You've probably heard the phrase, "Laughter is the best medicine," and it is incredibly true. Laughing fights depression and releases endorphins that contribute to an oxygen-rich blood flow. Laughter is so beneficial that yoga instructors encourage practitioners to laugh at themselves and their environment...during class! If they are willing to interrupt the sacred silence of yoga, then it must be really important. Here are ten one-liners to pick your spirits up today (I lack in the humor department, so I unfortunately cannot claim credit for these).
1. I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness. 2. War does not determine who is right - only who is left. 3. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then proceed to tell you why it isn't. 4. If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea... does that mean that one enjoys it? 5. Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back. 6. When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water. 7. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. 8. Archeologist: someone whose career lies in ruins. 9. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station... 10. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
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So often these days, cell phones get a bad rap for being mechanisms of procrastination and a constant, relentless connection to work. Cell phones are blamed for stress and anxiety, disconnect and superficiality. But these accusations miss the fact that it is our own responsibility to use cell phones maturely; cell phones do not have minds of their own, and, believe it or not, they are not out to manipulate homo sapiens into abusing them. Once we take the responsibility of appropriately using cell phones into our own hands (quite literally), we can identify methods through which we might use them to our advantage. When the means to accomplishing our goals are closer to our persons, we are more likely to use them (for example, when the vacuum cleaner is in your sight, you are more likely to vacuum than if it were hidden away in the closet). Because we come in contact with our cell phones throughout the day, they can be great friends in accomplishing the goals we set for ourselves. I suggest downloading the following three free apps onto your devices to help you establish a source of mindfulness that can be carried with you wherever you go, whether that be at home, at school, in the car, or even in another country. Put the apps on your home screen so that you are reminded to use them.
When I was little, instead of having TV privileges taken away from me as a punishment, I had books taken away from me. I distinctly remember forgoing my chores when I was in third grade and consequently staring at the top of the refrigerator wishing I was tall enough to retrieve Hoot by Carl Hiaasen from the ledge (I'm still not tall enough). Throughout elementary school, I was an avid reader. I finished the Harry Potter series in third grade, and I also enjoyed books like Benjamin Hoff's The Tao of Pooh and Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Like several of my classmates, at nine years old, I was reading on the twelfth grade level. In middle school, I ran into the same dilemma many lovers of books have run into for years: with increased homework loads and five to six swim practices each week, I simply did not have time to read. Sure, school books like The Grapes of Wrath were fascinating and enjoyable, but the list of additional books I wanted to read for leisure grew longer and longer. Even my summers were packed and it seemed that my days of reading up to ten books a month were over. Then I had this realization: it was not that I did not have time to read books...it was that I did not make time to read books. Because I did not have the pressure of taking tests associated with my leisure books, I failed to assign them the value they deserved. I subconsciously believed, "No tests, no grades, no competition, no pressure...no books." I read once that there is no such thing as having "no time" to do something; anything can be done with prioritization, mindfulness, and dedication.
So how do I prioritize my life so that I can reap the benefits of reading for leisure (benefits like relaxation, restoration, an increased knowledge base, improvement in memory, better writing, and advanced analytical skills)? Here are a few actions I have taken and highly recommend:
If you are looking for your next good read, here is a top ten list of books that I have read in the past few years:
The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes success as a “favorable or desired outcome” or “the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.” These definitions blatantly make two assumptions: 1) Success is an easily identifiable result, and 2) Success is based off of the opinions and actions of others, whether that be in the form of a pay raise or even simply words of approval. These definitions take the responsibility and feasibility of attaining success away from and us and place them into the hands of others. A simple shift in the perception of what makes success, “success,” can draw the power back into our own hands and therefore make success a much more common and reliable friend. Over the past several months, I have redefined my idea of success, and it adheres to the following tenets:
Exercise: Physically list (with a pen and paper) in what areas of your life you have experienced internal success. Write down the emotions that came with such successes. Can you think of a time when you did not achieve a goal, but experienced internal success? |
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