It's Much More Than That - Giving

Is it just me or is giving someone a gift one of the best things ever? There is just nothing like that feeling you get when you give someone a gift that you know they are going to love.

But what many people fail to realize is that giving is about so much more than gifts. According to the dictionary, to 'give' means to "freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone); hand over to." 

This dictionary definition does not specify exactly what is being transferred when you give something to someone. Sure, it can certainly be applied to gifts and other material items, and to give those things is not a bad thing. But giving is so much more than that. 

Thinking about this word, 'giving', got me to come up with a little list of things that a person could give to someone else. Included in this list are things that I think many people forget about all too often. However, I truly believe that all of the things mentioned below are things that should be given freely and generously.

Time - this is one of the best things that you could offer someone. Giving up your time to spend with someone else speaks way louder than any gift ever could.

Words of Encouragement - it could be as simple as "I just wanted to let you know that I am proud of you." Or even, "You will get through this." Giving little words of encouragement can completely turn someone's day around.

Words of Appreciation - similar to words of encouragement, words of appreciation can let someone know that you really care about them and are thankful for them. Example: "Thank you so much for always being there for me. I really value you as a friend."

The Benefit of the Doubt - this sounds a bit strange, but giving someone the benefit of the doubt means believing them when no one else does. It means offering forgiveness when they don't deserve it. And it is one of the best gifts that you could possibly give.

What does 'giving' mean to you?

Go With the Flow

Is it just me or do you ever find that you have a hard time deviating from a set plan? Things were set in stone one minute, but the next minute they get changed and you just can't seem to be happy being flexible?

If I'm being honest, I can have quite a bit of trouble with this sometimes. I was especially humbled this past weekend when I was asked to help my boyfriend's brother with his proposal to his girlfriend. The plans kept changing, and then when we finally settled on one, they changed again! I was so frustrated because the new plans that were decided on were not at all what I wanted to do that day. It was cold and rainy and I just wanted to stay home snuggled up with a book or a puzzle. 

But I had to realize that this was a very special day for my boyfriend's brother and his now fiancé, and I needed to just chill out and go with the flow. I needed to put myself  on the back burner, and be flexible.

It is not always easy to be flexible when it comes to changing plans. When I have something in my head that I'm going to do, or a way of doing something that I am used to, I prefer to stay in that comfortable place. I do not like change very much. 

But sometimes, change is necessary, and even inevitable in some cases. Once you learn to relax and go with the flow of changing plans, routines, or traditions, you will find that you can be a happier, calmer person. 

So I challenge you to practice going along with the flow with me. It will be difficult at first, but it will be worth it in the end.

Do you have any tips to help people like me try and go with the flow? Let me know-I could use all the help I can get!

It's Much More Than That - Happiness

Is it just me or do you ever look up a word in the dictionary only to find that the definition is not exactly how you would describe the word? Oftentimes, the "official" definition of a word differs from how we interpret the word's meaning and its relevance to our lives. It is for this reason that I decided to start another "series" on my blog titled "It's Much More Than That - *insert choice word here*".  Every Wednesday, I will choose one word and define it as I have come to understand it.

Today's word is happiness. According to the dictionary, 'happiness' is defined as "the state of being happy." This led me to look up the definition of 'happy' which reads, "feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, etc."

How do you take a word like 'happiness' and restrict it to just one universal definition?? To me, happiness is so much more than just a word; it is a feeling, an experience like no other. Many times, people think of happiness as something to be achieved. "If I only had this new car, I would be happy..."; "When I get this promotion at work, then I will be happy..."; and the list goes on. But I don't think that happiness is something that we need to set as a goal for ourselves, or something that we need to continually strive for. 

I want so much more out of life than to simply experience happiness every now and then. I want to be happy. Happiness doesn't have to be (and shouldn't be) an "if...then..." type of thing. Happiness should just be. I shouldn't have to work for it, and I certainly shouldn't have to depend on other things or people to keep my happiness going. 

To me, happiness is singing in the car at the top of my lungs to my favorite song. Happiness is getting lost in a good book while sipping on a nice hot cup of coffee. Happiness is hanging around the house with my family knowing that I am loved. Happiness is thinking about my life and reflecting on all of the blessings that I have.

What does happiness mean to you?

The Best Birthday Ever

Is it just me or are birthdays something to get excited over?! We each only get one birthday a year, so we might as well try and make it as awesome as possible, right?? Since my birthday is in less than TWO HOURS (I'm currently writing this at 10:30 on Friday night) I thought I would do a little reflecting on one of my favorite birthday memories thus far.

It happened last year (almost) to the day. My 21st birthday. And not for the reasons that most other people like to celebrate their 21st birthday. This birthday was extra special for me for other reasons. 

For a few years leading up to my 21st birthday, my birthdays had not really been so great. I was going through a really tough time in my life, and my birthday celebrations were often pushed to the back burner. But things turned around come the year of my 21st birthday, and I had one of the greatest birthdays that I've ever had.

In all honesty, I didn't even really do that much on that day! I basically just hung around the house with my family and boyfriend during the day, which I certainly didn't mind. At night, I went out to a hibachi place for dinner, and my mom had surprised me by inviting some of my close friends without me knowing! After dinner, we all came back to my house for dessert and gifts. 

Ask me about the details, and I probably couldn't tell you more than a few. But ask me how happy I felt, and I could go on all day. The love that I felt from my family and friends made my heart swell with so much joy I could cry! It was the best birthday I can remember not because I went out to an extravagant bar or got amazing gifts (which, by the way, I did :P). It was the best birthday I can remember because of the people that I got to share it with. Even writing this now, I feel so beyond blessed and happy thinking back on that night. 

You don't have to do something totally crazy on your birthday. Just try to share it with the people you love and care about, and it'll be sure to be a good one.

What is your favorite birthday memory?