via The Buried Life
– Daniel
Archives for posts with tag: Optimism
“There is a voice inside of you
That whispers all day long,
“I feel that this is right for me,
I know that this is wrong.”
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend
Or wise man can decide
What’s right for you– – just listen to
The voice that speaks inside.”
– Shel Silverstein
Indeed, to paraphrase John Burroughs, I’m getting to the point where I desperately need to escape to nature. Perhaps it’s the fact that I will not be returning to Jordan, but I feel the need to get away from life in Toronto. Being away from the hustle and bustle of downtown life seems to mentally and physically heal me. Returning to nature is a humbling lesson in patience and persistence. The smell of a forest, the taste of dew in the air, and the refreshing breezes of a fine day…they aren’t luxuries. They’re necessities.
Nature is calling me…
– Daniel
“There is pleasure in the pathless woods; There is rapture on the lonely shore; There is society, where none intrudes, by the deep sea and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more.” – Lord Byron
– Daniel
I know for some people this is easier said than done, but I hope these quotes provide just a measure of help!
“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A. A. Miln
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” – Norman Vincent Peale
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller
Allen Saunders noted that life is actually what happens while we all find ourselves busy making other plans. Out of fear of the unknown, confusion, or just plain dislike, we tend to resist what falls into our laps. But why not embrace it? Is what we want the same as what we’re supposed to have? The red thread of fate is an ancient Chinese myth which states that the gods have tied a red string around the ankles of those whose lives as destined to touch one another. The strongest of these connections – love – is often brought up in this myth. People connected by this thread are supposedly destined to be lover. Times, places, and circumstances may tangle or stretch this thread, but it will never break. Sounds like a load of mumbo jumbo eh? Maybe not. Let’s take a look at the story of Alex and Donna Voutsinas…
“30 years ago, when Alex and Donna Voutsinas lived in different countries and long before they met and married, they were captured in the same photo at Disney World. That’s Donna at right in front. Alex is in the stroller in the background immediately behind Mr. Smee.”
“No one knows better than Alex and Donna Voutsinas that it’s a small world after all. Thirty years ago, when they lived in separate countries long before they met and married, a family shot of little Donna at Walt Disney World captured Alex in a stroller in the background.
“It just blew our minds when we realized,” Alex Voutsinas, a 32-year-old transplanted Montrealer told the Star Thursday from south Florida.
That fateful realization came just one week before their wedding eight years ago. Alex and Donna had been going through old family snapshots. There, in the blurry background of a picture of 5-year-old Donna was 3-year-old Alex being pushed down Main Street at the same moment in 1980 by his father. The senior Voutsinas’s distinctive jet-black hair with its white tuft caught his eye.
“My mother pulled out albums from the same trip. My dad is wearing exactly the same outfit.”
Other pictures from that trip showed Alex on his dad’s shoulders. The boy in the background of Donna’s picture and the boy in those pictures were the same.”
Read the rest of this incredible story HERE at the source! Has something like this ever happened to you?
– Daniel
It’s fantastic that happiness, a fundamental human goal, is celebrated throughout the world on this day (March 20th). Established in July 2012, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/218, which decreed that the International Day of Happiness would be observed every year on the 20th of March.
Resolution 66/218 –> “Recalling its resolution 65/309 of 19 July 2011, which invites Member States to pursue the elaboration of additional measures that better capture the importance of the pursuit of happiness and well-being in development with a view to guiding their public policies, CONSCIOUS that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal, RECOGNIZING the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives, and recognizing also the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the well-being of all peoples.“
Today is a day that we should recognize the need to be more inclusive and make socially responsible choices – and make good on that recognition. Creating a happier society takes individual action. Bringing happiness upon ourselves is truly a win-win situation. Every one benefits. It helps us connect with others and inspires them to be more positive and caring. How can you make a positive difference? Make a Happiness Day Resolution where, for the next 365 days, you will actively pursue just ONE action to help improve your overall level of happiness. The key is to develop an area of your life that you find both important and not adequately fulfilled.
Look to this day. You, and only you, are responsible for your happiness and without action there is not reaction. Make Happiness Day yours and watch as it grows into something far greater.
CHECK OUT: HappinessInternational.org, DayOfHappiness.net, and ActionForHappiness.org
– Daniel
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” – Leo Tolstoy
Today marks the one year anniversary of Look to This Day. Exactly one year ago I realized that something was missing. I was happy, but I felt like I could be HAPPIER. The happiness project served as a year-long attempt to make myself happier and Look to This Day initially served as a way for me to document my progress. 365 days later, I can tell you with absolute certainty that I succeeded and I am happier than I ever could have imagined. Starting the project ignited a spark in me. An inextinguishable flame in my heart that pushed me to better myself. To paraphrase Clint Runge, not only did I try to think outside of the box, I reflected upon its contents, edges, corners, and flaps. I got a tattoo, camped in the desert, and learned Israeli krav maga; all parts of the list of 100 Things I Want To Do Before I Die. This year was full of romance, heartache, stress, anxiety, fulfillment, new friends, old friends, falling-outs, laughter, and smiles. Attempting to write and complete this list, learn more about myself, learn about the world around me, experience the seemingly frightful, and make the uncomfortable comfortable collectively taught me one important lesson.
We often view happiness as something simple. Something small. I’ve learned that it isn’t. Happiness is something everyone deserves and is worth having. But you can’t expect it to fall into your lap. You need to take it. Happiness is something that needs to be worked for. It’s something to fight for.
But this is hardly the end of my journey. Today simply served as a chance for me to self-reflect, evaluate how far I’ve come, and keep pushing forward. This being said, I now feel that it’s my responsibility to share what I’ve learned with the world. To continue sharing the lessons and wisdom that changed my life for the better. It’s a responsibility I’ve eagerly shouldered. At this very moment, Look to This Day has become a place where I hope others can find solace and inspiration. A starting point from which you can rebuild yourself from the ground up or a place to inspire those with the urge to do something with their lives. Very much I like did. For those of you thinking of starting a happiness project of your own, tell yourself that no matter what happens it will all be worth it. If you ask yourself “do I end up happy?”, I can tell you with absolute certainty that you will. And you will have quite the story to tell – the story of a wonderful year where you realized that you deserved more. A year full of self-reflection, adventure, love, loss, and happiness. A year – a new chapter – that will set the tone for the rest of your life.
– Daniel
A special thanks to…
“I absolutely am scared of the things I do. I’m not a superhuman. I’m just like everybody else. And when I’m afraid, it’s before. It’s like the thought of doing something is what’s scaring me. That uncertainty. That questioning. Should I do this? What could happen? What could go wrong? And what’s really interesting is that sheer terror is up until you step off. The instant you step off, you’re no longer scared. You’re in that moment. There is no yesterday. There is no tomorrow. There’s only what’s happening right this second.” – Jeb Corliss (professional skydiver and BASE jumper)
Have you ever just leapt into and overcome fear?
– Daniel
Look to This Day 