Politicians Just Want to Help

I've been working on the Obama campaign for about a month now. It has been one of the most interesting experiences I've ever had! Most of the times when I go into the campaign office, there is such a high level of excitement and hope. The people who work there, myself included, are so sure that President Obama is going to continue to help the people of the United States!

I don't, however, like all parts of the campaign. Some of it is so negative! The campaign ads are infuriating. I can't believe that the Obama campaign put one out earlier this week about Big Bird! The fact that he is spending campaign money on Romney's silly comment instead of telling us what he is going to do to continue to work with the American people is very frustrating to me.

Getting frustrated at the same time you believe so strongly in something makes only one thing look like the solution: getting involved! I don't have a degree in political science or anything related to economics or anything, but I would really like to get more involved in local issues because I would like to help people get what they need and help make the world a better place, and what better place to start than your own community?

Thinking about why I want to get more involved in politics made me think about the reasons the politicians we already have got involved in politics in the first place. Every congressman, congresswoman, judge, president, governor, etc. that I can think of has told us that they got involved because they wanted to help people and lead our communities in the "correct" direction. While we don't all agree on which direction is the "correct" direction, we're all in this for the same reason: to help people. Seeing the campaign ads that tell us what a horrible person the "other guy" in the race is, is incredibly sad to me because if you look at the other person for who they are, he or she is in this for the same reason you are.

Take today to appreciate the people around you for who they are, even if they don't agree with you, especially if they don't agree with you! I have people in my own family and inner circle of friends who are die-hard conservatives. I don't agree with most of their views, but I understand why they have them and why they think those views are valid. There is no reason that I should tell them they're wrong or they should tell me that I'm wrong in my own views. We all have our own views on a bunch of different issues, but at the end of the day, we can all unite in the fact that we want the best for ourselves and our children.

Have a great weekend!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

5 Ways to Feel Good in 5 Seconds

In accordance with what has turned into "Feel-Good Friday" I thought it would be nice to have a short and sweet post about ways you can make yourself feel good in only 5 seconds! 5 seconds doesn't sound like a lot of time, but if you think about it, 5 seconds is a decent amount of time to get all of these things done if you commit to it wholly for the full time. I mean, we're all busy; even those "Get Abs in 20 Minutes a Day" things seem like they take too much time. So take 5 seconds! These are not methods that I have researched or have necessarily been scientifically proven; they're just things I do when I want to turn my day around and feel happy!

Don't know who did the original,
but I absolutely love this!

1. Smile at yourself. This one can have a huge effect on you. If you live alone or you don't see the person you live with in the morning, starting off with a smile from yourself is actually a great way to greet the day! Think about a silly joke, make a funny face, or remember a time when you laughed really hard. Make sure those eyes crinkle at the corners! Smiling with just your mouth doesn't do it.
Caveat: While looking in the mirror, do not focus on what you don't like about what you see. That will just make you stay sad or grumpy.

http://www.letsmove.gov

2. Get moving! Now, if you take 5 seconds to get off the couch, you can't count that as the 5 seconds of moving! Once standing, run to the other end of the room you're in and back. Or do 9 jumping jacks in 5 seconds. Or drop to the ground, do a push-up (a real one; no knee push-ups!), and then jump up as high as you can (don't do this one if you have low-blood pressure, because you might pass out). Do something that wakes you up quickly--then go do your regular gym routine that takes longer than 5 seconds. :)

So cute!

3. Tell yourself you're great. We don't have cheerleaders to get our confidence up, 5 seconds are definitely enough time to give yourself a decent pep talk. Tell yourself why you like yourself and mean it! Feel that confidence boost and take it with you for the rest of the day!

funnyjunk.com

4. Take your vitamins! Half the time research says vitamins are good for you, half the time they're supposedly bad for you. All I'm saying is that when I take mine, I feel better than when I don't take them. And it takes literally 5 seconds. Well, unless you get the giant horse pill kind...those take longer to swallow. ;)

My kittens!

5. Feel love. There are three options for this one. Choose whichever one is right for you.

• For the people in love with someone else: Feel it and embrace it!!! You know exactly what I mean about love making you feel good.
• For the people who don't believe in love with other people and now think this post is ridiculous since I brought up love: Remember the feeling you got when you fell in love with something, whether it be your job, your hobby, your cat, your favorite TV show, anything! Feel that excitement and joy and contentment.
• For the people who feel like they should be in love because they used to be, but aren't anymore (this can pertain to a person or a thing or a situation): Why did you fall in love the first time? Let that feeling completely envelop you. Maybe you'll get that little spark back! :) Take it with you!

I hope all of you have a great weekend! Thank you for making this week such a great one for me! This blog and all of the feedback I get makes me feel great because I know you guys are reading it and it helps some people. :) I really appreciate it! Writing it takes a little longer than 5 seconds, but it still makes me feel good!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

5 Ways to Take Time for Yourself!

This morning I woke up to see 1520 views of ChickOpinion! Wow! I never thought I would get this many views in only three weeks! Thank you for making this fantastic opportunity a success! :)

I am going to take a day off of talking about the news today. I feel like it gets too negative and I don't want to start my weekend (or yours!) off like that!

The beautiful, cold autumn sky outside.

It's another gorgeous sunrise this morning! I am going to take today for myself (well, part of it!). I've gotten a little bit off track in terms of keeping tabs on my health over the last couple weeks because I've gotten busier. A lot of people have the misconception that taking time for yourself means blowing off responsibilities in other parts of your life. I think that only happens rarely--like if you don't routinely take time for yourself and then decide to take a whole day or a whole week for yourself. That can be damaging to your own psyche, your family, and your job because shirking your duties will really just end up making you feel guilty. You will end up making the false association between taking time for yourself and feeling guilty for taking time for yourself.

Here are five things I love doing to take time for myself that don't have to take a lot of time (but can take a lot of time if you want them to!):

• Yoga. I know some guys might think this a "girl thing" because girls are usually more flexible than guys. Well, I'm going to say it's for everyone. Breathing and focusing inward during yoga is so powerful and I definitely think men can benefit from it, too.
• Reading. Now I am well aware that not everyone loves reading. But I do! :) Sue Grafton is a huge favorite of mine for books (just finished B is for Burglar!) and for short stories I adore Guy de Maupassant.
• Cooking. This one is kind of funny, because it can be for someone else, but it relaxes me because it's just me in the kitchen and I get to do whatever I want. :) I don't know yet what I'll cook tonight, but I'm excited to have that time for myself.
• Pampering! This is not just for girls!!! If you look good, you have the potential to feel a lot better about yourself! So yesterday I decided to get my eyebrows waxed for the first time. For those of you who haven't seen me, I have brows reminiscent of those of Brooke Shields. :-/ So. I finally went for it! I love the result, but here's a tip: if you are allergic to aloe, tell them ahead of time. Ow! My eyebrow area was all puffy for a couple of hours after the wax because of the "soothing" stuff they put on afterward. Hopefully next time I decide to try the pampering thing it will go a little better! :)
• Create Something. This is something I really love doing. I know that it might sound all artsy-craftsy, but you know, everyone has different ways of creating! This blog, for example, is huge for me. I love it, because every day I get to create this thing that is part of me! I am definitely into the arts and crafts thing, too, tho--I'm making kitty toys this weekend for our little guys and starting on my wedding dress, so there are tons of different things to do! Try to find something that you like doing that is all you and create!

I know everyone has crazy schedules and I'm not trying to be "holier-than-thou" about all this. It's extremely important to take even 10 minutes for you every day. So today, take some time for yourself! Rebuild who you want to be, who you know you are, and get back on track!

Have a great weekend! I'm going to start posting on weekends just to see how it goes, so please keep up with the blog during your football-filled first weekend of Fall!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Gratitude: Taking Time to Be Thankful

Wow! Yesterday there were 111 views of this blog! That makes me so excited! Thank you so much for all the support. I'm blown away by the sheer volume of people who have read it!

Today it is a beautiful day, so I thought it would be nice to write a post that reflects the sunshine!

Gratitude is something that is very important to me. It goes from a simple "thank you" when someone helps you out to feeling a sense of overwhelming love and thankfulness for someone or something in your life. Lately I have felt incredibly lucky and grateful for all the amazing things going on in my life, so I just wanted to share; not to brag or gloat, but in hope that it can make you aware of a person or a situation in your own life for which you can consciously be grateful today.

• My fiancé is the most wonderful person I know. He always puts our relationship and me ahead of everything else in his life. He goes to work every day so we can have financial stability and I can worry less about not having a secure job. He loves his job and prides himself on the work he puts into it. He says that making me smile is his favorite thing to do. He is an absolutely brilliant man and I am so lucky to have him in my life forever.
• My family is amazing! Even though I've moved, my parents and sister are still on the phone whenever I call. I know I can always count on them (all of them, not just the ones in Louisville!) to be there for me, and I see myself as lucky that I can be there for them, too.
• We have two fantastic kittens! They make me laugh every day and I love watching them grow.
• I get to look outside every day and see trees and grass. This might seem like a small thing, but getting to exist with nature and do yoga outside is so wonderful. 
• I have the luxury of having the time and equipment to exercise every day. I never thought I would live somewhere that has its own pool, gym, and tennis, basketball, racquetball, and volleyball courts! So many people don't get to exercise because of their work schedules or having nowhere to go, and it is amazing that I get to do this every day.
• We live in a country where I can write this blog and not worry about being arrested for it. I can say anything about politics or religion or anything else and I am not censored by the government. This is a privilege we have that is so amazing. I know to us it seems normal and an inalienable right that everyone should have (agreed), but take a minute and think about what our lives would be like if we didn't have it. Now think about the people in the countries who don't have it. 
• I have a life in which my main worries do not include having enough food every day, whether I will have a roof over my head tomorrow night or not, soldiers coming in during the night and killing my family and me, or having fresh drinking water for both the children and the adults in my community. So thankful for all of that, and so mindful of the people who do not have it.

So now I have two challenges for you. 

1) Think about something in your life that you are grateful for and let the feeling it gives you swallow you up. Feel every part of yourself being grateful for that thing or situation or person. Let it fill you and then carry it with you through today. 

2) Use that feeling to treat the people you interact with today with kindness and understanding. Allow yourself to feel grateful for them and then communicate that with them. Tell them how they make your life better, give them a compliment, tell them a joke; however you share your gratitude with someone, do that. Then assess how you feel. You might be surprised.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi