Day 23

Today, I learned that happiness leads to more happiness. Karma, if you will. I woke up this morning with a bad feeling. It was raining, it was cold, I didn't feel good. Ugh, right? Well I tried my hardest to keep a cool head about everything, and by 9:30, I was in a wonderful mood. I stayed in this unusually great mood for quite a while, then my boyfriend surprised me with a record player (something I have been wanting for oh so long. Eep!)
What a good way to spend my day. Oh, and by the end of the day, the sun was shining so brightly that it felt like spring.

Day 22

Today, I learned that happy is the best thing to be in life. We aren't promised a perfect future, but the least we can do is be optimistic about it. Love with a pure heart. Don't be afraid. Take risks. Believe in the divinest of miracles. Never let a day go by that the Devil doesn't try to run you down. Laugh heartily. Be YOU.

I love my boyfriend, but lately I've been very ill towards him. It's hard to be nice all the time because I've become so comfortable around him. But I realized today that I need to stop worrying about only me. He has feelings, too, and he has a better heart than I. (I would've given up on me 22 months ago if I was him.)

Day 13

Although I know I am incredibly late, I still feel it is necessary to record my past thoughts...

On January 13, I turned eighteen. Ever since seventh grade, there has been no school on my birthday because of snow. To most kids, that's perfect, but I'd rather spend the day with friends. Well, to my non-surprise, the first snow of the year was on my birthday. I couldn't get out, and no one could get out to see me. I was so bummed out that I sat on the couch in my pajamas reading a depressing book. No  lie. I kept thinking (even though I knew it was pathetic to be wallowing in my own self pity on my eighteenth birthday) that no one cared enough to try to come see me. Then, wouldn't you know it, a big group of my friends came bombarding through my door with cookies, cake, presents, and chicken nuggets in hand. :) I was so incredibly ecstatic, and I felt so guilty and stupid for my previous thoughts.
After they left, my family and my boyfriend were going to go out to eat. But, to my surprise, we instead went to my grandmother's house for my SECOND surprise party! How blessed am I! I totally do not deserve the blessings I have been given . Especially after I had sulked all day long.
And THEN on the next school day, my English class had me a THIRD surprise party!
So, the moral of the story is that whenever you feel like no one loves you, look around. I know there will be plenty of warm hearts to welcome you in. :)

Day 11

Today, I learned that failing to live up to your expectations is severely disappointing, but life goes on. Failing is  a part of life. And, rest assured, whatever you've done will be forgotten sooner or later. It's probably for the best anyway.
Also, comparing yourself to another person is stressful and harsh. You are YOU. There is only one you, and you shouldn't strive to live up to anyone else's expectations; only do the best you can. There will always be someone who is better at a something than you are.
There is beauty in all things.

Day 8

Today, I realized how short life really is.

We humans live to be around 70, and if we pass 80, we've been here for a long time. But, put it into retrospect. The earth has been here for billions of years. So what is 70 years in the earth's eyes?
And to God, it's just the blink of an eye. One thousand years to us is a second to him (so it says in the Bible).
I guess my point for today would be to live your life in a way that will make you proud when you're on your death bed. Always do what you think is right, learn from your mistakes, and have fun! The gas that's in the hearse at this very moment could be the same gas that carries YOU to the grave site.

Day 5

Today, I learned to love, even more deeply than before, the innocence of a child. My brother and I had gone to the park, and I was sitting on a bench reading with my brother's soccer ball beside me. This little boy that was with his grandparents approached me and simply said, "Is that a ball ya got there?" I replied with a happy yes, and to that he said, "Wanna through it to me?" My heart immediately melted and we tossed the ball back and forth for quite a while. As the grandpa was reminding the boy of how to catch a ball, the grandma explained to me that Thomas, I believe, was an only child and never really got to play with other kids. This only made the smile on my face widen. I am very confident that he will go far in this big ole world. I'm very thankful for friendly people like Thomas.

Day 4

I know I'm late for Day 4, but this occurred to me last night, and I was too tired to put it into words. I cannot stand judgmental people. This especially irks me:

"Wow. You have been dating your girlfriend for two weeks and you're already IN LOVE?! haha. You don't know what love is until you're walking down the isle at your wedding."


Okay. Does anyone else see something wrong with this? Because I do.

Who has put a time limit on love? Did it take you a month to fall in love with your parents after you were born? Or three weeks to fall in love with God after you got saved? I don't think so. Granted that all the relationships in the world aren't "true love," no one holds the right to tell you how you feel. Am I right, people?

Also, the majority of the people who say this about young couples are describing their middle school self. For example, I have a friend. She has been all up on this business ever since it became the "raging talk" of Facebook.  I can recall at least 20 times  in our younger days when she swore she was in love, and the guy was perfect. 

As for myself, I did the same. I was always "in love" with a different boy every week who didn't know I existed. I would obsess over him. Literally. I've got tons of notebooks filled with "Olivia Rae (enter last name of current crush) (enter last name of another zit-faced boy) (enter ANOTHER last name of the "perfect" male)

Yes! That's what preteen girls DO! Believe it or not, I think we've all been in a situation of proclaiming our love prematurely. 

So my thought for the day -- Restrain from judging children; you were once in their spot. Also, don't put limits on love.

Day 3

Today, I learned some pretty impressive advice from a fictional character in a play that I thought I would hate. Polonius, in Shakespeare's Hamlet, gives his son advice before he leaves for France. Here is the original text:

"And these few precepts in thy memoryLook thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,Nor any unproportioned thought his act.Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar.Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel,But do not dull thy palm with entertainmentOf each new-hatched, unfledged comrade. BewareOf entrance to a quarrel, but being in,Bear ’t that th' opposèd may beware of thee.Give every man thy ear but few thy voice.Take each man’s censure but reserve thy judgment.Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,But not expressed in fancy—rich, not gaudy,For the apparel oft proclaims the man,And they in France of the best rank and stationAre of a most select and generous chief in that.Neither a borrower nor a lender be,For loan oft loses both itself and friend,And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.This above all: to thine own self be true,And it must follow, as the night the day,Thou canst not then be false to any man."

Now, I know what you're thinking. Too long, didn't read, right? Well, for those of you who are not English scholars (which I most certainly am not), here is the No Fear Shakespeare interpretation.

"And just try to remember a few rules of life. Don’t say what you’re thinking, and don’t be too quick to act on what you think. Be friendly to people but don’t overdo it. Once you’ve tested out your friends and found them trustworthy, hold onto them. But don’t waste your time shaking hands with every new guy you meet. Don’t be quick to pick a fight, but once you’re in one, hold your own. Listen to many people, but talk to few. Hear everyone’s opinion, but reserve your judgment. Spend all you can afford on clothes, but make sure they’re quality, not flashy, since clothes make the man—which is doubly true in France. Don’t borrow money and don’t lend it, since when you lend to a friend, you often lose the friendship as well as the money, and borrowing turns a person into a spendthrift. And, above all, be true to yourself. Then you won’t be false to anybody else."

Better, eh? I thought so. haha.
 My favorite part of this speech is the last few sentences. Be true to yourself, and, inevitably, everyone else will see the true you as well. That is my goal for this new year. To be the true me all of the time, and I challenge you to do the same.

Day 2

Today, I learned that there is nothing better than an unexpected trip to the store. My mother and I went to Walgreens for a calendar, of all things, and came out with Nutella, a bag of popcorn that was the size of a toddler, some silly shower gel, a toy pig, and a sore belly (caused by laughter, of course). Fellow shoppers looked at us like we needed some kind of professional help, but we didn't care. Mom and I were in our own silly little world. In that moment, there was nothing else I would rather have been doing. It made me see how lucky I am to have such a loving family. Oh, and did I mention that we didn't get the calendar?

Day 1

Today, (which is meant to be January 1st, I'm just late. haha) I learned to never overlook the small things. The touch of your lover's hand, for example. I was napping with my boyfriend today, whom you will hear a lot about, and I laid completely still and listened to the beat of his heart sing me to sleep. I felt his hand touching only one section of my skin. I listened to his breathing. Those are the simple things that I would have overlooked had I not been paying attention. And because of that, I have a memory, a picture of him forever embedded in my mind now.
Smiles. Smiles are one of the greatest gifts we are given. There are all different types of smiles. Fake ones, big ones, sarcastic ones, hidden ones, and genuine ones. Paying attention to someone's mouth really can have a big affect on a person. For instance, today at my church, a new Christian was getting baptized. I have been friends with this girl for around 4 years, but I have never seen her smile the way she did today. She looked so carefree and relieved.
So, all in all, my point for Day 1 would be to always appreciate the smallest things, to be observant, and watch the world with new eyes everyday.

First of all...

Hi. I'm Olivia, and I am completely new to blogging. I feel it is beyond important to learn new things each and every day. So starting January 1, 2012, I will be posting (hopefully) every day about an important lesson I have learned. My whole reason for doing this is to be able to look back and see how blessed I am. I hope it will help you realize all of the "everyday" events that we sometimes overlook are really helping to shape our lives.