Look Mom! No Pants!

1. Lazy Sunday afternoons are glorious.
2. Don't park in muddy parking spots.
3. Don't start homework at 10:30.
4. Be sunlight.

Yesterday was like living in a wonderland. I was surrounded by a few bouquets of flowers, the breeze was coming in through my window, I had a cup of cinnamon tea, my homework for today was done, and I spent the afternoon laying around and talking....not to mention the sun was shinning all day. And the best part? I didn't wear pants. No worries, I did wear a dress, but for the first time in many months, I haven't had the need to wear tights underneath them. It's a good day when I don't need to wear pants.

I couldn't feel sad yesterday - it was too much of a perfect day for me to be sad. It's not that a ton of fantastic things happened (it was a typical Sunday for me); what it was, I believe, is the sunlight and warmth. Sunlight instantly improves my mood, no matter what and especially because we hadn't had a warm/sunny day like that in a few months, it was a wonderful thing.

I have a friend from high school who nicknamed me "Nicole Rae of Sunshine." (My middle name is Rae.) When I asked her why she nicknamed me this, she said, "Because it's true." Now, I don't know if I totally agree with her, but since then, I have strived to live up to that nickname. Sunlight sheds light on nearly everything. Even if there is a shadow, a few hours later the sun is facing the other direction and suddenly you can see. If you open a door to a dark room, the room is flooded in warm light. As cheesy as it sounds, I want to be that. I want "light up a room" and improve the mood.

But sometimes light can be annoying and can burn. Have you met people who are a bit too full of sunlight? To the point of annoyance? To the point of burn out? There is a thin line we can cross between being happy and being too happy.

So today, although it may be raining, be the sunlight in the world. Find the good things in your life. I just got back from my psychology class, where we are studying happiness. There was a study done where participants were asked to write down 5 things they were grateful for each week. After 10 weeks of doing so, researchers saw an increase of happiness and life satisfaction. See, happy people naturally do happy things: they do acts of kindness, strive towards their goals, and they nurture relationships. Happiness builds and everyone around you can feel the effects of it. And the happier your friends are, the happier you are... it's a wonderful cycle.

Enjoy the sunlight - literal and figurative. Heck, be that light if you really want to. Let people sit in your light and be warmed (and maybe pants won't be necessary*).

Peace!

-Nicole




*Do not take this sexually. Refer to the first paragraph.