Guest blog: Focusing on happy moments
Please welcome Kayla from Writing in Public as one of my fabulous guest bloggers! I admire Kayla for the way she's able to analyze herself and her actions in order to become the person she wants to be. I also enjoy hearing about her crazy juggle of a full time job AND grad school.
Right now I'm probably eating a crepe and sipping on a late or climbing some unwieldy steps, dripping sweat, with a backpack the size of me on my back. Don't be jealous. I'll upload photos and an update when I get a chance!
When Sassy asked me to guest blog during her trip to Europe, I was so excited. I’m not really sure who my blogging audience is (or that I even have one), but I love reading the comments on Sassy’s posts because clearly a lot of her readers share a lot of her interests – running, baking, and coming soon – traveling!
And even though I’m not an athlete (or even that keen on exercising), and I can only bake two cookie recipes, reading Sassy’s posts and the comments have made me realize that the one big thing we all have in common is by far the most awesome – most of us are young, driven, and have every opportunity open to us.
Now is the time in our lives to do whatever it is we’ve always wanted to do. Which is why I’m so happy that Sass is lugging around that heavy backpack right now.
It’s also inspired me to ask myself about things that have historically made me happy, with some answers that surprise me.
1. What job has made me the happiest?
Honestly? It was working at a craft store in high school. I loved that job. I met a woman the other day who is a freelance graphic designer who has a part time job at the local Hobby Lobby, and I realized that’s what I want to work towards! Maybe if the right opportunities present themselves, that’s a direction I’ll take.
2. What do I do when I need to pick myself up?
Even though I’m not an exercise fan, getting on the elliptical machine always makes me feel like I’ve done something worthwhile for myself. It’s a lot of small things, like listening to music at my desk (which I do all the time now thanks to my iPod and Pandora), cooking dinner and having a glass of wine, watching one of my favorite movies, or just sitting out on my balcony with my laptop on a nice day. My future needs to include me-time things like this.
3. What am I good at?
I felt the most successful and at the top of my game when I was an undergraduate student in professional writing. I constantly felt like I was moving towards a better version of me. So this summer, I’m taking a class outside of my Master’s program to work with people in the English department again, and am on the hunt for other learning opportunities like this.
4. What have I got to lose?
Right now, not much. And I keep reminding myself that this is a very powerful and promising place to be in my life.
If you’re interested in focusing on what things make you happy, I strongly recommend Gretchen Rubin’s “The Happiness Project:" She has great tips and insights for keeping a positive outlook and working towards happiness.
Right now I'm probably eating a crepe and sipping on a late or climbing some unwieldy steps, dripping sweat, with a backpack the size of me on my back. Don't be jealous. I'll upload photos and an update when I get a chance!
When Sassy asked me to guest blog during her trip to Europe, I was so excited. I’m not really sure who my blogging audience is (or that I even have one), but I love reading the comments on Sassy’s posts because clearly a lot of her readers share a lot of her interests – running, baking, and coming soon – traveling!
And even though I’m not an athlete (or even that keen on exercising), and I can only bake two cookie recipes, reading Sassy’s posts and the comments have made me realize that the one big thing we all have in common is by far the most awesome – most of us are young, driven, and have every opportunity open to us.
Now is the time in our lives to do whatever it is we’ve always wanted to do. Which is why I’m so happy that Sass is lugging around that heavy backpack right now.
It’s also inspired me to ask myself about things that have historically made me happy, with some answers that surprise me.
1. What job has made me the happiest?
Honestly? It was working at a craft store in high school. I loved that job. I met a woman the other day who is a freelance graphic designer who has a part time job at the local Hobby Lobby, and I realized that’s what I want to work towards! Maybe if the right opportunities present themselves, that’s a direction I’ll take.
2. What do I do when I need to pick myself up?
Even though I’m not an exercise fan, getting on the elliptical machine always makes me feel like I’ve done something worthwhile for myself. It’s a lot of small things, like listening to music at my desk (which I do all the time now thanks to my iPod and Pandora), cooking dinner and having a glass of wine, watching one of my favorite movies, or just sitting out on my balcony with my laptop on a nice day. My future needs to include me-time things like this.
3. What am I good at?
I felt the most successful and at the top of my game when I was an undergraduate student in professional writing. I constantly felt like I was moving towards a better version of me. So this summer, I’m taking a class outside of my Master’s program to work with people in the English department again, and am on the hunt for other learning opportunities like this.
4. What have I got to lose?
Right now, not much. And I keep reminding myself that this is a very powerful and promising place to be in my life.
If you’re interested in focusing on what things make you happy, I strongly recommend Gretchen Rubin’s “The Happiness Project:" She has great tips and insights for keeping a positive outlook and working towards happiness.
Comments
You're so right, we have our whole lives ahead of us :-)