Keeping your chin up

I've been thinking lately about being happy.  I realized the other night how (for the most part) happy I am.  It was the first time in over a year that I had that epiphany.  Sad, but true.  2012 was a tough year for me.  So I said to myself, "You know what Megan, there are probably other gals out there having just as much of a hard time and wouldn't they like some tips on getting through it all?"  So here we are.

Tip #1:  It's cliché, but don't let the small things drag you down.  Don't let them cloud the big picture, or cast a shadow on the path you want to take.  Yes, it's good to enjoy small things in your life - like a stranger on the subway randomly comping your ticket or a passerby gushing over your jacket - but if they don't happen, don't let it bother you.  If you've been to your local Starbucks a million and one times and the same barista still doesn't know your name, don't sweat it.  

Tip #2:  Do what you love.  I can't stress this enough.  I was lucky enough to find a hobby that became a passion, and then somehow I managed to turn it into a business.  Truth be told, I would have lost my sanity years ago if it weren't for knitting.  And making money off of that is just the icing on the cake.  Steve Jobs said it best in his 2005 Stanford commencement speech: "You've got to find what you love.  Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.  And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.  If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.  Don't settle.  As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

Tip #3:  Dream big.  Here's the best advice I could ever give you.  Are you ready for this?  Don't ever let somebody tell you that you should scale down your dreams.  Never.  I might have just put a few therapists out of business, what with giving such good advice away for free, but no matter.  For pretty much my entire life, I've been a "dreamer".  So, naturally, I never gave chasing my dreams a second thought.  And I'm happy to say, that at 20 years old, they are slowly becoming a reality.  I used to think that you couldn't chase your dreams if you were a kid.  Yes, I consider 20 still being a kid.  I'm finding out every day that that's not the case.  If something makes you happy, do it.  Put aside all doubts, all the people who say it can't/shouldn't be done, and chase what's yours.

So there you have it, people.  My top three tips on being happy and making it in this dog-eat-dog world.  What do you think is the best tip you could give someone about being happy?   xx

p. s.  quick fact:  the self-portrait above is exemplifying my being a dreamer.  My head "is in the clouds."  ;)

p. p. s.  another quick fact: this is my 200th post!

ALSO.  this is the last time you'll see me without bangs (eeeekk !) so take a long look or forever hold your peace.