What made me happy today? You are beautiful.
Close your eyes for a moment, and think about what you don't like about yourself. How many things did you come up with?
Close your eyes again, and think about what you like about yourself. How many things did you come up with this time?
I'm going to take a guess here, but chances are that you can name a lot more things you don't like about yourself than you can name things you do like about yourself. Am I right?
Why is that? Is it because of what you see in the magazines? Look again.
Is it because of what you see in the windows of fashion stores? That's changing.
Is it because you were / are being bullied for being different? Listen to this.
You are beautiful. You really are.
Remember what Edna said about supermodels in the Incredibles? 'Supermodels. Heh! Nothing super about them... spoiled, stupid little stick figures with poofy lips who think only about themselves.' Even though this might be a bit of a harsh statement, there is a grain of truth in it. The beauty standards set out by the fashion industry and magazines is unrealistic.
Even I am influenced by all of this. For the longest time I wouldn't wear shorts, because I was scared about what people would think when they see the scars on my leg. Do you know how many bad reactions I've had about them? None. Yes, some people were looking at them, but that's unavoidable I guess.
I'm just happy to see that the tides may be turning at last. Because you are beautiful. Even if you're not a classical beauty. Even if you've always hated the way your nose looks when seen from a certain angle. Or if you don't like your freckles or scars. They're what makes you you.
And if everyone looked the same, this world would be much more boring, no?
Showing posts with label inspirational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspirational. Show all posts
Monday, December 9, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
Look again
What made me happy today? Learning to look again.
Just read this article, you'll see what I mean.
Just read this article, you'll see what I mean.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Space
What made me happy today? Space!
Or, to be more precise, what people who have been in space said about it.
Going into space and landing on the moon are experiences that are bound to have an impact on a person. I can only imagine what it must feel like to look at our little blue dot from so far away.
Good thing that there is a cartoon to tell us what it's like, based on what Edgar Mitchell once said. But not only Edgar Mitchell has had a thing to say about seeing Earth from space, many others have too. You can find their quotes here.
I'm still hoping that one day I might be able to see our little blue dot from space myself. Who knows what the future holds...
Or, to be more precise, what people who have been in space said about it.
Going into space and landing on the moon are experiences that are bound to have an impact on a person. I can only imagine what it must feel like to look at our little blue dot from so far away.
Good thing that there is a cartoon to tell us what it's like, based on what Edgar Mitchell once said. But not only Edgar Mitchell has had a thing to say about seeing Earth from space, many others have too. You can find their quotes here.
I'm still hoping that one day I might be able to see our little blue dot from space myself. Who knows what the future holds...
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Butter me up
What made me happy today? Butter me up!
We all have our good days and our bad days. And on those bad days, we can use someone to cheer us up. Luckily, I have some great friends and a super duper BF who are always up to that task.
But what if you're alone? In that case, the internet can help! Butter me up is a great example! Take a look, and you'll feel a lot better in an instant :-)
Not better yet? It that case, you might want to remember one of these 27 things :-)
We all have our good days and our bad days. And on those bad days, we can use someone to cheer us up. Luckily, I have some great friends and a super duper BF who are always up to that task.
But what if you're alone? In that case, the internet can help! Butter me up is a great example! Take a look, and you'll feel a lot better in an instant :-)
Not better yet? It that case, you might want to remember one of these 27 things :-)
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Mirror view
What made me happy today? This.
Just watch it. If you're the sensitive type, keep a tissue ready, I sure needed one.
Just watch it. If you're the sensitive type, keep a tissue ready, I sure needed one.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Power
What made me happy today? Some powerful words.
Work is keeping me rather busy, and I have a sore throat. I hope I'm not getting sick. But then I stumbled across this article, and it cheered me up.
Partially because the quotes are so true, and partially because I have fond memories of some of the movies quoted in there. Personal favorite? The last one!
Yes, I confess, I'm a huge Star Wars fan :-)
Work is keeping me rather busy, and I have a sore throat. I hope I'm not getting sick. But then I stumbled across this article, and it cheered me up.
Partially because the quotes are so true, and partially because I have fond memories of some of the movies quoted in there. Personal favorite? The last one!
Yes, I confess, I'm a huge Star Wars fan :-)
Monday, June 24, 2013
Everybody's free
What made me happy today? Everybody's free to wear sunscreen.
It's a cold, miserable day. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, my gps screwed up, it's cold and rainy. I was glad when it was time to go home. Listening to the radio, 'Everybody is free to wear sunscreen' by Baz Luhrmann came on. It had been years since I heard that song. And I suddenly remembered the lyrics. That was just what I needed. The lyrics are below. There's a lot of useful stuff in there.
So read the lyrics and give them some thought :-)
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99:
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…
I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….
You’re not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…
What ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can… Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own..
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…
It's a cold, miserable day. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, my gps screwed up, it's cold and rainy. I was glad when it was time to go home. Listening to the radio, 'Everybody is free to wear sunscreen' by Baz Luhrmann came on. It had been years since I heard that song. And I suddenly remembered the lyrics. That was just what I needed. The lyrics are below. There's a lot of useful stuff in there.
So read the lyrics and give them some thought :-)
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99:
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…
I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….
You’re not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…
What ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can… Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own..
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Need a pick-me-up
What made me happy today?
Life isn't always easy. Sometimes everything seems to be going wrong. Or you just woke up with a terrible mood. On days like that I like to read something that'll cheer me up a bit, and hopefully have me feeling better fast. Like this.
Of course, having great friends and plans for a cozy evening of anime help too :-)
Of course, having great friends and plans for a cozy evening of anime help too :-)
Saturday, May 11, 2013
This is water
What made me happy today? This is water.
No, this is in no way related to the earlier FB / twitter update about it raining. 'This is water' is actually David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon commencement speech.
Just listen to it, you'll see why this is my happy for today :-)
Short post today, I know, but I have social obligations the rest of the day :-)
No, this is in no way related to the earlier FB / twitter update about it raining. 'This is water' is actually David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon commencement speech.
Just listen to it, you'll see why this is my happy for today :-)
Short post today, I know, but I have social obligations the rest of the day :-)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Fifty shades
What made me happy today? iO Tillett Wright's Fifty Shades of Gay TEDx Women talk.
You can watch the video here
Just watch it, and share it. It really touched me...
I realized pretty early in life that love is love. For me, it has never mattered between who this love was (of course, consent and legality are important, but that's another thing). Love is love. It's the same butterflies, happy intoxicated feeling, nerves or pain for everyone. No matter your sexual orientation. No matter if you identify as gay, lesbian, bi, straight or anything in between. Like iO says in the video: 'not enough boxes'. I don't like boxes, my brain does not think in boxes :-)
A person's sexual orientation really does not matter to me. I have gay friends, straight friends, and friends that identify as somewhere in between. They're still my friends. I like them for their personalities.
And for those of you who are waiting on my coming out: not going to happen. It's not because I got my hair cut short that I am a lesbian. I don't like that prejudice.
When it comes to equal rights for gay people, I am lucky to be living in Belgium. Belgium was the second country worldwide to legalize same-sex marriage. Wow.
And on occasion you see heart-warming stories about gay people coming out in the news, or just plain funny ones.
If you are struggling with your sexual orientation, you are not alone. But there are people who can help you. In Belgium, you can take a look at this website. And there are a lot of similar initiatives in other countries, just Google them.
Just remember this: no matter if you are LBGTQ or straight, or any shade of gay; somebody will always love you. And even if it does not seem that way, just remember that it gets better. It really does.
You can watch the video here
Just watch it, and share it. It really touched me...
I realized pretty early in life that love is love. For me, it has never mattered between who this love was (of course, consent and legality are important, but that's another thing). Love is love. It's the same butterflies, happy intoxicated feeling, nerves or pain for everyone. No matter your sexual orientation. No matter if you identify as gay, lesbian, bi, straight or anything in between. Like iO says in the video: 'not enough boxes'. I don't like boxes, my brain does not think in boxes :-)
A person's sexual orientation really does not matter to me. I have gay friends, straight friends, and friends that identify as somewhere in between. They're still my friends. I like them for their personalities.
And for those of you who are waiting on my coming out: not going to happen. It's not because I got my hair cut short that I am a lesbian. I don't like that prejudice.
When it comes to equal rights for gay people, I am lucky to be living in Belgium. Belgium was the second country worldwide to legalize same-sex marriage. Wow.
And on occasion you see heart-warming stories about gay people coming out in the news, or just plain funny ones.
If you are struggling with your sexual orientation, you are not alone. But there are people who can help you. In Belgium, you can take a look at this website. And there are a lot of similar initiatives in other countries, just Google them.
Just remember this: no matter if you are LBGTQ or straight, or any shade of gay; somebody will always love you. And even if it does not seem that way, just remember that it gets better. It really does.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)