple of weeks have been getting harder for me for some odd reason, and those notes really made me smile- or balled, more like.

I think we all just need to remember that even when people seem happy, we need to remember to be nice to everybody. I know it's hard. Sometimes we don't like people- whether they be family, "friends", roommates, or anybody else. Sometimes we say things we shouldn't about them. I think we need to be nice to everybody. It really means a ton. I promise that if we remember others, and remember that we don't always fully understand other people's situations, we can change the world. I really hope I can be one of those people and not judge others. Especially those who are close to us- proximity wise. We need to show others we care, even if they are quiet and don't really say anything back to us.

Sorry, this blog might be starting to just be dragging on.
All I want to say is be nice, and show others we care by simple means. Maybe we can make them smile.
-gracie

The Glad Game - Pollyanna (1960)

It's been a while since I've written. So much going on, yet hardly anything at all, really. I feel so lazy. So here is what I decided to write about today.

Have any of you ever seen the movie Pollyanna? I absolutely adore it. In it a girl named Pollyanna (well, of course that's her name) plays the Glad Game:

Times are hard these days for a lot of people, but think about it. It's the Christmas Season. A season of joy and love, of giving and happiness. We have much to be glad about, even if there are those times. I have been a lazy bum in writing. I've been doing practically nothing. When you are lazy, there isn't a sense of accomplishment, and your brain goes foggy. It's hard to be completely HAPPY- notice I didn't say content- when you are doing nothing. If you are doing something, actively trying to become a better person it is easier to play the glad game day to day. And playing the game is important.

Around Christmas time we all just assume everybody is happy, everyone is glad, but sometimes it is not so. We need to learn to use the glad game to help us being the ones who are happy and bring the down ones up. I think we all should remember to be actively doing productive things, playing the glad game- and it will help people all around us to be happy. I promise :)

Love you all
-gracie