Happy takes effort!

"Happines is a conscious choice, not an automatic response."-Mildred Barthel

Happiness is definitely a conscious choice.  Today I have had to choose to be happy when I really felt like being sad.  I found out that to get into the Doctoral program at school, it is going to be very tough.  They will only accept 10-12 students a year and the ones that are chosen have to pass a series of tests and interviews and have extensive referral letters.  Now, I don't think of myself as dumb, but I don't think of myself as extremely smart either.  My GPA is 3.60, I feel I can get the referral letters, but to make more than an 1100 on the GRE seems impossible at this point.  Also, when I think about 10 people being chosen out of 500-600 applicants, I don't feel my chances are good at all.  But, I am choosing to not give up, and to not let it get me down.  I am going to continue working hard and to start looking at other schools programs.  Most of them seem to have about the same requirements for their Doctoral program, but maybe if I apply at several Universities, it will increase my odds of being selected.  So, my point is this-Choose to be HAPPY-and stick to it, after all, Happy is a state of mind and we have control over what we choose!  And, just maybe if we hold on to our dreams, we will find the rainbow we have been searching for! Never Never stop looking!

Keeping Busy

Happiness consists in  activity.  It is a running stream, not a stagnant pool-Oliver Wendall Holmes

This is certainly true for me.  I can get depressed so easy when I have too much time on my hands.  If something is bothering me, unless I stay busy, it will consume me.  When you keep busy, your mind keeps busy, which leaves less time to ponder on the thing that is bothersome. So, next time you are feeling blue, make a point of doing an activity such as reading, walking, crafting, etc.  It might not solve the problem, but it will put you in a better frame of mind, and who knows, sometimes it will give you a new perspective of the problem, which could lead to solving it.

Sharing your Life

"Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower."-unknown

Sharing your life with a pet can bring so much to your life.  Petting a dog or cat has been shown to lower blood pressure.  But so much more can be gained from your pet.  My Cooper loves me no matter what I look like.  He loves me unconditionally.  If I am sad, he senses it and seems to become even closer to me and tries to comfort me.  If I am happy, he is right there wagging his butt, (he has a short tail), and his excitement is contagious and it makes me want to get up and do something. He does things that makes me laugh, for example when he looks at me with his teeth showing and he looks like he is grinning at me.  The fact that he relies on me for his very life is a big responsibility, but at the same time it gives me a reason to be important to another life.   I had a female chihuahua for 10 years named Rosie.  When she died unexpectedly, I vowed to never open myself up to that hurt again.  But, since then, I have changed the way I feel about that.  I believe the benefits of owning a pet far outweigh the risk of sadness.  The richness they can bring to your life is worth all of the risks. I truly believe that owning a pet is GOOD for you.

My Beautiful Cooper... Im sure you will see much of him  here as time goes by.

Gothic Arches Challenge-Queen

The images are from Paper Whimsy.

Being Creative and Altered Mona Lisa

Being creative is a great way to add a bit of happy to your life.  I find that when I am working on a project, I think about it all of the time when I am not actually working on it. I look forward to getting back to it.  If I am planning a new project, I constantly go over it in my head.  This process is a good way to think about something positive.  Also, you can even incorporate a bothersome idea or whatever is going on in your life into your art.  This is a great way to release negative feelings and thoughts.  For the first time, I have joined an art challenge with the Sunday Postcard Art group.  This weeks challenge wast to alter a picture of Mona Lisa.

The Happiness Toolbox

Since this is my first post, lets get right to to the point of this blog.  I recently discovered a wonderful book by Gretchen Rubin.  It is "The Happiness Project".  The book is her personal quest of implementing happiness into her life.  In the book, she spends a year pursuing measurable goals using practical steps to increase the happiness in her life.  In addition to the book, she has created a website that is called The Happiness Project Toolbox.  It is a Free collection of eight tools to help anyone work on increasing their happiness level.  These tools will help you to set goals and keep them.  I think you will love it and again its Free!

New Blog Design

New blog design by The Posh Box.