My Secrets to a Happy Life

1. Smile OFTEN - It's a good look on everyone. Also, people will genuinely take a greater interest about your sadness more if they never see you being sad. My favorite example is when I came back to work after lunch one day, and someone asked me what was wrong - complete with a shoulder touch and the most concerned of eyes. I'm pretty sure they weren't expecting to hear that the froyo place didn't have the original tart flavor that day.
2. Indulge yourself - Life's too short, and you deserve what makes you happy!
3. Celebrate ALL victories in life - big or small. So far today, I'm celebrating getting the smallest cookie with the most chocolate chips (guilt free?), and not getting into car wreck/dying, even though this asshole completely and blatantly ran a red even though my light had JUST turned yellow as I was turning left. I also accidentally swallowed a bone that was in my salmon, but I didn't choke - it just tickled? Either way, I'm alive, and no scars.
4. Compliment others. Some people don't know how to accept compliments, but for some others, it could be their small victory for today.
5. Leave work/school with some sort of positive experience from the day, and be happy and grateful that you have the opportunity that you get to do it all again tomorrow. If your days work wasn't as satisfactory, always look forward to the possibilities of the next day. Life's what you make it, right?
6. Go to bed remembering something at least 5 great things about your day, or something that you're grateful for; sometimes this goes hand in hand with #3. When I moved back home recently, I started writing all of these down in a notebook. The point of this is to never go to bed unhappy, or feeling like you didn't have a worthwhile day.
7. It's okay to have limits, but be willing to try something new and DO IT!
8. Laugh. A lot.
9. Make someone else laugh.
10. Be a great listener; your friends and family will appreciate this - One time this backfired while I was on a date and I fell asleep at the table.
11. Make lists - aside from a calendar, this is my only sensible form of organizing, but it's extremely therapeutic. I make lists for EVERYTHING - to do lists, pros & cons of why I should or shouldn't do something, reasons why I like someone, reasons why I don't like someone. Lists are fun. If you didn't notice, this post is a list.
12. If you see something that reminds you of someone, get it for them/share that with that person. They WILL/SHOULD appreciate it. Yesterday, I bought my niece a ribbon dancer. When I got back home from work, she was STILL playing with it. Totally worth it. If I listen to a song that reminds me of somebody, I'll send it to them. The point of this isn't to SPEND money, but to be thoughtful of those who matter to you.
13. Allow others to laugh at your most shameful moments - I actually never allowed this (my friends are rude!) and they laughed anyway, but I've learned to laugh about it too. Learn from your mistakes, and then laugh about it afterwards. Move on, and don't let your past weigh you down.
14. Envision yourself in a different life - just for fun. I once wrote a journal entry about what would happen if I ever became the Bachelorette (I also fashioned a picture of me holding roses), and whenever I watch the auditions for The Voice, I think about what song I'd audition with, and the moment where I get to choose Adam Levine to be my judge.
15. Put glitter on everything (these are MY secrets, so it works for me) - If you've ever seen me with a can of glitter, then you've seen my crazy eyes. I'd actually to take this moment to apologize to anyone who has contracted the craft herpes from me.
16. Get some fresh air.
17. Have a hobby - I like playing guitar, hula hooping, and glitterizing everything/making crafts.
18. Read a really good book - I love books that make me cry. Something sad might happen in a book, but at least that's not happening in my real life. It's also completely nuts how a sequence of words can give you a picture of something and give someone a voice and personality and take you through a journey without providing any actual visuals in the book.
19. Walk away from someone with a BAD ATTITUDE - there is a huge difference between a having a friend that's upset and dealing and acknowledging their feelings and a friend who chooses to use their negative feelings and take everyone down with them. Just because one person isn't having fun, doesn't mean that everyone else needs to have a bad time. Bad attitudes are contagious and it's a waste of everyones time.
20. Recognize the consequences/changes, but don't dwell.
21. Love with your whole heart.
22. If your friend asks for your advice, BE HONEST, but supportive.
23. Dance.
24. You don't have to be perfect person, you don't have to be a weak person, but you should be a GOOD person.