Merry Monday - Happiness

In the past, I was envious of the things others had. I'm not exactly sure when I grew out of it, only that I know I did. I've realized I don't need things like cottages, boats, horses, gardens, etc. Well, I'd probably like a garden more than any of the others.

Visiting someone's cottage, for example, is a nice weekend away for me because I don't have to maintain the thing. Hanging out with friends is fun once in awhile, but my introverted nature loves to get back to my little 500 square foot condo in a low bug zone. Somewhere along the way, I became a city woman who would much rather be playing video games or watching a movie than camp in the country.

So for me happiness is a place with amenities nearby. Pho restaurants, bookstores, dishwashers, concerts, a bustling market, museums, and art galleries. Now I just need the funds to enjoy everything that's available in Ottawa...

If I did have a garden, it would be full of edible things, but laid out in a pretty way. There might not be any grass, but a durable moss that looks like it and never needs cutting.

I don't know what the meaning of happiness is, but I think the first step on the path to getting there is knowing who you are. It's also important to realize that you will grow and change, so what makes you happy today might be different than what works for you tomorrow. This is part of what makes long term relationships so difficult. Many people fall in love with someone expecting them to never change. That's just not realistic.

Change can be scary, but the short term troubles that happen when you make a change are necessary to help build a foundation for a happy future.

So take a step.

Take another one.
Before you know it, you'll be on the path to happiness. Enjoy the little bumps along the way because they're part of the journey. It's important to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

Salut,

R~

2020 Vision

Mostly, I’ve been planning for the new year, but I discovered I know Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It was a recollection under the influence that brought this to light. I also discovered I still suck at drawing, but I’m okay with that. I used to think I had to be good at everything, and I’ve realized that’s just not so. Some friends and I recently hit up a local board game pub. It was a pretty fun night. The first game was Balderdash and I was terrible at it. Because I was the writer in the group, some of my friends thought I should be more embarrassed about it and hide the fact that I don’t spend all my free time learning advanced vocabulary. But I’m not upset about it. Why? Two reasons: 1. I now know what I don’t know. 2. If one takes a close look at the top selling novels on the market, the level of the language used is not the level of many of the words in Balderdash. Not that I’m comparing my own work to those, but audience is what matters in writing. To me, it is far better to e...

Fortifying Friday - Rejection

Yesterday, I received my first rejection from an agent. It stung. It wasn't that it was bad. It was worded in a way that it may have even been personally written. Regardless, rejection never feels good unless you were secretly hoping to stay home and do nothing when a friend made plans with you. Then it feels great! I might be an introvert ;) Anyway, it hurts a bit extra when you have other things going on. Between the worries of the state of the world and being unemployed, it felt much like being kicked while I was already down. The agent said she couldn't connect with my book though she really wanted to. She also said not to take her rejection as any kind of sign that I should give up. It was nice as far as rejections go. So, I lay there for a bit. Then I let my friends know via social media. Several said that I had hit a milestone and I should try to collect as many as possible this year. Rejections, they said, were a badge of honour awarded for putting myself out there. See...

Thoughtful Thursday - Dental Access

I haven't made use of it yet as I discovered it only this week, but there are free dental screenings in Ottawa for people who have a low income. I'm not sure what happens at these things, but I imagine they're rather like the once or twice yearly visits we had in grade school from the health unit where they checked our teeth. Anyway, I thought I'd mention that in case anyone is in need. There is a schedule with the locations listed and I'm guessing it's hard to get there early enough to get seen, but I'll check it out soon. I've been using dental products that are supposed to repair and whiten. I'm unsure they are working, but I figured they were worth a try. Also, I hear if you add activated charcoal to your toothbrush before the toothpaste, it helps whiten too. It makes a hell of a mess, but I tried it. I think it might take a while to whiten, but my teeth are definitely cleaner, so I think it really does help with plaque. Activated charcoal is als...

Rae Roy

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