I feel like there should be a picture here that relates to this post so here is Taylor Swift's list of 13 happy things.
Geddit? 13 things? 2013? How serendipitous. (Thumbs up for Nicole using big vocabulary.)
This totally relates to the post, I promise.
Because my goal for this new year is to change my attitude. This year, I'm going to be happy.
Sometime last year, I read a book called "How to be Totally Miserable" by John Bytheway. It's a great book. Probably one of the best self-hinder books out there. At the end there's a list of all the main points.
- Worry about things you can't control
- Complain about your blessings
- Think about yourself
- Relive bad memories
- Put yourself down
- Don't set goals
- Hold on to grudges
- Always want more
- Don't learn anything new
- Don't sing
- Don't smile
- Don't laugh
- Take counsel from your fears
- Avoid adventure
(These are just a few. John considerately reminds us to "review this list from time to time to remain a permanent resident of the pit of despair.")
This book made me laugh, and it was a awesome inspiration for me to start living a little better.
But I just realized as I picked up this book again today--we do these things every day. How often to we think about ourselves instead of others? How often to we put ourselves down? Hold on to grudges? Worry? Complain?
Are we aware that these things are sooner or later going to make us miserable?
I mean--who wants to be miserable?
Now. Everybody makes mistakes. It's impossible to be a non-stop ray of sunshine. At least for me. But we've gotta realize that we have the power to change our own lives. We create our own happiness.
One of my new favorite hymns, "Have I Done Any Good" is all about sharing happiness with others.
Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.
There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”
But go and do something today.
’Tis noble of man to work and to give;
Love’s labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something helps others to live.
To God each good work will be known.
A couple parts of this song really stand out to me. "Have I cheered up the sad, or made someone feel glad? / If not I have failed indeed." Do I want to fail? Heck, no! I want to succeed, please. And I can do that by sharing my light. By being a friend. By sitting next to the lonely girl at lunch. By smiling at some stranger in the hallway at school.
And just because this has been floating around in my head, I'll put in out there. No matter how many times girls get told this, we always seem to forget--popularity does not make you happy. You're always going to be so worried about being liked by everyone that you forget to be yourself. Guys, I'm about to blow your minds. How popular you are in high school doesn't matter. (I bet at least one of you just passed out on the spot.) It's so much easier just to not care. If you don't think about how much people like you, you'll like yourself. And when you have confidence in yourself, you're gonna be happier.
Something else I love: "So go and do something today." We can't postpone being happy. We can't say, "Oh, I'll start being nice to her sometime" or "I'm just having a bad day, I'll be in a good mood tomorrow" or ANYTHING like that. Today is the day. And that is why I have made this list for myself.
Nicole's List of Ways She Can Be Happy and Do Good in the World
(Snappy title, huh? I think so too.)
1. Get to bed before 9:30.
2. Keep a journal of good things that happen and funny things people say.
3. Say a prayer before you read your scriptures.
4. Tell your sister, "I love you."
5. Spend more time outside.
6. Keep. Your. Room. Clean.
7. Leave notes on your friends' lockers.
8. Never have a boyfriend in high school. In fact, never choose a boy over your girlfriends. Ever.
9. No more Z100. Or Google images.
10. Don't let the little things annoy you, and never be offended.
11. Remove the word "jealousy." From. Your. Vocabulary.
12. If you think a bad/judgemental thought about somebody, think of three more good things about them instead. This includes yourself.
13. Smile at everyone.
There's nothing too amazing on here. Nothing like "share the gospel with at least 10 people this year" or "run 3 miles everyday after school" or "complete your Personal Progress" because I don't think I could do that. I'd just get discouraged and miserable. Some of my goals are harder than others. But I know that I can do every single one of them. They're small. But that doesn't matter. Because it's the little things that we do consistently that really shape our character.
Am I gonna be perfect? *Hang on I'm laughing* *Okay, I'm done* No. No way. But I can still do the best that I can. Because as Brooke said in her new year's statement, as time goes on, goals change from something you're trying to achieve to something that you become.
So guys, let's turn our attitudes around this year.
Get excited about stuff. Don't think about your problems. Believe you can change things. Be grateful. Don't worry about things you can't control. Count your blessings. Don't listen to your fears. Think about others. Be forgiving. Live in the present. Look to the future. Be confident. Be content. Set goals. Learn. Sing. Smile. Laugh.
In 2013, let's be happy.
