The Inspirational, Motivational and Happy Things Thread
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The Inspirational, Motivational and Happy Things Thread
I keep finding things that inspire, motivate, make me smile or laugh. Ive spent a good chunk of time analyzing my thoughts, feelings, fears of addiction and its aftermath. All very important, but I recently realized I also need to remember every day is Living Day. Its meant to be enjoyed, and its dripping with Life, laughter, LOVE, excitement, promise.
This thread is to share positive, upbeat findings and even personal stories as I continue my healing journey. Everyone is welcome !
This thread is to share positive, upbeat findings and even personal stories as I continue my healing journey. Everyone is welcome !
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,854
Charles Bukowski’s Top 10 Tips for Living a Kick*** Life
((MindOpenerz))
Looking for some pointers on how to live an awesome life? Take it from Charles Bukowski, an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist who shared his unfiltered views and opinions with the world on everything from art to death. He was a renowned and prolific writer, often depicting the experiences of the downtrodden and depraved people of American urban life, and he provided plenty of great tips on how to spend your days. But don’t just take my word for it, soak up the wisdom with this valuable advice from some his most well-known quotes.
1. Don’t settle.
“I wanted the whole world or nothing.”
You shouldn’t settle for anything less than what you absolutely deserve or desire. Strive for the best and don’t accept anything except for what will make you entirely happy. There’s no point in giving up on your goals simply to settle for a sub-par result that will forever leave you wishing for more in regret.
2. Love yourself.
“I never met another man I’d rather be. And even if that’s a delusion, it’s a lucky one.”
No one’s perfect, that’s for sure, but there’s also no point in beating yourself up about it. Stop criticizing every minute thing about yourself that you wish you could change and show yourself some love. That’s not to say to never work on self-improvement, but be your own biggest fan while you’re at it, no matter what.
3. Live life to its fullest.
“What is terrible is not death but the lives people live or don’t live up until their death.”
“Some people never go crazy, What truly horrible lives they must live.”
Want to go skydiving but have never done it? Take the leap. Dying to get that degree in art-history but don’t know how you’ll use it? It’s time to enroll. You only have one life so you might as well live it to its absolute fullest capacity – right now. Why wait until it’s too late?
4. Don’t fear pain, without it, you can’t experience happiness.
“You have to die a few times before you can really live.”
Pain, sadness, anger, frustration, anxiety – negative feelings like that can be miserable and even downright painful sometimes. But you can’t fully appreciate the good emotions that life has to offer without experiencing the hurtful ones. So when you think you’ve hit rock bottom, remember it can only go up from there, and the pain you’re experiencing in the moment will only make the happiness taste so much sweeter later on.
5. Be your own unique self and shamelessly express it in all you do.
“It’s better to do a dull thing with style than a dangerous thing without it.”
Don’t be afraid to be yourself – Charles Bukowski certainly didn’t hesitate to. Always show your true colors and express your own fantastic personality. It’s better to live your life being your whole self than trying to pretend to be something you’re not, simply for the approval others. Who cares what they think anyways?
6. You’re stronger than you think.
“Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and you think, I’m not going to make it, but you laugh inside…remembering all the times you’ve felt that way.”
Life is full of trials and hardships – you know it, you’ve likely experienced it many times. Yet, no matter what, you always make it through these difficulties in one piece. Always remember that you’re stronger than you may think, and you have it in you to get through the toughest of days.
7. Don’t fear death.
“I carry death in my left pocket. Sometimes I take it out and talk to it: “Hello, baby, how you doing? When you coming for me? I’ll be ready.”
“There’s nothing to mourn about death any more than there is to mourn about the growing of a flower.”
Death is unavoidable, so why spend your life worrying about it? Instead of obsessing about when you’ll finally go, take advantage of the life you were given. It’s much more worthwhile to celebrate life instead of fearing death, and you’ll likely be much happier because of it.
8. Have confidence in yourself.
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts.”
You are awesome, and all you have to do to let your true talents shine is believe that fact. Have complete confidence in yourself and you might be surprised with all you can achieve.
9. There are much worse things than loneliness.
“There are worse things than being alone but it often takes decades to realize this and most often when you do it’s too late and there’s nothing worse than too late.”
“I wasn’t a misanthrope and I wasn’t a misogynist but I liked being alone. It felt good to sit alone in a small space and smoke and drink. I had always been good company for myself.”
It’s easy to fear being alone, and the company of others can often act as some form of a safety blanket. But there are much worse things than loneliness, and there’s no point in getting caught up in being alone when that time can be spent on so many more fulfilling and joyful things. Learn to appreciate yourself without others, and value your time alone.
10. Life happens, don’t always take it so seriously.
“Sometimes you just have to pee in the sink.”
Unexpected, even crazy things are bound to happen in life, and sometimes you just have to go with it. Don’t get caught up in perfection and make sure to lighten up sometimes. There’s no point in taking everything seriously, and sometimes you just need to have some fun.
((MindOpenerz))
Looking for some pointers on how to live an awesome life? Take it from Charles Bukowski, an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist who shared his unfiltered views and opinions with the world on everything from art to death. He was a renowned and prolific writer, often depicting the experiences of the downtrodden and depraved people of American urban life, and he provided plenty of great tips on how to spend your days. But don’t just take my word for it, soak up the wisdom with this valuable advice from some his most well-known quotes.
1. Don’t settle.
“I wanted the whole world or nothing.”
You shouldn’t settle for anything less than what you absolutely deserve or desire. Strive for the best and don’t accept anything except for what will make you entirely happy. There’s no point in giving up on your goals simply to settle for a sub-par result that will forever leave you wishing for more in regret.
2. Love yourself.
“I never met another man I’d rather be. And even if that’s a delusion, it’s a lucky one.”
No one’s perfect, that’s for sure, but there’s also no point in beating yourself up about it. Stop criticizing every minute thing about yourself that you wish you could change and show yourself some love. That’s not to say to never work on self-improvement, but be your own biggest fan while you’re at it, no matter what.
3. Live life to its fullest.
“What is terrible is not death but the lives people live or don’t live up until their death.”
“Some people never go crazy, What truly horrible lives they must live.”
Want to go skydiving but have never done it? Take the leap. Dying to get that degree in art-history but don’t know how you’ll use it? It’s time to enroll. You only have one life so you might as well live it to its absolute fullest capacity – right now. Why wait until it’s too late?
4. Don’t fear pain, without it, you can’t experience happiness.
“You have to die a few times before you can really live.”
Pain, sadness, anger, frustration, anxiety – negative feelings like that can be miserable and even downright painful sometimes. But you can’t fully appreciate the good emotions that life has to offer without experiencing the hurtful ones. So when you think you’ve hit rock bottom, remember it can only go up from there, and the pain you’re experiencing in the moment will only make the happiness taste so much sweeter later on.
5. Be your own unique self and shamelessly express it in all you do.
“It’s better to do a dull thing with style than a dangerous thing without it.”
Don’t be afraid to be yourself – Charles Bukowski certainly didn’t hesitate to. Always show your true colors and express your own fantastic personality. It’s better to live your life being your whole self than trying to pretend to be something you’re not, simply for the approval others. Who cares what they think anyways?
6. You’re stronger than you think.
“Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and you think, I’m not going to make it, but you laugh inside…remembering all the times you’ve felt that way.”
Life is full of trials and hardships – you know it, you’ve likely experienced it many times. Yet, no matter what, you always make it through these difficulties in one piece. Always remember that you’re stronger than you may think, and you have it in you to get through the toughest of days.
7. Don’t fear death.
“I carry death in my left pocket. Sometimes I take it out and talk to it: “Hello, baby, how you doing? When you coming for me? I’ll be ready.”
“There’s nothing to mourn about death any more than there is to mourn about the growing of a flower.”
Death is unavoidable, so why spend your life worrying about it? Instead of obsessing about when you’ll finally go, take advantage of the life you were given. It’s much more worthwhile to celebrate life instead of fearing death, and you’ll likely be much happier because of it.
8. Have confidence in yourself.
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts.”
You are awesome, and all you have to do to let your true talents shine is believe that fact. Have complete confidence in yourself and you might be surprised with all you can achieve.
9. There are much worse things than loneliness.
“There are worse things than being alone but it often takes decades to realize this and most often when you do it’s too late and there’s nothing worse than too late.”
“I wasn’t a misanthrope and I wasn’t a misogynist but I liked being alone. It felt good to sit alone in a small space and smoke and drink. I had always been good company for myself.”
It’s easy to fear being alone, and the company of others can often act as some form of a safety blanket. But there are much worse things than loneliness, and there’s no point in getting caught up in being alone when that time can be spent on so many more fulfilling and joyful things. Learn to appreciate yourself without others, and value your time alone.
10. Life happens, don’t always take it so seriously.
“Sometimes you just have to pee in the sink.”
Unexpected, even crazy things are bound to happen in life, and sometimes you just have to go with it. Don’t get caught up in perfection and make sure to lighten up sometimes. There’s no point in taking everything seriously, and sometimes you just need to have some fun.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 590
Exercise! LOVE this....Good Feeling Workout Music Mix 2013 - YouTube
Just danced/exercised to it for 45 minutes. Yay me!!! Awesome music but if you don't like this mix he has plenty more.
Kari
P.S. Oh and as the music plays, motivational exercise messages come up to read. Love, love, love this!
Just danced/exercised to it for 45 minutes. Yay me!!! Awesome music but if you don't like this mix he has plenty more.
Kari
P.S. Oh and as the music plays, motivational exercise messages come up to read. Love, love, love this!
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 976
There is nothing, I mean nothing like the power of an innocent child to lift your spirits.
I sent my nephews, ages 7 and 5, an Easter package. I called them to see if they liked their gift, and chatted with them for a while. As we're saying good bye, I told them i love them both very much, the 7 year old says "I love you more auntie!".
Talk about the perfect medicine! Those 5 simple words coming from a child's mouth obscured everything negative in my world for the rest of the evening. How I wish they lived closer to me!
I sent my nephews, ages 7 and 5, an Easter package. I called them to see if they liked their gift, and chatted with them for a while. As we're saying good bye, I told them i love them both very much, the 7 year old says "I love you more auntie!".
Talk about the perfect medicine! Those 5 simple words coming from a child's mouth obscured everything negative in my world for the rest of the evening. How I wish they lived closer to me!
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,854
This is a concept I picked up at Smart Recovery:
There are facts, and there are stories we tell about facts
Fact: He was late.
Story: He was late because he doesn’t care about being home in time for dinner, or about my feelings !!
Facts create feelings only when you turn them into a story. Stories create feelings, and feelings drive actions and determine how we feel about life, ourselves, and others.
There are facts, and there are stories we tell about facts
Fact: He was late.
Story: He was late because he doesn’t care about being home in time for dinner, or about my feelings !!
Facts create feelings only when you turn them into a story. Stories create feelings, and feelings drive actions and determine how we feel about life, ourselves, and others.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 590
Originally Posted by BlueChair 
This is a concept I picked up at Smart Recovery:
There are facts, and there are stories we tell about facts
Fact: He was late.
Story: He was late because he doesn’t care about being home in time for dinner, or about my feelings !!
Facts create feelings only when you turn them into a story. Stories create feelings, and feelings drive actions and determine how we feel about life, ourselves, and others.
There are facts, and there are stories we tell about facts
Fact: He was late.
Story: He was late because he doesn’t care about being home in time for dinner, or about my feelings !!
Facts create feelings only when you turn them into a story. Stories create feelings, and feelings drive actions and determine how we feel about life, ourselves, and others.
It's weird.
Kari
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,854
25 Statements to Happiness
by Shanel Yang
Seven years ago I came across this list. I don't recall where it came from but I do know that I couldn't agree with even one of these statements. In fact, I found the very idea of anyone being able to agree with most of them absurd. I thought, You gotta be kidding me! Who really goes through life THAT friggin? happy?? For some reason, I kept the list.
Over the years, I made it a goal to change myself or my life to eventually be able to say all of these statements with complete sincerity and heartfelt gratitude. I am surprised and pleased to realize I have finally succeeded with most of them.
I still struggle with #19 sometimes. And, I?m not exactly sure if its such a bad thing to need to compete with others (#10) since competition is a great motivator. But, other than that, Ive pretty much achieved the rest thanks to my new career as a writer. Im lovin? it!
And, so, I present this list to you in the hopes that maybe it will inspire you, too, to do whatever it takes so that you can, in the not-too-distant future, likewise, enjoy all of these great things, too.
25 STATEMENTS TO HAPPINESS
1. Most of the time, I have a great time!
2. I am content with my professional career.
3. I listen to my inner feelings and let them guide me.
4. Every day, I laugh and smile a lot.
5. I rarely become annoyed or angry.
6. People in general like me and my company.
7. I don’t get easily afraid of anything.
8. I rarely feel stressed out.
9. I adapt easily to changing circumstances.
10. I don’t feel the need to compete with anybody.
11. My life is a great adventure and so much fun!
12. I don’t spend much time worrying.
13. The world is beautiful and full of opportunities.
14. I sleep very well at night and wake up refreshed.
15. I usually focus on the solutions and not the problems.
16. I feel relaxed most of the time.
17. I know my abilities and feel confident most of the time.
18. I feel mostly fine, even when I’m alone.
19. I have no regrets over past mistakes.
20. To me, arguments are a waste of time.
21. I’m always open to new ideas and concepts in my life.
22. I live the way I choose and I let others do that, too.
by Shanel Yang
Seven years ago I came across this list. I don't recall where it came from but I do know that I couldn't agree with even one of these statements. In fact, I found the very idea of anyone being able to agree with most of them absurd. I thought, You gotta be kidding me! Who really goes through life THAT friggin? happy?? For some reason, I kept the list.
Over the years, I made it a goal to change myself or my life to eventually be able to say all of these statements with complete sincerity and heartfelt gratitude. I am surprised and pleased to realize I have finally succeeded with most of them.
I still struggle with #19 sometimes. And, I?m not exactly sure if its such a bad thing to need to compete with others (#10) since competition is a great motivator. But, other than that, Ive pretty much achieved the rest thanks to my new career as a writer. Im lovin? it!
And, so, I present this list to you in the hopes that maybe it will inspire you, too, to do whatever it takes so that you can, in the not-too-distant future, likewise, enjoy all of these great things, too.
25 STATEMENTS TO HAPPINESS
1. Most of the time, I have a great time!
2. I am content with my professional career.
3. I listen to my inner feelings and let them guide me.
4. Every day, I laugh and smile a lot.
5. I rarely become annoyed or angry.
6. People in general like me and my company.
7. I don’t get easily afraid of anything.
8. I rarely feel stressed out.
9. I adapt easily to changing circumstances.
10. I don’t feel the need to compete with anybody.
11. My life is a great adventure and so much fun!
12. I don’t spend much time worrying.
13. The world is beautiful and full of opportunities.
14. I sleep very well at night and wake up refreshed.
15. I usually focus on the solutions and not the problems.
16. I feel relaxed most of the time.
17. I know my abilities and feel confident most of the time.
18. I feel mostly fine, even when I’m alone.
19. I have no regrets over past mistakes.
20. To me, arguments are a waste of time.
21. I’m always open to new ideas and concepts in my life.
22. I live the way I choose and I let others do that, too.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,854
Man, I thought I was doing so good in math class. 
23. I don’t blame or intimidate others to get what I want.
24. If I’m not happy about something, I take the initiative to change it.
25. I like myself the way I am.
23. I don’t blame or intimidate others to get what I want.
24. If I’m not happy about something, I take the initiative to change it.
25. I like myself the way I am.
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 590
Originally Posted by BlueChair
Man, I thought I was doing so good in math class.
23. I don’t blame or intimidate others to get what I want.
24. If I’m not happy about something, I take the initiative to change it.
25. I like myself the way I am.
23. I don’t blame or intimidate others to get what I want.
24. If I’m not happy about something, I take the initiative to change it.
25. I like myself the way I am.
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