I find that great things have happened to me lately when I stepped outside of my comfort zone or did things that I usually don't do or said Yes when in fact i really wanted to say No.
Have you watched the movie "Yes Man" with Jim Carrey? The plot is about a man in his mid 40s who lives in the past, still thinks about the ex-girlfriend he broke up with 3 years ago, and always says "no" to everything. Then one day he goes to a conference and becomes a "Yes Man". From then on he has to say YES to everything..and so he meets a girl, gets his friends back, gets a promotion at work, etc... The movie is of course exaggerated and romanced, but the underlying message is still true: be more open, try new things, don't be scared to put yourself in uncomfortable situations and you might bring greatness onto your life.
Don't be afraid to say YES.
YES to that dinner party you didn't want to go to because you don't know anyone; you might meet the man/woman of your dream, or simply make new life-long friends.
YES to that yoga/cooking/salsa/knitting/[feel in the blank] class you didn't want to try because you think it's lame/hard/for old people/[feel in the blank again]; you might find a new hobby and something you're actually good at.
YES to that business network social event you didn't want to go to because you can't be bothered mingling and small-chatting with people today; you might meet your next business partner or someone who could help you build up that business you've always dreamt of having.
This is how people grow and evolve. How are you supposed to better yourself if you always do the same things, always go to the same places, always talk to the same people, always read the same kind of books? Don't you think that you owe it to yourself to have a life as full and interesting as possible? And this has nothing to do with where you live, how much you earn or how big your house is. Everyone can make changes, small or big, and everyone can decide to be more opened. At the end of the day, only YOU can make that decision and take that step forward, so GO! DO IT! JUMP! It will only hurt the first few seconds.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
So what happens when it all hits the fan?
I told you that it might be hard to write a feel-good blog when I, myself, am not feeling all that pink and pretty all the time. And I said that it would be a test..well the results are in: real life 1 - Serena 0. I have failed. These past few weeks have been pretty dreadful and I have not been able to pull out of it to continue the blog, hence the abandoned pages. I could tell you that I am giving up and that the idea of a feel-good blog was too ambitious. How could have I promised to write about positiveness when I know that everything can change in a second? Well, let's try again..2nd chance, 2nd attempt at making this blog work (I am giving myself 3 chances just so you know where this is going).
So then, what is there to do when shit hits the fan? You can do like I do, disappear from the world, close your curtains, lock your door, turn off your cell phone, crawl up in your bed, open that pack of tim tams (or oreos, or pepito..depending on the country you're reading me from), and start with the first rented movie of the pile. Of course the movies have been purposely chosen to make you even more miserable..think Philadelphia, Boys don't cry, or the Notebook and Sleepless in Seattle if you just had your heart broken. Because what would be the point of renting movies like the 40 year old virgin or Ratatouille when the goal of that hibernation is to feel the most miserable possible?
Ok, so you are in your dark room, crumbs of biscuits all over your bed, coming to the end of the movie pile and feeling nauseous...now what? Another run to the video store? more ice cream? This is the tipping point. The split second where you have to be strong enough to say STOP! The split second that will either put you out of your misery or make you dive even deeper into the darkness. OOUUHH sounds scary!
I am not going to try to give you the right solution here, as i don't know it myself. Yes, shit hits the fan sometimes, and yes it is ok to crawl up in your bed and turn off your cell phone, but do not abuse your "i'm depressed, leave me alone privilege". There are people out there who love you and who would do anything to help you, LET THEM! Watch as many movies as you like, but I assure you that real life, real blue skies, real people are so much more interesting, and even though getting out of that bed seems like the hardest things you could ever do, once that step is taken, you'll see, getting on with your life is not that hard!
So take time off, but do not abuse it. Life is so much more fun outside of your bedroom's four walls. Go on, sit at a cafe and read the paper, go back to the gym, take a yoga class, call the friends you have let down, put some music on and re-arrange your room, cook a nice meal (sure beats the tim tams!!), bake some cookies and invite your friends for tea, go fishing, and the list go on and on. Just LIVE and give yourself a bit of a break...it is OK to not feel good sometimes, no one will kill you for it. That's life, it goes up and down. Find what makes you happy and treat yourself and your body the way you know they deserve it!
So then, what is there to do when shit hits the fan? You can do like I do, disappear from the world, close your curtains, lock your door, turn off your cell phone, crawl up in your bed, open that pack of tim tams (or oreos, or pepito..depending on the country you're reading me from), and start with the first rented movie of the pile. Of course the movies have been purposely chosen to make you even more miserable..think Philadelphia, Boys don't cry, or the Notebook and Sleepless in Seattle if you just had your heart broken. Because what would be the point of renting movies like the 40 year old virgin or Ratatouille when the goal of that hibernation is to feel the most miserable possible?
Ok, so you are in your dark room, crumbs of biscuits all over your bed, coming to the end of the movie pile and feeling nauseous...now what? Another run to the video store? more ice cream? This is the tipping point. The split second where you have to be strong enough to say STOP! The split second that will either put you out of your misery or make you dive even deeper into the darkness. OOUUHH sounds scary!
I am not going to try to give you the right solution here, as i don't know it myself. Yes, shit hits the fan sometimes, and yes it is ok to crawl up in your bed and turn off your cell phone, but do not abuse your "i'm depressed, leave me alone privilege". There are people out there who love you and who would do anything to help you, LET THEM! Watch as many movies as you like, but I assure you that real life, real blue skies, real people are so much more interesting, and even though getting out of that bed seems like the hardest things you could ever do, once that step is taken, you'll see, getting on with your life is not that hard!
So take time off, but do not abuse it. Life is so much more fun outside of your bedroom's four walls. Go on, sit at a cafe and read the paper, go back to the gym, take a yoga class, call the friends you have let down, put some music on and re-arrange your room, cook a nice meal (sure beats the tim tams!!), bake some cookies and invite your friends for tea, go fishing, and the list go on and on. Just LIVE and give yourself a bit of a break...it is OK to not feel good sometimes, no one will kill you for it. That's life, it goes up and down. Find what makes you happy and treat yourself and your body the way you know they deserve it!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Leave the wicked tongue outside
One of the hardest and greatest lessons I have learnt these past few months is that most people are deceitful. How old did I say I was again? 27. And I am only realizing this NOW? Well, yes. What can I say? I was very very very (note the emphasis on the adverb here) naive. And a lot of my friends can second me on this. I had a tendency to trust everyone and never question anyone. If they said it, then I believed it. Looking back on it, I find it pretty sad, but hey, at least it allowed me to live in the land of rainbows and fairies for a little longer than the average person.
And then one day I woke up. Of course, I can pin point the events that led me to finally open my eyes to the possibility that well, maybe, people are not always who they say they are. So little by little, I started questioning everything, paying attention, and little by little I started discovering an entirely new world: adulthood!
Why am I writing this article now? Well because something happened today that confirmed my theory once again: people saying one thing in front of you and then something completely different in your back. Sometimes I even wonder if they realize how bad they can be. The only thing that makes me feel better is that these people have to have a reason to be that mean: jealousy, sexual frustration, sleep deprivation, etc..So, really poor them! Because that's what these people are: poor; poor of feelings, poor of humanity, poor of relationship skills. Instead of saying things as they think them, they go behind your back; instead of showing you who they really are, they put an act on.
The hardest part is that these are usually people you have trusted, people you thought were good persons, and then it all collapses. All these beliefs you had; all that trust you put in them is shattered.
In France with have a saying: "la bave du crapaud n'atteint pas la blanche colombe" which literally means "the toad's dribble does not reach the white dove", or 'All these nasty things that are said about me do not affect me'.
I do not want to make this article go on and on like I have a tendency to do, so I will give my words of wisdom for a happier life now. Here they are: Do not get affected by what is said from these wicked tongues. THEY are the miserable ones in this story and in fact the ones who would really need OUR help at the end of day. Do not put yourself down; know that you are stronger and better than them. And do not play their game: if you have something to say, say it, or don't, but do not spread bad words behind their back. It would only mean that you are as bad as them...
And then one day I woke up. Of course, I can pin point the events that led me to finally open my eyes to the possibility that well, maybe, people are not always who they say they are. So little by little, I started questioning everything, paying attention, and little by little I started discovering an entirely new world: adulthood!
Why am I writing this article now? Well because something happened today that confirmed my theory once again: people saying one thing in front of you and then something completely different in your back. Sometimes I even wonder if they realize how bad they can be. The only thing that makes me feel better is that these people have to have a reason to be that mean: jealousy, sexual frustration, sleep deprivation, etc..So, really poor them! Because that's what these people are: poor; poor of feelings, poor of humanity, poor of relationship skills. Instead of saying things as they think them, they go behind your back; instead of showing you who they really are, they put an act on.
The hardest part is that these are usually people you have trusted, people you thought were good persons, and then it all collapses. All these beliefs you had; all that trust you put in them is shattered.
In France with have a saying: "la bave du crapaud n'atteint pas la blanche colombe" which literally means "the toad's dribble does not reach the white dove", or 'All these nasty things that are said about me do not affect me'.
I do not want to make this article go on and on like I have a tendency to do, so I will give my words of wisdom for a happier life now. Here they are: Do not get affected by what is said from these wicked tongues. THEY are the miserable ones in this story and in fact the ones who would really need OUR help at the end of day. Do not put yourself down; know that you are stronger and better than them. And do not play their game: if you have something to say, say it, or don't, but do not spread bad words behind their back. It would only mean that you are as bad as them...
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