Make The Little Things Count

       It all started late Freshman year. After I started taking my church life seriously, I noticed a change within me. I realized that I wanted to show people love, yet not just any love, God's love. Throughout my process of getting my sacraments "over with" through the years, Freshman year was when it hit me. The sacraments that I have been receiving weren't for my benefit, but for others. Each time I received a new sacrament, I was one step closer to fulfilling my duties as the daughter of Christ. When Freshman year came, it was hard to show what I really felt. High school has so many egos and images that everyone has to live up to or portray or else you won't "fit in." For me, being "too nice" worried me as coming off as "fake." 

     As time went by that year, I began to realize that i shouldn't care what people thought of me, especially if i was doing nothing wrong. With this, i knew that there was nothing to worry about or hide. So what if people would think I'm "weird." Hey, I'm weird for Jesus! :) That summer, I came home from an amazing church retreat that changed my life like no other. Right when I got back I wanted to tell my friends all about it thinking that they would be super pumped and excited about it as I was; when I told one of my friends she said, "Oh, so are you all religious now?" Like it was a bad thing! I knew that if I would get a reaction like that from a friend, I would get it from others as well. This was more than me though. Who cares what people say or think?! If you know that you're doing something wrong, that's when you should worry; yet if you're doing the right thing and simply trying to make people's days a little brighter, I say go for it! In the end, you're benefiting the people that need it most. 

     With this, I began to appreciate the little things in life. God's beauty and creation is everywhere and people tend to neglect that! I changed my perspective and opened my eyes to what really is. I began to realize how beautiful it is to see people helping each other even if they don't know each other! How incredible it is to live in a place where your so privileged and it's usually taken for granted. How amazing it is to wake up every morning. The little things. With this new outlook in life, no matter what people say or do, I know that He's got my back no matter what! :) To this day, I'm still striving to live my life for Christ and taking in every moment like its my last! For all we know, tomorrow isn't promised, so make the little things count!

      

Simple Life Strategies

"It's the little things that I'll miss..." As I read the article by Simple Life Strategy, I came to see that there is so much more to the 'little things.' It was great to see another person's point of view on this subject. One point that the author brought up was, "It's the little things that matter... money doesn't buy you happiness. But remembering to be grateful for the little things in life does; the things we usually take for granted, the things that actually give us the most joy in life, even though we shouldn't often don't stop to realize it." I couldn't agree more! She definitely took the words out of my mouth. This article is not something that would love to keep i my back pocket, but something others should as well! "Enjoy the little things in life, because one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things." If you are ever feeling down, or you just want to smile, check out her website at www.SimpleLifeStrategies.com

Mary Van Such

An Interview With Mary Van Such:

We talk about happiness, the little things in life, and much much more.

As my topic is on enjoying the little things in life, I wanted to get my mentor's perspective  on what the little things mean to her. Throughout this interview, I got to know Mary more than I thought I already knew! She is just incredible. What amazes me the most is just hearing what she has to say about it. It's always lovely to see happiness through someone else's eyes. If you don't know about Mary, you sure won't forget her after this! She is one of a kind! :)

G-Anne: What makes you happy?

Mary Van Such: There are a lot of things that make me happy, my faith makes me happy, people make me happy, working with kids makes me happy, serendipitous moments make me happy. It really doesn't take a lot!

Why do these things make you happy?

I think the feeling of "happiness" is fleeting, but all of those things I mentioned, I think that they elicit a feeling of joy in my heart. The kind of feeling that you can't help but smile or laugh. 

[Laughs] That's wonderful! Another little thing that tends to make people happy is ice cream! Do you have a favorite?

Ooh my favorite ice cream? I have always loved black cherry ice cream and rainbow sherbet from thrifty... Well, now Rite Aid. Try the combo- it will be worth it I promise. A scoop of black cherry on the bottom and a scoop of rainbow sherbet on top.

Mmm. Yummy! I am a chocolate lover, it never goes wrong, but I'll be sure to try the combo when I have the chance!

Sounds good!

How does the "Little Way" inspire you?

The "Little Way" is an incredible concept. I love St. Therese of Lisieux and she instituted this little way of doing little things to show love for others. Little ways to show her love for God. This little way inspires me in so many different facets of life. It inspires my relationships in a way that I try to live just a little bit less selfishly. It inspires my hobbies in that i try new little things all of the time. It's amazing how a little bit really does go a long way!

That's incredible. Perfectly said! What do you do to contribute to other's happiness?

I don't know exactly what I contribute to others happiness, but I know that I love to talk and love to listen. I love to spend time with the people I love. I love to sing, and I love to work with people. I think everyone has a different view of happiness, but I hope the way I act does impact their level of happiness!

In contrast, how do others contribute to your happiness?

People contribute to my happiness when they love unconditionally. When they take the time to show that they care, even in the littlest way. It means so much. People contribute to my happiness when they live in a way that reminds me not to take them for granted!

Do you have any activities or hobbies that bring you happiness?

Like I said, I love to sing, I love to play guitar and worship. There is no place I would rather be than in worship. My love for singing I think makes me happier than any other hobbies! I do also really appreciate baseball. So I guess that's a hobby that brings me happiness... Although sometimes I tell at the TV and that doesn't contribute to other people's happiness. Haha. Ask my neighbors... [Laughs] except the ones across the street. They love baseball as much as I do. [Laughs] And it's a good thing!

Isn't worship the best?! Next time i'm in the area I will be sure to ask them!
Have you ever had an embarrassing moment that you flipped  to make you laugh?

Oh man, more than I can count. I've done so many silly things! once i accidentally pants-ed myself (I was wearing shorts under my skirt so it was okay) on stage in 5th grade when I was playing the lead in the musical. I didn't laugh then, but it's funny now. Haha. Embarrassingly funny! I also was late coming in on a cue in high school when I played the fairy godmother in Cinderella. I was supposed to say (gently) "what about Cinderella?" Well backstage i was goofing around and dancing with the king in the play. Our costumes got all tangled and i was late for the cue because we were literally stuck together! When i was freed, I ran on stage slammed the window I was supposed to appear in, and said about as sassy as I could... Psh. What about Cinderella?! Complete with this really embarrassing head bob thing. I was mortified! But people came up to me after and loved it! I just laughed! It was great. 11 years later, it still brings me joy!

Oh my gosh, that's too great! We all have those moments! I remember in 2nd grade I needed to go pee really bad...but i'm not going to go into detail about it, i'll leave it for you're imagination! [Laughs] But, I remember I got out of the shame by just laughing it off and blaming it all on a puddle! Anyways, who are your biggest influences and why?

My biggest influence is my dad. He has a positive attitude and so much integrity. He has a positive reputation for that attitude and integrity. I hope I can exude that same integrity in my life. Plus he laughs all the time! I hope I laugh that much in my lifetime! Sometimes he just laughs at himself for laughing at something!

Is there anything you would change about this project and why?

I hope that you learn so much from this project! I wouldn't change a thing, I would just encourage you to dive in head first! All you have to do is commit to really seeing what a difference it makes to your life to recognize the little things, and pass them on to others... Pay it forward, if you will! There are so many unhappy people in life, and like I said I really thing happiness is fleeting. It's an emotion based on the things around you. I think if you can choose joy in life and share it with other people, you can do anything! You are such an incredible girl!

Pay It Forward

  Has anyone ever done something for you and you knew that you didn't deserve? If so, think about how you felt. You were probably thinking, "Why are they doing this, I don't even know them" or "I don't deserve this." The thing is, no matter what happens, you do or did deserve it! These are due to simple or big acts of kindness, or simply "Paying It Forward." Paying it forward can be as simple as holding the door open for someone! I ask that you pay it forward this week. Imagine starting a week off by doing good! I know, you might think, "Nobody will care!" or "People won't even acknowledge it." And to that I say, people do care. They may not show it, they might even be rude about it, yet you don't know what that person is going through. Everyone has a bad day! When you pay it forward, you cause the ripple effect. Imagine dropping a penny in a bucket of water; that one penny causes the water to spread out and ripple. You are that penny. You may not think that you aren't doing much by simply holding the door, but maybe, just maybe that will cause that person to pay it forward to someone else and so on. Paying forward is not doing simple things for people, it can be big things too. These include: paying for the person behind you when you're in the toll road, paying for the person next in line at McDonald's per say, or even giving $38 a month to save a child's life! Think about it, that money would be gone in an instant anyways, so why not use it for something that not only benefits you, but others as well? Will you need that large fries or another pair of shoes? Yet , those are the big things you can do by paying it forward! Try passing it forward by starting small, even a simple smile can make a huge difference! Be the change the world thirsts for! Pay it forward :)

Sunshine and Smiles

It still amazes me that I live in such a beautiful place. Every so often I take it for granted. When I look at it now; where else can I drive 15 minutes to breathe in the smell of the ocean, have the waves crash against my legs, have endless sunshine, or have the sand beneath my feet? I honestly live in paradise. Enjoy the little things in life :)

Letters to California

Journaling and coming across old letters is a lovely way to start off my Saturday.

It Starts with a Simple "Hello"

Friendship: 

   Friendship is one little thing in life that makes a big difference. To me, my friends mean the world to me. Isn't it strange that the people we tend to care so much about, are the ones that we usually disregard since we know that they will always be there for us? I think making friends is the most awkward thing in the world; when we were younger all we had to say was, "hey, wanna be friends?!" then we got a friend. Now if you say that it's like, "ew what are you doing?" Like what? Hahaha. For me, I am so happy to have met my best friend 8 years ago by saying those simple words of, "hey, wanna be friends?" Who would have thought that four words could start a friendship that has lasted for 8 years and counting! Not to mention that ever since 2nd grade we've lived 1,531.5 miles apart. Did you know that the average friendship lasts 3-6 years? It's crazy how friendships can just slip away through time. I know, I've been through it. It may seem like the end of the world, but things always happen for a reason. In my life, I have lost many of my friends from middle school since 90% of them went to a different high school, and at first I was bummed, but I realized that all my close friends were going to my high school. For me, having a few close friends that love you for who you are and accept you no matter what are the ones that count. I am blessed to see my friendship with my closest friends grow. It's amazing to see how much we all have changed since little 2nd graders to now sophomores, and our friendship has grown with us! Friendship is not something that should be taken for granted, because you can't go through life alone. Don't be afraid to say "hello!"