Friday, December 17, 2010

How to be happy.



I'm going to skip the Menu of the Day and just cut to the chase with How to Be Happy. I got the idea from equeyaya's video that i have posted here. This is such a happy song. Anyway i thought it might be fun if we all blogged about our ideas on how to be happy. I myself haven't even thought ahead about this, so i'm just winging it.

1. Do what you are good at. And do it often.

2. Have at least one friend that you can so totally honest with that you can tell them that one thing you might write in your private journal that you hope no one in the world ever reads even after you are dead and gone.

3. Exercise. I know, i know, people hate it. I hate it too. And yeah, getting started is hard and you will be miserable for a bit. But if you do it long enough to make it a habit, it will become that thing you have to do, like paying bills, flossing your teeth, eating fiber. And soon you will be amazed at how much better you feel and how your body will change. And THAT will make you happy.

4. Do something that challenges you. (I'll admit this is a hard one for me and i don't do it often enough. But those times when i have ventured into new territory i find that i get energized, especially at work, for example: designing and maintaining our website at work. )

5. If you love wine, treat yourself to an expensive bottle every once in awhile...it doesn't have to be super expensive, but say... $25 or so, as long as it is recommended by someone who knows their stuff.

6. Try to find at least two hours of unencumbered time for yourself every few days. As a non-mom it's easy for me. For moms, i think it's super essential. Even if it's just to watch TV without interruption or Facebook during that whole time.

7. Change your hair if you hate it. (What do you have to lose?)

8. Listen to music you like every day. But not that freaking sad angsty shit. Something like the video posted above.

9. Don't watch too much of the news on TV. And if you live in the Pacific Northwest, like i do. Don't watch the weather either.

10. Buy yourself flowers. Buy them once a week if you live in the Pacific Northwest. Where the skies are the color of..... concrete 10 months a year.

11. And better yet! ....Order them from your favorite florist and have them delivered to yourself at work and then don't tell anyone who sent them to you.

12. Order lot of shit from Amazon. I love when i come home and a package is on my doorstep. Every day this week i come home and a package is out there and i get excited and they are not even for me because they are Christmas presents!

I don't want to make this too long so i will end here even though i have more ideas, but i'll wait for yours and post some later in Comments.

10 comments:

equeyaya said...

I'm going to cheat and comment on yours, because I feel like I could have written them, too.

1. Do what you are good at. And do it often.

*and do what you love.

2. Have at least one friend that you can so totally honest with that you can tell them that one thing you might write in your private journal that you hope no one in the world ever reads even after you are dead and gone.

*and never let a boyfriend keep you from staying connected with your good girlfriends.

3. Exercise. I know, i know, people hate it. I hate it too. And yeah, getting started is hard and you will be miserable for a bit. But if you do it long enough to make it a habit, it will become that thing you have to do, like paying bills, flossing your teeth, eating fiber. And soon you will be amazed at how much better you feel and how your body will change. And THAT will make you happy.

*and the feeling after exercising, when your muscles are loosened up but feel firm and strong at the same time... THAT makes me happy. That and the endorphins. :)

4. Do something that challenges you. (I'll admit this is a hard one for me and i don't do it often enough. But those times when i have ventured into new territory i find that i get energized, especially at work, for example: designing and maintaining our website at work. )

*never become complacent and stuck in your comfort zone

5. If you love wine, treat yourself to an expensive bottle every once in awhile...it doesn't have to be super expensive, but say... $25 or so, as long as it is recommended by someone who knows their stuff.

*and share it with a friend or loved one. :)

6. Try to find at least two hours of unencumbered time for yourself every few days. As a non-mom it's easy for me. For moms, i think it's super essential. Even if it's just to watch TV without interruption or Facebook during that whole time.

*I need to work on this one - just to keep up with my reading if nothing else!

7. Change your hair if you hate it. (What do you have to lose?)

*this is easy for me with a cosmetology student daughter. i just saw a photo of myself from over a year ago and realized how stuck in a rut i was with my hair.

8. Listen to music you like every day. But not that freaking sad angsty shit. Something like the video posted above.

*essential to happiness

9. Don't watch too much of the news on TV. And if you live in the Pacific Northwest, like i do. Don't watch the weather either.

*lol about the weather. and i agree about the news. i have no idea what's going on in the world anymore and i think i like it better that way.


10. Buy yourself flowers. Buy them once a week if you live in the Pacific Northwest. Where the skies are the color of..... concrete 10 months a year.

*i rarely do this, but it's a good idea. (concrete - bwahahahahahaha!!!!!! you are priceless, jo!)

11. And better yet! ....Order them from your favorite florist and have them delivered to yourself at work and then don't tell anyone who sent them to you.

lol!

12. Order lot of shit from Amazon. I love when i come home and a package is on my doorstep. Every day this week i come home and a package is out there and i get excited and they are not even for me because they are Christmas presents!

*i've been doing that but they are mostly christmas presents. but yesterday the collage poster i made of the girls' christmas photos over the years came. i went to target and got a frame and hung it up. melanie saw it and groaned and said WHY did you do that? and then proceeded to point to all of them and comment on them and tell me how she shared them with her friends, lol!

i agree about the packages on the door when you get home. i ordered a paella pan for myself this week, too, and it came the very next day. I can't wait to try it out!

I'll come back later and add more, but you covered it very well for me!

jojo cucina cucina said...

OMG eque, i cannot get this song out of my head and it's making me crazy. It was in my head during my dreams last night and of course the only lyrics i remember "But the world's too big, the world's too big, i know." . I think i have to go put on some music.

that is one happy dude!

louielouie said...

Today is the day

I will:

Start some baking

Get out my sewing machine and tackle those pajama pants.


Return the last of the not-quite-right online purchases I made when home recovering from my foot surgery and maybe still under the influence of narcotics

Wear regular shoes (well not really regular, they are old white running shoes) and get out of the post surgery boot.

Call my brother about Christmas eve dinner and make some definite plans

Embrace the Christmas spirit!!

equeyaya said...

lol, louie! shopping under the influence of narcotics is probably not a good idea!

jo, you inspired me to listen to the whole RMB album again on my iphone while I walked this morning. Another one I really like is My Best Guess. I love his band!

jojo cucina cucina said...

LOL....online shopping while under the influence! I have done that on iTunes before which is why i have a creepy Xmas cd by Joshua James and that one song, what's it called?...."Funk soul brother" is in the lyrics and it's from the movie "She's All That" i think is the title... one of the great dance scenes in movies. (YouTube it if you don't believe me.)

Anyway eque, my nephew Brian called me tonight after i linked the Chariots video you posted and he said he emailed me back the video from "My Best Guess" today, same as you did on Facebook. He's buying the cd for one of his Dad's Christmas presents, since Troy is the one that started all the Montbleau Loving.

how to be happy.

13. Buy yourself jewelry. I did this today, partly to support a friend's daughter who is an artist. Her mom invited me to a buffet at her house where they sold her jewelry. I don't wear much jewelry because i feel like i don't know how but i did find some things i really loved (and something for Kylee too).

14. Have someone else cook you dinner. My husband made some really good lower fat/lower sodium chimichangas for dinner and they were really good for a light recipe.

jojo cucina cucina said...

amulbunny, where you be?

equeyaya said...

15. cook for someone you love. i made pearl's sake poached salmon tonight with asparagus and jasmine rice for Melanie. She went back for seconds.

16. surround yourself with happy, positive people.

17. listen to music as much as possible.

18. do your best everyday, even if you have to do something you don't like.

19. Be kind and thoughtful to others, even if they don't appreciate it.

20. spend time just sitting and looking at a christmas tree in the dark.

21. while doing the above, let a cat sit on your chest and purr.

22. catch snowflakes on your tongue.

23. ride a horse.

24. walk briskly on a chilly morning.

25. drink wine (did we already say that? if so, it bears repeating).

26. travel... and when you can't travel, make plans to travel. all over the world. there is so much to see. the world's too big, i know.

27. if something makes you unhappy, change it. if you can't change it, make the best of it and focus on what does make you happy.

28. laugh as often as possible.

29. learn new things.

30. smile - even if you don't feel like it, because then other people will smile back and you will feel like smiling. :)

jojo cucina cucina said...

eque. i think that if there was an Academy Award for the most Inspirational People for this year of all the people i know i would choose my brother Troy and you.
i love your list.

I got up this morning at 6 am because i had to pee and i went out and turned the Christmas tree lights on and the outside lights too and i just looked at the tree like one does a fire during camping time. It was my second Christmas moment this year.

After awhile i got up and made coffee, lit the candles and started reading the Sunday paper and when Brian got up (which is rare that he does after me) he liked that everything was all set and Christmasy for him too. And it was a Christmas moment together.


There is no way i am going to do your 21, as you know, nor your 23.

But i do love your #20.

equeyaya said...

well, when i am feeling discouraged or sorry for myself, i'm going to come back and read these, because:

31. it made me happy writing them.

i know 21 and 23 wouldn't make you happy. are you more open to 26 after your trip to arizona with brian this year?

those do sound like wonderful christmas moments - and you got to have one with yourself and one with Brian. i don't think i've had one yet, and may not. i'm still focused on making christmas moments for the girls - this is a pivotal year for them.

jojo cucina cucina said...

OMG, i am so mad, my blog lost my whole post. I'm too pissed to retype it.