10 Things to be Happy About

10 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

Family: Whether it be your grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great aunt… Family is unique to each and every person. You cannot create your family and as you grow older, so do they. Be happy you have family, some do not!

Love: Love is an amazing thing. Many people use the word love freely and many cherish it. Never take love for granted. Be happy to love and be loved, because you are loved!

Food: The simplest things in life are sometimes the things we take for granted the most; food, water, family, friends, education, freedom… (Basically half my list). People all over the US do not have the pleasure of eating a hot meal at night. Be happy you can.

Freedom: To be an American citizen and live a life with freedom is an accomplishment in itself. Your elders have given you an amazing gift. Be happy you can use that freedom in many ways.

Education: You can come from a poor community with minimal access to high education or you can come from a well-off family that forces you to continue your education. In today’s society, we need that education to get many jobs paying minimum wage. Be happy we have so many options for assistance. It is possible. It won’t be easy, but it’s possible.

Water: One of the most basic things in life; water. As a society we often take for granted the water we have readily available. We waste water as if nobody is in need. Remember the homeless; mothers, children, fathers, veterans- wounded at heart on the street begging for food and water. Be happy to have fresh water available almost any time!

Electricity: This seems so silly, but I am extremely happy to have electricity. Every time our power goes out, it seems like we look at each other with a dumb-found look. It could be 8am or 8pm and we don’t know what to do. Why? We are extremely dependent on electricity; cooking, watching tv, charging your phone, lighting your house, grooming yourself, cleaning your carpet… Be happy you have access to electricity and remember those who don’t have it because they can’t.

Faith: Faith is a huge part of my life. I believe everyone has Faith of some sort, it is just a matter of what kind. In all reality, it shouldn’t matter what kind of faith you have to anyone but yourself. I have a tattoo saying “faith” to remind myself that everything will be okay and to have faith in myself, the Lord (if you wish), family, war… whatever you are struggling with. Be happy you have the choice to choose your faith, if any. Many don’t have a choice.

Friends: True friends are far and beyond these days. Our society has become so in tune with social media and wanting everyone to “like” them. What about a good ole’ barbecue with the best of friends? Do not ever take for granted your true friends and if you go through the heartbreak of being betrayed trust by one of those friends, have faith. It will get better. There are still great people that will make true friendship worth the wait. Be happy you have friends. It is a lonely world alone.

Pets: It may seem silly, but my dog, Reggie, is my fur baby. He means the world to my husband and I and we are so happy to have him a part of our life. We do not have children (yet) but in the moment we are enjoying Reggie and all the joys he brings us. I honestly never thought I could love an animal the way I love him. He is a bundle of joy. It is easy to take for granted having a pet. They basically have no choice where they live, what they eat or drink, what toys they get, what family they go to… Be happy you have all those choices and to have a pet that many dream of having.  

Perspective

Photo Credit: Karla Sullivan Photography (Nicole Bauman)

It has been a while since I've made a post, and I apologize. I have had some craziness happening in my life that has kept me busy but also given me visions I never expected I'd be having at this point, but they are! And it is a great experience to go through, as we are all always growing into bigger, better people (I hope). 

As a reflection of some things that have happened in my life recently and given me new insight, I want to share some inspiring moments that others have shared with me and that have made me look at myself, my life, my past experiences and how I want my future experiences to unfold. 

I have always let faith be a part of my life and always strived to have #faith in everything that happens or has happened in my life. What I didn't realize is how unconnected you can become because of the negativity others bring into your life. I've had friends come into my life and pass on by because of one simple thing, life. We grow and our values change. Our wants and needs sometimes become blurry.

Life is full of experiences; good, bad, fun, boring, adventurous... those experiences are what make our story worth sharing from generation to generation. In recent months, I have experienced heartbreak, majority caused by people I thought were so close to me. People I never thought would betray my trust when I told them something I expected to stay between us. I'm no perfect human. I have made mistakes also. I will own up. It is what is right. Going through these situations are what has made us stronger and re-opened our eyes to what really matters to us. Re-opened our eyes to what we value in life. What we value in friendships. What we value in marriage. My values are what form my closest friendships. We share many of the same values. Of course I have friends that don't share some of the same values, and that is okay too.

The lifelong friendships I have formed are created on a non-judgmental foundation. To be loved like a sister even though we are not sisters is one of the best feelings in the world. I have an older brother and a younger sister, so I never thought I would feel the love of a sibling from a friend. But, I have! And I am honored to be the same sibling figure to others. To feel un-judged even when you know they don't agree with some of your hobbies, habits, thoughts, etc. They still love you for you. They still want you to be so actively in their life; to be their sole-sister, to cry on each other’s shoulder, to share the best days of each other’s life, to share the worst days of each other’s life, to be a true friend for life. 

I have judged and have grown to know how terrible it feels to be judged. I will be judged and continue to be judged. I will not change who I am to satisfy other people's ideal "friend" but I will change who I let affect me. I know now more than ever that I cannot make everyone happy. I cannot be everyone's ideal friend because everyone has a different perspective on "ideal". Why is there judgement? Why can we not be friends with everyone without judging their clothing, their job, their car, their house, their hobbies, their habits, their lifestyle...? Why do we hate?

Believing in forgiveness is another one of those feelings; the best feelings. I say ‘best feelings’ a lot because those things feel so good. Knowing we all sin and can move on is a piece of the puzzle many cannot find a place for. No sin is greater than another. Believe in yourself. Forgive those who have left you in the dark, feeling terrible. You do not have to involve them in your everyday life. You do not need to be friends with them. Just simply forgive. You will feel the burden crumble off your shoulders as you learn to forgive those people you were hurt by in some way, shape or form. 

To all my friends, you are loved! Don't judge others, we are all struggling with something. Be yourself. Love yourself! Love your family. Love your friends. Respect your elders. Live life freely. Don't regret, but instead learn. Life is full of mistakes, heartache, laughter, love, friendships... make your story worth sharing for many generations to come. #peace