10 Ways to Smile More

1. Accept the things that you cannot change. IF you can and want to change them, do it. 

2. Let go of the people that are holding you down. If you considered them, you already know who these people are. 

3. Blast your favorite upbeat song and sing at the top of your lungs, dancing as you go. 

4. Go for a run. A nice, long run. Run until you feel good; at the very least you'll be tired enough that the feelings will seem less major. 

5. Call someone you love. Just hearing their voice can make your day better. 

6. Smile at a stranger. It will make you both smile. 

7. Send an anonymous compliment. 

8. Write down everything you don't like about yourself. Rip it up. Burn it. 

9. Watch your favorite movie. 

10. Realize that you are own biggest critic. People do not see the faults in yourself that you do. So realize that they are not faults, not imperfections. They make you, you. 

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A Short List of Things You Cannot Buy

1. Health

2. True Love

3. Happiness

4. Meaningful Friendships

5. Contentment 

6. Fulfillment

7. Time

Monday Advice: Let it Go

http://blog.freepeople.com/inspiration/

Courage

"Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage, and I promise something great will come of it." 

-Unknown

If The End Is Really Near

According to the Mayan Calendar, we are doomed on December 21, 2012. 

If that's the case, I don't think I am prepared. I am the type of girl who laughs when the boyfriend talks about Zombie Apocalypse survival methods. I've yet to learn how to shoot a gun, and I wouldn't know the first thing about surviving on my own. In fact, I'm kinda kicking myself in the ass for not becoming a Dooms Day Prep Maniac. To be honest, I don't think I have enough food in my fridge to last me until next week...

Why?

I'm a Capricorn, it's in my nature to procrastinate. In fact, I'm like Tom Brady, I play my best during the last  2 minutes of the fourth quarter. With that being said, you can expect at approximately 11:58 on December 20th, that I will turn into a combination of Rambo and Lara Croft in 2.2 seconds. Sh!t will get done. And I will survive. 

All joking aside, talk of the "end" has put me in a rather reflective state. If the "end" is indeed near, I have to wonder, have I lived my life to its full potential? I mean there are so many things I've yet to do--like get married or have children; the generic to-do's in life.

More importantly, I've yet to publish my first book or solve a Rubik's Cube. I still don't understand the male psyche, quantum physics, or why the sky is blue. I haven't kissed the love of my life under the Northern Stars or had brunch overlooking the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

If the Mayans are correct, I have quite the agenda in the next upcoming months.
Realistically speaking, I know that I can't do it all. So I am taking this time to be thankful for what I HAVE done. I've packed a lot of living in 26 years and I can honestly say that I've been blessed.

In fact, 
I've been fortunate enough to: 

Fall in love
More than once. Sometime all at once.
I've experienced the nervous butterflies, the first kisses, the midnight conversations. I've loved completely,  recklessly, and daringly. I will forever wear my heart on my sleeve and believe in the happy endings.
I will never forget what my heart taught me or what their heart taught me when I was in love.

Have my heart broken
It's been torn into pieces and ripped apart at the seams.
It is scarred, imperfect, and stronger than hell.

Lose someone I love
They taught me the importance of life, how quickly it fades, and the value of a memory.

Be kissed by the sun
The act in itself, is the ultimate form of simplicity--beautiful simplicity.

Fly in a plane
In the words of Felix Baumgartner, "Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you are."

Experience true friendship
The few that I hold dear to my heart? They are my soul mates. No amount of words can describe that.

Fail
Again, more than once. Sometimes all at once.
Failure has taught me the importance of perseverance.

Push my body to the limits

Watch the sun set & rise 

Pick up everything & leave
My greatest adventure to date...I am so thankful.

&& much, much more.

Happy Hour Readers: What have you been fortunate enough to experience in your life?

You've Got It All Wrong

"Dear Human: you've got it all wrong. You didn't come here to master unconditional love. That is where you came from and where you'll return. You came here to learn personal love. Universal love. Messy love. Sweaty love. Crazy love. Broken love. Whole love. Infused with divinity. Lived through the grace of stumbling. Demonstrated through the beauty of...messing up. Often. You didn't come here to be perfect. You already are. You came here to be gorgeously human. Flawed and fabulous. And then rise again into remembering. 

The Greatest Thing...

One of my favorite poems I've written...

I dream vividly in color, of dance, of passion

of love; heart wrenching, volatile love. 

The pounding of a heel, the allure of rouge lipstick; 

The seductress tantalizing her partner.

I dream in fantasy. 

Pink fireworks, cascading brilliantly 

through glittered clouds.

Perhaps of rain; camouflaging the tears of the lonely.

I dream of fire;

The jealous tendency that prevails

from dishonest tongues.

The echo of the soul; Pure unbridled madness

I dream of sweet tranquility upon the 

sound of his voice;

the melody of love

A promise of forever, until her very last breath...

I dream of the end; 

a term far too permanent

For, 

"The greatest thing you will ever learn....

is just to love.

And to be loved in return. 

Written by Kristina Caron 

Be-you-tiful: A Guide to Loving YOU!

The journey of self-love, is indeed that; a journey. Becoming comfortable in your own skin is a life-long process that involves letting go of  past insecurity and becoming satisfied with your body image, personality, skills, abilities and even your limitations.  But, before you get too discouraged, there are things that you can do RIGHT now that will lead you down the path of not only liking, but, LOVING who you see in the mirror!
 
Stop criticizing yourself!

For many, the mirror is a scary, shallow place. But why? Look at you girl! You are stunning!  Those laugh lines? The wrinkles? The scar from your childhood? These are all beautiful things because they are physical representations of who you are! Don't be ashamed of them! And while you are there, why don't you smile. Why? Because there is no one in the universe quite like you!

Be "Ok" with what you have accomplished so far.

Let's be honest, life does not always play fair. But look on the bright side: HOW you chose to react to life's little curve balls is what makes you the star player in the game. Be "ok" with small successes, the minute successes; the things that you are secretly proud of. You have a story to tell, and I can't wait to hear it.

Stay Positive.

Les Brown once said "Don't let the negativity given to you by the world disempower you-instead give to yourself that which empowers you." Empower yourself with positivity. Forget about those who wish to belittle your ambitions. You are valuable and never underestimate the power of you!

Know that you are wonderfully unique.

Dr. Suess was onto something when he uttered those infamous words: "Today you are you. That is truer than true.  There is no one alive who is youer than you." You are a divine collection of stories, secrets and beautiful anomalies. Please don't ever change!

You are MORE than you think you are.

You are a mother, a daughter, a best friend, a confidant. People have trusted you, loved you, admired you and inspired you. And you know what? People will continue to do these things because you are you!

You are bigger than that feeling of not-enough-ness.

You ARE enough even if there is a tiny voice in the back of your head doubting you. Stop trying to service the "ideal". The "ideal" is boring, and I prefer that quirky personality you got going on.

Be on your own side. 
Your a team player right? Then why don't you start playing on your team? The negative, unkind comments you tell yourself? That needs to stop. If you want people to support you and stand by your side, be confident with who you are. We dig confidence.


Ask for what you want.

That raise you have been hoping for? Put on that power suit, the killer heels, walk like you mean it and go ask your boss for what you rightfully deserve. Believe it or not, the sudden lack of subtlety, may win your boss's respect.


Open your heart.
You never know who or what will find it's way in...Love with fearless and reckless abandonment.




It's not over!

You are continually growing, changing, and creating. You can be who ever you would like to be. No one is stopping you! Be a chef today a world traveler tomorrow. Remember your kindergarten teacher asking: "What would you like to be when you grow up?" You can still be that star-struck, enthusiastic 5 year old version of yourself. Go ahead, follow that dream. Reach for that unattainable star. Life is happening whether you would like to admit it or not. READY, SET, GO!

Don't Live Life as a Spectator

"Don't live life as a spectator. Always examine life: Espouse new ideas, long for new things, constantly discover new interests, escape from boring routines. Engage life with enthusiasm; grasping life aggressively and squeezing from it every drop of satisfaction, and joy. The key to unleashing life's potential is attitude. The person that approaches life with a child-like wonder is best prepared to defy the limitations of time, is more "alive", more of a participant in life than the person who remains a spectator."

-Felix Baumgartner

The Secret to Longer, Thicker, Lashes

Who doesn't love fun, flirty, lashes?

Here are a few tips I got from Cosmopolitan.com:

1. Position an eyelash curler as close to the roots of your lashes as possible without pinching your skin. Clamp down gently, and hold in place for a few seconds. Move the curler a little farther out, and very lightly press again. Repeat once or twice more, each time moving the curler. If your lashes are thin, brush on a coat of primer.

Read more: How to Get Long Lashes - Longer Thicker Eyelashes - Cosmopolitan 

2. Take a creamy mascara, and hold the wand at the base of your lashes. Wiggle slightly from side to side, then brush straight up through the ends of lashes. Apply two or three coats to each eye, allowing about two minutes to dry in between.

3. After each coat of mascara, brush the top quarter of your lashes with an eyelash comb. This creates a feathery look. To avoid smudging, finish with one coat of a waterproof formula.

Read more: How to Get Long Lashes - Longer Thicker Eyelashes - Cosmopolitan 

4.  If you want even more volume, glue a false-eyelash flare onto the outer corner of each eye, right at the lash line.

5. For an eye-popping look, hold the wand so it's vertical, and swipe it across your lower lashes, from the inner corner to the outer corner

Lost in a Moment

"I'm not saying that at some point love isn't staying up until 2 am phone calls or stealing kisses when you least expect it, or instantly falling for each other's favorite songs because it is, or at least that's what the lead up to it feels like, but real love, is so much more. It's going out at 12 am to get something to eat for your wife who can't get out of bed, it's listening to them as they explode with venerability on your living room couch talking about how they were only so young when their parents passed on. It's remembering how someone likes their coffee in the morning without asking-without ever asking, it's visiting someone in the hospital knowing the last thing you want to do is see them in that condition, its wanting to be with that person despite everything, the future, the past, and everything in between, it's the intimate things that you don't even realize involve such intimacy  but they do, in secret, like the pinky promises you two made behind your back, to love one another for always, in the time you thought you were in love, when you were actually just on your way to it."
Unknown

Happiness

Happiness? 

"It's almost indescribable isn't it? Things don't necessarily have to be in order in your life, but it's okay. They're just good enough that you can still smile and laugh, and maybe even love. It's knowing all the wrong things in your life but not focusing on them. It's pushing the drama behind you and pulling that smile out front. It's not a fake front and secretly being miserable inside. No. 

It's dealing with all the crap in your life first, so you can enjoy being happy, really happy afterwords. You've got to cry to be able to appreciate a smile. There's no easy path to happiness. But when you reach it, not a million words can describe the feeling."

{Quote Found Here}

Happy Hour Mixology: Tequila Sunrise

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Fast, Simple, and Made with Jose Cuervo Gold

Tequila Sunrise

What you need:

2 ounces of Jose Cuervo Gold

4 ounces of Orange Juice, Simply Orange is my personal favorite

Grenadine

Orange Slice

What you need to do:

Fill glass halfway with ice

Pour in OJ and Tequila

Add a splash of Grenadine 

Garnish with an orange!