Philosophy on Happiness

Fall 2010 Quarter is finally over.  I took my last final on Wednesday.  I don't think it went very well, but we'll have to see.  I'm nervous for my final grades.  haha

Anyway, I wanted to share something I learned in Philosophy class.  For the last 5 weeks of class, we discussed the existence of God, the Problem of Evil, and the act of submitting to accept everything that happens in your life and looking on the brighter side of things or why there is no reason we should be upset over anything horrible that happens in our life.  In other words, it's like a lesson on how to bring happiness into our lives.  I know it sounds good, but I have to say, some of these things are depressing.  haha.  BUT the last day of lecture ended with a happy note.

All the philosophers have a different definition of "happiness" and how to achieve it.  BUT the one thing that they all agree on is that:

FRIENDSHIP is good and helps to provide security and happiness.

Every historical philosopher find friendship the most important thing to live a happy life.

I can't say that I don't agree.  :)

THANK YOU!

It's a gloomy, cold, and foggy day.  I believe it's going to be raining all weekend as well.  Anyway, it's especially days like these that I always find myself pondering upon certain things about my life and what not.  But instead of talking about those things, I would like to do something a little different.
As you are all aware, Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  So I thought to myself, why not make a blog of giving thanks.  Besides, despite of all the tough times, there's always something good to be thankful for.  :)

First of all, as some of you may be aware, the year 2010 hasn't been very dandy for me.  You know how they say that "life is like a roller coaster"?  Well, this year for me was the craziest roller coaster I have ever been on.  Lots of ups and downs and loop-dee-loops.  haha.  I went through a lot of emotional and mental struggles.  However, I am glad to say that the roller coaster has settled down a bit, and I write this blog today to give thanks to those who were by my side on this crazy roller coaster ride with me.  :)

Well, who are these people?

First and foremost, GOD.
Thank You, Lord, for giving me a life, a loving family, and caring friends.  Without them, I don't know what I would do or who I'd be.  In some ways, I feel that they help shape the person that I am.  I guess, You can say that they help keep me sane.  haha.  Thank You for keeping my family and friends safe from harm and for helping them through their struggles, like I've always ask You to, and I pray that You continue to do so.  Lastly, thank You for being a good listener and for being a best friend.  :)

Secondly, my Digbyholic family.
It has been two years, since I've joined this fan club.  Up to this day, it's still amazing to think about how we've all come together from being complete strangers to really close friends.  I am so thankful to have these people in my life.  We live so far apart from each other, but someway or somehow, they are always there for me and they always know what to say to make me smile and laugh, even during my toughest times.
With that said, THANK YOU to every single one of you.  You all are truly like brothers and sisters to me.  Thank you for always being there for me.  I truly appreciate all the tweets and messages that some of you send me to cheer me up.  Thank you for being good listeners.  Without you all, I don't know how I would have survived this year.  Thank you for all the love, smiles, and laughter.  Cheers to more years and memories spent together!  I love you all!  :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!  :)

xo, J :)

SECRET

I have this secret.  And I have been thinking about it for the past few months now.  It's so secret that I can't even tell my closest friends, whom I've been trusting these past few months about other things, but maybe I should...I don't know.  hehe.  ;)  Anyway, the reason why I'm having a hard time saying it is because I feel embarrassed about it and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings or blame it on anybody.  So I thought about it to myself one day, and said, "You know, what?  The only person who can overcome this problem is YOU."  So.....

November 3, 2010, "the girl who never talks" takes a small step out of her comfort zone.  Write that down.  haha.  Let's just hope she has the power to keep moving forward.  :)

  

Unexplainable Laughter

Yesterday, I let out the longest and loudest laughter I've had in forever. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I really laughed like that. You know, like the laughter you have with your best friends. Although, thinking about it now, I was laughing at something that wasn't even that funny. I mean, I was literally roflmao. lol

But anyway, that's not what I'm trying to explain here.

What I'm trying to say is...

I really miss that feeling.

(Can you tell that I thought about this all day?)

Enough to Make Me Smile

Today, was one of those days. You know, when you wake up in the morning and you feel like crap. To top it off, I had 2 midterms to do. The first one, I was totally late for because I got stuck in traffic on the way to school. I think I did alright on my tests, but I also can't help but to feel a little disappointed in myself because I don't feel like I'm giving much effort into my classes this quarter. *sigh* I have 5 weeks left with these classes that I'm taking now, and I'm going to TRY to do good. TRY. :)
Anyway, my day turned around. I was walking to the library and this old man was passing out free pocket sized Bibles. He saw me. We exchanged smiles and he asked, "Would you like a free Bible?" I was going to not get one and keep walking, but I turned around and got one anyway. When I did that he said with a smile on his face, "Oh! Thank you! God bless you! Have a good day!"

And THAT ladies and gents, a simple smile and a simple greeting from a stranger, was enough to make me smile. :)

And then of course, I went in the library and started looking through the Bible and that just made my day even better. lol :)

Yeah. That's it. :D

xo, J

P.S. I like to blast my iPod and dance around the house at night when every one is sleeping. :P

Sing words of optimism, not words of despair. - Note to self.

"A friend is acting out of character. Let them know you're there to listen and help." - My horoscope for today. It's crazy how my horoscope is right sometimes. It freaks me out actually. lol. Anyway...


Today, I just want to share a little something with you all about what I've learned this year. I saw a lot of unhappy faces on Twitter and it made me sad too. haha. So I hope this helps somehow. :)


I have a friend who wrote a letter for me. It was a surprise letter I received from her at the end of my Confirmation Retreat at church. I like to read it whenever I think I'm going to lose myself. haha. Well, one of the things she said was this:

"We all have our depression problems, but we overcome them by God, family, and the right friends."

And she's damn right.


2010 has not been the prettiest since the turn of the new year for me. 2010 has been a crazy roller coaster ride, emotionally and mentally, and I can't wait to get off of it. Luckily, I found friends who care and who I can trust. ;) And to be honest, I think if it weren't for them, then I would have probably gone insane already. haha. <3 ;)


But anyway, one thing I've learned this year is to keep a positive attitude, regardless of how much of a horrible wreck I am in the inside. Yup, I'm a horrible wreck, BUT whatever is bothering me doesn't stop me from smiling and laughing. I mean, for me, I find that one of the best ways to spread a little positivity or a little happiness is to spread smiles and laughter. I know it sounds corny and cheesy, but that's the way I see it. 
But I also know that in the most complicated times, it's hard to keep a positive attitude and it's hard to put on a smile.  I've been there and done that. And I know that sometimes I put those depressing statuses on Twitter, but after rereading them, I hate myself for putting so much negativity, not only to myself, but also to my friends.


So what I'm trying to say is to do just that...spread the smiles and laughter, okay? :)


This morning, I was listening to LIGHTS and her song "Face Up" started playing. I can't believe I forgot about this song and it's message. Anyway, if any of you don't know, it goes something like this:

"The sun is always gonna rise up, you need to get up, gotta keep your head up...Look at the people all around you, the way you're feeling, everybody goes through."

Everybody goes through life with challenges along the way. Some people are probably getting it worse than you are and those people still have a positive attitude in life. I mean, when I see people like that, it's like a slap on my face telling me to stop frowning and keep smiling because here I am sulking about the littlest thing and there they are down in their miserable lives, yet they're still smiling and laughing and enjoying life. My heart goes out to those people and I bow down to them.


Another thing I've learned is that life is too short to be wasted upon negativity. Go out. Enjoy and appreciate the world around you, including those who love and care for you. :)


Who said life was going to be easy? Keep your head up high, my friends. There's still a lot to see and a lot to experience. Things will turn around, eventually. Just gotta stay strong. 


I'll be here for you, and you be here for me. Deal? ;)


Love, J


P.S. I love you. <3 :)

She loves the rain.

There was a girl who hated many things. One of them were rainy days. She hated rainy days, especially in the mornings. One can probably agree with her on that, right? 

But one rainy day, after a long and stressful day, she closed her eyes and listened intently to the sound of the raindrops upon her rooftop. She listened until, unconsciously, she fell into a deep slumber and somehow found herself in a land where anything was possible. 

She couldn't feel any happier in this wondrous place, where she discovered that she can do things like fly up into the stars or sit upon the clouds to watch the city lights glow. "How is this possible?" she asked herself. But nonetheless, she didn't care too much about her question because she was enjoying herself. She was so overjoyed that it felt real. And maybe it was real. Pure happiness, as she described her feeling. She never thought she'd find it. She never thought she'd ever honestly feel it. She felt amazing.

Then sadly, to her disappointment, she opened her eyes to the sound of the buzz from her alarm. "Oh, it was just a dream," she said. It's another typical day for her. She looked out the window. Another rainy day. "Perfect," she said.  
BUT she said this with a smile on her face.

WHY? Has she changed her feelings towards rainy days? 

Indeed, she has changed her feelings because she couldn't wait for the end of the day when she'd get to go back to that place where anything was possible.
"I guess rain isn't always so bad. I kind of love the rain," she told herself, smiling.

She loves the rain.

Goodnight. 
xo, J

P.S. I'm not sure about you, but for me, the power of dreams are wonderful sometimes aren't they? ;)

FRIENDSHIP

Wrote this a while ago, but here it is again. :)

One day, my 12 year old cousin asked me, "How many friends do you have on Facebook?"At that time, I had about 165, and I had Facebook for a longer time than him, of course.  Then he tells me that he had 176 friends and he says, "I have more friends than you.  Why?  How did that happen?"

I didn't answer.  I had something in my heart that I was dying to say, but I just looked at him and smiled because I knew that even if I told him, he wouldn't understand.  He doesn't think like the way I(we) do yet.  In other words, he's not quite matured yet.  lol.  And his English isn't quite perfect yet.  hehe.

Anyway, what I wanted to say to him and what I am trying to say right now, is that...

Friendship is not a popularity contest, or about who has the most friends, but rather, it's about the few you have close to your heart.  <3  :)

Awww...CHEEEEESE!! 

xo, J

P.S.  I hope to be one of the friends close to your heart.  lol jk jk :P

Hate Mondays

It's funny, isn't it?  The whole world hates Mondays so much that it became a trending topic on Twitter.  There's one thing that the world has in common.  

Anywho, I am here today to talk about how my Monday wasn't so bad.  

Today, I woke up saying, "Ugh, it's Monday."  What made it even worse getting up in the morning was the gloomy weather outside.  Don't get me wrong though, I love gloomy days once in a while, but it was a Monday, so I wanted to be lazy and stay in bed.  :P  

Then finally, I don't know what gotten into me, but when I got to school, my whole mood changed.  As I started walking to class, every person that came my way, I gave them a smile.  lol.  It was awkward exchanging smiles with strangers, but then again, it was nice because it just brought this happy and upbeat vibe for the rest of the day.  :)

But that's not all that happened.  More "good" things happened.  And what I mean by "good" is that my professors for American Government and Kinesiology announced that they will not be holding classes on Wednesday and Thursday.  Woot!  lol.

And that's not all! 

Now, I'm sitting here in the dark on the couch in the living room, wearing my pajamas, writing this blog, and listening to Clara Chung's new album, "The Art in My Heart," that came in the mail today!!  :D

Well, that was my Monday.  How was your Monday?  I think Mondays should be like this more often.  hehe.  :)

"You put a smile on my heart."  <3 :)

CONFESSION

This is one of my favorite embarrassing confessions.  I felt that my little "Hello" blog was a little on the downside, so here is something funny for all of you, or at least, I think it's hilarious.
One Sunday, my family was running late for church, which is typical for most Filipinos, am I not right?  But anyway, that is not what this is about.
So carrying on, I was in the church parking lot walking swiftly in between cars and fixing my hair.  Suddenly, by accident, my right arm hit the side mirror of someone's old SUV and it fell off!!  
My reaction?  
I panicked and tried to stick it back on with the duck tape, which was the only thing supporting it onto the old SUV, but it wouldn't stick anymore, so I just left it hanging there.  LOL
I walked into the church feeling horrible that I broke someone's car and my dad was laughing at me.
*sigh*  Yeah, I never got to say that I am sorry, which is why I still feel horrible about it.  
But it is funny!  It still makes me laugh at myself when I think about it.

Dear Reader

Dear reader,

Let me start by introducing myself.  My full first name is Jaymie-Alyson, but you can simply call me, Jaymie.  I'm 19 years old, born at a military base in the same city I am still currently living in.  Yes, I've been living in the same city since the day I was born.  This place is home for me.  I don't care what other people say about it.  I'm full Filipino, but born here in the United States, aka I'm Filipino-American and I'm very proud of it.  

As the "About Me" section says, I am a very shy girl, but I tend to really open up in my writing; at least, my English teachers think so.  Also, as the title of my blog page says, "I'm the girl who never talks."  Now, where did I get that from?  Well, I got it from my many years in school and being around my peers.  It seems to be one of the only ways people remember me or the way people would introduce me to others.  So that's a big part of who I am, I guess.  I know that it's not great to be this shy, at least that's what I've been told by so many people in my life.  I've experienced terrible things for being this way, which not many people know about and I don't know if I want to post that story here. But anyway, this is why for so many years now, I TRY not to be shy.  It's an everyday challenge for me.  It's tough, but this is who I am and this is how I've been since I was a little girl, especially around other people.

Now, the reason why I decided to join this blog site was because I wanted a place where I can just write my thoughts and feelings down.  I wanted a place where people can get to know me more than just "the girl who never talks."  I wanted a place where I just want to be "heard."  I have another blog site called Tumblr, which I love, but it's hard to get feedback on there, which is really what I look for when I write blogs, especially when they're very personal.  So I ask you a favor as my reader, to comment or "talk" to me.  And let me just tell you, don't be afraid to criticize me.  The more you open up with me, the more I'll open up with you.  It works the same way in person.

Lastly and most importantly, I am here to be your friend.  I know this is the internet, and it's not 100% safe to get to know people on the web, but I've met a group of people who are now considered some of my closest and lifelong friends.  Just a little advice, don't be creepy with me, okay?  *toink*

With all of that said, I hope you enjoy my writing and take the time to get to know me well, my friend.

As Sara Bareilles' sings, "Inside is not a heart, but a kaleidoscope..."

Love, 

Jaymie