the secret of real happiness

we as humans strive to know what real happiness is and how to achieve it. so where do we go to find out how to live fulfilling and joyful lives?

magazines, Oprah, dietary books and articles; yoga classes, spin classes; lengthy and elaborate vacations to wonderful places that celebrities like going to.

these are not bad things. Oprah probably has a lot of good things to say about feeling good about yourself. it's a good thing to be healthy and exercise; even better to be confident about how you look in your favorite pair of jeans. the world is a wonderful place to explore and i myself want to travel as much as i can to other countries.

but every person is different. every single individual on this earth has different talents, likes, dislikes, and destinies. some things that make one person happy won't work for another person. what saddens me is seeing so many beautiful--absolutely beautiful women--who are naturally curvy because they were created that way and they feel like they have to look like sticks to be happy because diet and exercise works for some celebrity that's starving herself. what saddens me is seeing people who try to squeeze out extra money from their budgets and refuse to eat things they enjoy every once in a while, give in, and then feel bad because it didn't work. what saddens me is seeing numerous people who work miserable desk jobs because they pay more, when they'd rather be doctors, firefighters, designers, photographers, musicians and the like. what saddens me is seeing a culture of americans who strive to be acceptable to the media's standards, and when they can't reach those standards they get depressed and wonder why they're alive. in my opinion, which i assume you want to know since you're reading this blog, happiness is so simple. and anybody can find a balance of a fulfilling  and joyful life by sticking with simple pleasures.

my ideal day off [if that will happen any time soon] would be a day at the beach with my music, a thermos of coffee, and a book. i'm most happy when i'm doing things i genuinely enjoy. i love my job as a hostess in a restaurant, i love taking classes at the college, i love sitting in the sun next to the river by myself sometimes. my life is crazy busy most of the time, don't get me wrong--i barely have time to go to the bathroom sometimes [true story] or eat [truer story]. but i've learned to love my life because of the fact that i am really LIVING my life. if i don't take time to step back and appreciate people i have, alone times, tea, coffee, and mexican food, beautiful weather, crazy teachers and helpful mentors, i get stressed. i snap. but that action of taking half an hour--just half an hour--to do something simple i enjoy until my next day off. . .that saves me a lot of sanity. yes, i take time to work out, i take time to enjoy people's company, i would like to take time to travel, i take time to look feminine and stylish; i live in this society also. sometimes i don't like my job, like right now cuz i haven't worked in about 2 months. sometimes i don't like people. sometimes i can't travel. sometimes i don't want tea, coffee, or music. life isn't perfect. but if it isn't going to be perfect, then that means i get the opportunity to find wonderful things i usually overlook. in my opinion, which this blog obviously revolves around, the secret to happiness is in simplicity. because let's face it, life is probably not simple for all of us. if your life is simple, then you'll do great when robots take over your job. but as for me, i must find enjoyment in simplicity. and i love. . .simplicity.