Finding Ourselves Does Not Mean Happiness

The other day I was sitting in a class where we were discussing service and helping others.

My thoughts immediately were turned to happiness.

People everywhere all over the world are searching for one word: happiness.

With the world in which we live today, many struggles come because of the search of this one word.

That is because we are doing it all wrong.

Iphone. Ipad. Itunes.

I. I. I.

We live in a world searching for happiness within ourselves--trying to get the nicest clothes to make us happy, the greatest technology, make the most money-- only to wind up still not being satisfied and still not being happy.

People all trying to find themselves and make a statement of what they are through these things, ironically does not make them happy. It couldn't be further from the truth.

It's losing ourselves that makes us happy. Losing ourselves in the service of others, looking outside of our little bubble and the problems we may have. Seeing those that are less fortunate and having the courage to help them out. That is what brings true happiness.

Recognizing that you may not be able to afford that gift for Christmas, but you have a roof over your head and clothes on your back. 

Gratitude makes everything you have enough.

I can only imagine what the world would be like if everybody lived by that motto. 

Think about something. If I 

was stripped today of everything I had-- my clothes, food, money, home, technology--WHO would I be?

We try to define ourselves with the things that we do. Being a football player, holding certain leadership positions, being an artist-- all of these are good things. 

But if these we stripped  from you. WHO would you be? These things may make up WHAT you are, but can they define WHO you are? 

So ask yourselves. How will you lose yourself?

Till next time,

Emmaline

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ART

Do you ever feel like you need to take your own advice? 

Many of you don't know the side of me that get's sad, anxious, down and has really HARD days.

Days that I feel like just talking to people is a huge step for me.

Luckily today I was able to find something to brighten one of those moments up for me. Hope it helps you all too. 

I wanted to share something I wrote June 18, 2013, while sitting in a small cafe.

ART.

The fellows sitting next to me in this cafe are artists. Illustrating… creating.

In front of me are books. Words, created, written: art.

Above me music plays, the gentlemen to my right taps his leather dress shoe along. Sounds-- clashing, harmonizing, beautiful-- art.

The drink I hold in my hand: a creation with an extra drop of honey soothing my sore throat and congested nose. Helpful. A helpful work of art.

Surrounding us everywhere is art. Beautiful creations, The unique ones capture our attention, the perfect ones don't even catch our eye.

What world will we create?

I hope, I hope…

 it’s a unique, lovely, colorful, spontaneous one.

Splashes of crazy, bumps along the surface, red for courage, blue for loneliness, or perhaps we simply adore the color blue. Green for the beauty of the earth we enjoy, yellow for the intense sunshine engulfing us like a blanket.

Splashes and splatters, lines and patterns.

Tea to soothe a sore throat, foot tapping, music blaring, hands painting, people creating.

Happiness. Laughter. Love. Heartbreak. Trial.

Stepping back I see it now.

The beautiful portrait, the big picture, so unique with different colors and patterns. Imperfect, but juuust right.

Absolutely beautiful.

Life.

Leonid Afremov
Have a wonderful Friday! 
XO
Emmaline

Turn the Shirt Around

The other day I woke up frazzled- anxious to get to school on time. The start of a new school year will do that to you. Running to class I was early, sorted my things out and prepared myself for the lecture. As my professor began the discussion, I was intently following along. Until one question he proposed caught my attention. Being the writer that I am, I began jotting down notes and expanding on this one question, tuning out of the next part of the lecture-- my eyes locked on the words filling up my screen in front of me. 

"And how do you feel about that?" 

I zapped back to reality. Looking up, the professor's eyes were now connected with mine. 

"Oh," I replied. "I'm sorry. Just give me a second." Reading the question on the powerpoint we were now discussing, I couldn't focus. You know when you're put on the spot ill-prepared like that, and all you can think about is how ill-prepared you are? 

Turning more and more red, I began to speak. 

Word vomit.

Blah. Blah. Blah.

"And that is how I feel about that."

"Oookay." My professor replied.

Ughhh. Second day of this class and my life is already over.

I walked out of class only to feel my shirt that seemed just a bit higher than usual. After all, I am at BYU, the more modest the better right? But then again feeling that zap! back to reality... I look down at my shirt.

It was backward.

Ah! Did I just admit that right here for all of social media to see????

Gasp.

I ran to Daniel and explained to him that I had to go to the bathroom right. Now. NOW.

And I changed my shirt. 

But you know what I've realized? Who cares. Okay, so my shirt was on backward. Who. Cares. 

Life goes on, people! As soon as I turned that white shirt around, so I did with my day.

And so can we all! Life is all about good times, hard times, sad times, sweet times. I believe that happiness is a choice. It's okay to get upset, to have life a little backward sometimes. But we need to be able to turn the shirt around-- our attitudes. Backward, sideways, inside-out-- FLAUNT IT.

Have a great Saturday!

Emmaline