Tag: things,

Appreciation —> Happiness

Posted on by jplatt27

Yesterday Jess shared this nugget of wisdom over on Makeunder My Life:

“Stuff doesn’t make people happy. The appreciation of stuff makes people happy.”

As soon as I read this in my Google reader I stopped and immediately posted to Twitter:

Then I pulled up MML to get the URL, hit “Tweet,” and continued reading.  The next line was “Yep, go ahead and tweet it.” And then I felt like a complete tool.  But that’s not the point of this.

The point is that Jess’ statement is so true. The beautiful duvet we got for our wedding doesn’t make me happy; the sight of it on a nicely made bed and the thought of the comfort it provides makes me happy.  Owning a new black cardigan doesn’t make me happy; appreciating that it was exactly what I was looking for, is soft, fits me perfectly, and was only $17 makes me happy. The diamond earrings I got for my wedding don’t make me happy; appreciating their beauty and the fact that they go with everything and I can wear them every day makes me happy.

I think this statement applies to relationships too.  Having a husband/boyfriend/partner doesn’t necessarily make you happy.  Appreciating the laughs you share, the thoughtful things they do for you, the comfort you feel when resting your head on their shoulder or getting a big hug, that’s the stuff that makes you happy. This goes for family members, friends, co-workers, kids, and probably pets as well.

So it’s true appreciation yields happiness.

I’d love to know:

Who or what are you appreciating these days?

PS–A big thanks to Colleen for teaching me how to take a screen shot today!

These days

Posted on by jplatt27

Today’s post is a list of random things I’m doing/thinking about/loving right now.  Thanks to Heather and Clare for the inspiration!

1. I can be found mouthing the lyrics to these songs at the gym.  Though they make me want to sing out loud, I reign in my excitement at the gym.

      It’s My Turn Now, Keke Palmer

Favorite lines: “I’m strong, yeah I’m steady” and “In my heart I’m believing that I can see how I can live what I’m dreaming” Perfect mantras for the gym, and for life.

      Somebody to Love, Glee Cast

(I love the Justin Beiber version too.)

Favorite lines: “Step to the beat of my heart” and “Smile for me.” Make my heart melt. And great for the gym.

2. I’m loving smoothies right now.  In November one of my goals was to eat one fruit and one veggie per day. Check off that fruit!

Favorite recipes:

  • Mixed berry–1 cup low fat plain yogurt, 1 cup frozen mixed berries, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/2 tbsp sugar (though add to your taste) in the blender.
  • Strawberry Peach–1 cup low fat plain yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup frozen peaches, 1/4 cup milk, and honey to taste (my taste is 1 tbsp) in the blender. Each of these makes one.

3. Inspired by Jess‘ post about writing a letter to herself, I’m working on my intentions for 2012, thinking about where I want to be come January 1, 2013, and what I want my life to look like.  I’m really enjoying this exercise; it makes me hopeful for what 2012 will bring.

4. I’m looking forward to driving home with Mike today and belting singing Christmas songs.

5. I really want to make this pomegranate vanilla sangria.  I’m brainstorming events I could make this for. Any ideas?

6. One of your intentions for 2012 should be to make some of Jessica’s recipes.  I’m not kidding.

7. I’m about halfway through The Hunger Games and I’m really enjoying it so far. I just got to the part where the games begin.

8. This tea is my go-to when I feel like I’m getting sick.  It’s like a miracle worker. Knocks a cold right out.

9. I’m loving all of my readers.  Thank you for reading and commenting!

10. Speaking of my readers: Before we knew that our bites were coming from bed bugs, I wanted to post a picture of the bites and see if any of you knew what they might be. Mike said that was gross and unless I could prove there were some doctors in my readership, he wouldn’t let me post pictures of his bites. So, who are you? What do you do? Any doctors out there?

I’d love to know:

What are you up to? What are you excited about these days?