Let's Have More Fun!

Hello everybody, Happy Friday! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. So, whenever I find myself forgetting the joy and fun in life, I go to cultural and traditional events like this. I always enjoy to watch other people feeling free and alive, a sense of passion, excitement and exhilaration.

Unfortunately, when we "grow up" too many of us don't even know what we think is fun. Sometimes we get so caught up with the things such as job, chores, daily obligations that we almost forget to have fun. But we all need to have a little fun, especially in these difficult times. Laughter brings about positive feelings; excitement, joy and enthusiasm for life. 

Hope you have a great weekend! Wishing all a wonderful Holiday Season. x

I Just Want to Be Happy

Happy Friday y'all! Almost everyone wants to be happy. The truth is, bliss isn't a permanent state my friends. 

But what is happiness, really? 

Happiness is subjective. For me, bliss is feeling content with what I have and where I am at. And I still find joy in the little things in life.  

Lao Tzu Philosophies for Life. I found this video very inspiring on "How to be Happy" and thought I'd share it with you.

https://youtu.be/g_Zmk6BnWZo

Hope you have a great weekend! xx

Pathetic Fallacy

Pathetic Fallacy is giving human feelings to something non-human. It's a form of personification. 
For example, the weather can be used to reflect a person's mood.

I woke up to yet another sunny day and it is as hot as dutch love.  

Sunny is certainly how I am feeling these days. I am also grateful for the rain for staying away as I am just not in the mood for that (yet).
In the meantime, I'm enjoying the cool ocean breeze 'touching' my cheeks.

Hope you have a beautiful weekend! xx

Time Is a Monster

I stayed up late last night thinking about the future; mostly about time. I got so caught up with my thoughts that I could not sleep.
What does the future hold in store for all humanity? What will my future life be like?

Time is a monster. Time devours us all. It devours everything, our precious relationships, the stuff we have, our possessions. Most importantly, time devours our years away.

Oh well, it's very easy to get swept up in our thoughts...

Hope you have a great weekend! xx

We Are Only Humans

Last night when I was lying in bed with my eyes closed trying to sleep, this question came to mind.
What would I like to improve about myself?
Well, it's not really one thing. I have many things that I'd like to improve about myself actually.

Neale  Donald Walsch once said: "Only when you stop letting fears hold you back, will you start to make those major breakthroughs in life". That phrase hit home. And I suddenly realized that getting out of my comfort zone is the answer!

I've finally figured it out. I'll be honest. I am afraid of failing, at least some of the time. And that fear of failure stops me doing the things that can move me forward to achieve my goals.
In fact, I really need to overcome my fear of failure. So how do I step past the fear? I think I need to use some mental tricks for stepping outside of my comfort zone:
Switching up my routine, trying something new and moving toward the fear.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. xx

(Photos from my ongoing project Dérives (Drifts) on Life Framer.)

Be Someone's Hero for the Day

A utility worker giving mouth-to-mouth to a co-worker after he contacted a high voltage wire, in 1967.

This emotional photo reminds me of  the Dalai Lama's inspirational quote: "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." Being a volunteer myself, my heart can't help but be touched by people living in poverty.
Treat all people with love and compassion; even though the people have different skin colours, they are all still human beings.
There are a lot of people who will donate money but those who donate themselves are the real savours.

*Take just a few minutes, and do a kindness for another person.

*Put a smile on someone's face.

* Help a fellow human being today.

*Be someone's hero for the day; it will make the world a better place, one little step at a time.

Remember, every tiny bit of love for the society helps raise the quality of life for everyone!

Hope you have a lovely weekend. xx

(Historical photo via.)

Surprise Yourself + Have an Inspiring Weekend

One thing I have learned from some extremely happy (and healthy aging) people is to keep on learning something new throughout my life. There's big satisfaction to be found in learning things and really mastering a new skill.

Read a book. The morning paper. Attend a seminar, watch a documentary movie, take a course for fun...

Nothing can make me more proud at the moment, than learning something new every day. You see, doing something for the first time gives me the chance to grow, to move my brain and keep it healthy. Research has long shown that new knowledge and learning activities pay off. 

Being creative with my spare time has definitely improved the quality of my life.

Hope you have a great weekend! xx

P.S. Discover your hidden talents! Remember, just because you can't currently play the piano doesn't mean that you'll never be able to.

Six Habits that Changed My Life for the Better

There are many tiny habits you can do to change your life in big ways. Today I'm sharing my simple list of six habits that changed my life for the better.
Everybody is different, and everybody has different ways of dealing with life's challenges and difficulties, but if you're looking for suggestions you may find these helpful.
You might be surprised by how much of a difference a few small habits can make in your life.

1. Have a purpose. Having a dream (aka the reason you wake up in the morning) is one of the most important things in remaining optimistic when things get tough.

2. Life-long learning. Read books, try new things, explore new cultures. Life-long learning is the key to happiness as it keeps your mind open. (I can't help it - I'm passionate about it!)

3. Cultivate Gratitude. Be grateful for something every day. Practicing gratitude on a daily basis has become a major source of positiveness and optimism in my life.

4. Enjoy yourself more! Take joy in the daily things you do. Spend some time each day doing something you're passionate about, just for fun.

5. Declutter your home, declutter your schedule, declutter your mind. Let go of the past. Let go of the things that no longer serve you. It's liberating!

6. Physical health. Make it a goal to add more fresh foods (raw fruit or vegetables) into your meals. Kickstart your system by drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning.

What Is Happiness?

Who wouldn't want to feel happier? But what is happiness, anyway? This video actually made me smile. Then it made me happy!
Over the last few years, I've come to realize that happiness can be attained at any moment that you desire.
So I thought I'd share with you all 5 ways to happier living. These are some tips that I've found helpful, but everyone is different. I know that we all have different ideas about what happiness is and how to get it, but I hope these ideas will inspire you to start creating more joy in your life.

1. Fake it till you feel it.

2. Help others.

3. Practice smiling.

4. Train your brain to be happier by practicing gratitude.

5. Train your brain to be happier by acknowledging the importance of the small moments and little things.

Hope you have a blissful weekend! xx

(Video by Dr. Sood.)

Relationship Killer

So there's no better way to kill a relationship (be it a romantic or friendly relationship) than to stop expressing your feelings.                                  
I don't like to express my feelings, but the more I share my emotions the better the relationships become. I always feel better when I express or release of the bad feeling. It is hard at first but really worth it.

This is the most important part to prevent a build-up of feelings and festering and reduces the chances of being misunderstood.

I  believe that it is quite essential to express feelings without attacking the self-esteem of the other person in a manner that is productive and respectful.

Non-blameful and non-judgmental manner; a kinda like:

"When you did that thing I felt that way." That simple. But I have to admit that sometimes I find it really hard! And I fail miserably.

What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear. xx