What Makes You Happy?

Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. - Benjamin Disraeli

Or to Charles Schwartz, a warm puppy.

So while experiencing my current state of happiness, I have been questioning what is different about my life now, than 2-month ago? A couple month ago I wouldn't have conceded to being happy. I pretended pretty well. I had a great job, good friends, and supportive family, what could make a girl happier? But for some reason, when things reach a certain level of stability, I get restless. I can't help it, honestly, no control. Consistency, routine, all the things that are suppose to make you feel as though you have achieved something...get under my skin and make me feel stagnant.

So what makes me happy? Change. I thrive under change, even though it scares me. I had a friend, Thomas, tell me earlier today change was "just a matter of breaking through your fears." I feel as though much of what we don't do is because of the fear of not knowing the outcome, but isn't that half the fun?

Ever since then, I have embraced that change is what makes me happy. I have been more committed to being myself in other ways too. I say things that don't necessarily pass through "the filter," attend functions where I don't know anyone, and reach out to people I might have been too afraid to continue a relationship with. I guess you could say I am doing my own little social experiment on myself, and so far I love the outcome.

We'll see how it goes ;)

Might be cliche, but what have you done before that scared you? Did it come out how you planned, better?

Trumpets!

You might be wondering what I meant by "Trumpets!" and thought I might try to explain the joke...so here it goes.

First, I'll let you in on my train of thought. Have been wondering lately why some videos catch on and become sensations and why some wallow in YouTube purgatory. One of my favorite videos is Charlie Bit Me and show it to all friends who have not seen it as much as possible...until I run out of friends. The video on has been seen 57,255,789 TIMES and has 87,455 comments!! I mean, when you break it down the video is of a little kid getting bit by his brother. It certainly happened when I was little, and I'm not famous. Did the parent's know their children were going to be seen by 57 million people, I'm thinking probably not.

So, companies have been trying to break the YouTube code by creating corky videos to promote their product. Wario did a cool thing here, and it worked for them increasing their views by 500%. And the Cadbury Gorilla is still considered one of the most successful YouTube campaigns to date. So what makes a video a success or a flop? Uniqueness is essential, but the hardest to balance. Going too far to one side can mean millions or zero views. By tapping into something people are already familiar with (YouTube or Gorilla) and playing around with people's perceptions (shaking it up or making it play drums) make people look twice, and share it with their friends. It might not hurt to add a little Phil Collin's music ;)

I would mention the ones that flopped, but I haven't seen them.

Finally!!! Here is the video that inspired the joke...let me know what you think :)



Success, flop, funny...???

I know...it has been FOREVER!

I'm sorry, this has been a long time coming. Life has gotten crazy, but luckily in a really good way. In the last couple months I have been diving into the crazy web of social media and loving it. The first real pull towards the medium was while attending BlogWorld in Vegas in September. The people at the conference were amazing, and found was more intrigued by the side conversations than sessions, although those were great too. Check out my 5 minutes of fame (look about 14 years-old, but rolling with it):



While there I was lucky enough to make friends with James Whatley from London, Matt Singley from LA, and Mark Burstiner from NYC. These guys really made my time there a lot of fun, definitely best Vegas experience yet, plus great new friends. Each of them work within the social media space and have intriguing projects on the horizon. Trumpets!

I feel that once good things start happening it is a domino effect. Through James and twitter I learned about an project called Someone Once Told Me. The project takes photographs of people with sayings that have either been influential in their life or just memorable. People are starting to submit pictures from around the world, and I was the first Bostonian! My saying was from my little, feisty Nana who told me the saying below just before I flew to Thailand for 2-months. She was amazing and I think she would laugh if she saw this picture today. So, here it is:
On a more personal note, have official ended all communication with Mr.J, which I think is the best decision I have ever made in my life. So freeing!! Taking control of my life and finding it is OK to be myself is a pretty awesome change...and things are looking up because of it. That is my deep thought for the moment :p

Ok, promise to be more regular with posting.

I'm Gonna Miss Him

The story of my relationship with my brother has always been...short. Growing up with a mere two year age gap (he's older) one might think that we would have been closer. But instead we seemed to co-exist between fights over the TV remote and occasional games of catch in the front yard. When he went off to college, I felt indifferent to the emptiness of the house. To be honest I almost felt relieved that the one person I could never live up to was gone.

I never visited him in college, he rarely came back home, phone calls were infrequent and too formal for someone you are related to. I thought thats how things are, that is how they will always be. In my late teens I came to terms with the fact that I would never be that close to the brother that I idolized through childhood, we would merely be...related.

However, everything changed when he moved to Boston after graduating from college. I was in my sophomore year and he came on as assistant coach of our varsity college ski team. I was unsure how to feel. Would it be awkward? Everyone kept asking me if I was excited, I didn't know what to say.

But it seems as though age does close the gap. My brother began to talk to me as more of an equal instead of his little sister. He invited me to parties at his house and talked to me about something other than skiing or how school was. One of the most painful incidents, me making the MASSIVE mistake of kissing one of his roommates, ultimately made our relationship stronger. I found out how much he cared and he figured out I was no longer the little girl that made him listen to Spice Girls in the car.

Since then we have been more involved in each others lives. I even met Mr.J (an acquaintance, so I knew I was safe) at my brother's New Years eve party. We call each other "just to talk" and talk about what is actually going on in each others lives, no skipping the good stuff. I NEVER thought that the day would come.

But now he is leaving *tear* for the Netherlands to work at The Hague, cause of course he is super smart and interested in helping others, we have the same genes. But for the first time, I am going to really miss him.

What I am currently coveting

I can't help it, I really can't. I have even bookmarked where it is currently sold on-line and I occasionally click there just to look at it. The scary thing is, I can't even afford it at sale price!

The silk blend jacket (yes, probably totally unpractical) is Marc by Marc Jacobs and on sale is over $200. I grew up in a household where we scoured the sales racks for $5 t-shirts and never bought jeans more fashionable than the Gap. Spending $200 on a jacket, that cannot be used for skiing, was NEVER an option. There is still a bit of that budget girl inside of me and splurging on a jacket, even one as beautiful as this, pains me a little bit.

I am hoping in the next few weeks it goes on sale a little more and I can convince myself to GO FOR IT!

Is Carrie Bradshaw our modern day Cinderella?

I have been thinking this for a while now. As a Sex and the City fanatic I often download the show to watch on my ipod while I work out. Well I started working out more, so ipso facto I started watching more Sex and the City. My final conclusion, Carrie Bradshaw is our modern day, feisty, well dressed Cinderella. 

First of all, she has an apartment most columnists can only dream of. Secondly, she seems to have a fair godmother that pays off her exuberant credit card bills (I have looked at the tags of Manolos, they are not on a single girls list of things to buy daily...). Finally, she believes in happiness ever after with a man that is an ass to her 85% of the time. I mean, why do people even want Big and Carrie to get together? He repeatedly breaks her heart, marries another woman, has an affair with her and breaking up the only good relationship she ever had (obviously HUGE Aidan fan), and constantly disrupts her life. Carrie's "happily ever after" gives single girls everywhere hope that the jerk they are dating is going to one day (ten years from the day they met!) will turn around and say "you were the one all along, I love you!" 

A relationship myth. 

But isn't that what we all need to keep believing that "the one" is out there. Here is to hoping he is, but if not I have plenty of dreams to keep me busy ; )

Image: BrideBeurzen

To Commit or Not to Commit

Over the last few weeks I have been on a roller coaster of emotions when it comes to dating. First I thought I was dating a really nice guy, but that didn't turn out so well....

Then there is the permanent roller coaster of my relationship with my Ex, Mr.J, who keeps stopping in and out of my life.

So as a result I have been begged to question my own thoughts on relationships. Am I ready for something serious? I seem to surround myself with relationships I know will not work out because I am afraid of having one that does. I don't think there is a direct reason for this other than the future completely FREAKS ME OUT!

Lets get it all out there, I am not a planner. If I know what I am going to have for dinner before noon I consider it a good day. If I have a plan for the weekend on Wednesday, that is a great weekend. I make last minute plans, cancel last minute, and my worst fear is HAVING to show up somewhere at a certain time and not having a way out. I always have a getaway plan. Are you starting to see a theme here?

So why would I change up the game when it comes to relationships? I constantly am getting involved with men that are like me, making plans last minute and don't always feel committed even when they do make plans. So why am I surprised at the end of the day that I can't find someone who is stable?

It is not that I have a huge amount of trouble getting men interested (is that too cocky??), but I am usually uninterested. I talked to a guy in a bar last weekend who told me he wanted his children to be financially secure...what? I am 24! I don't have a boyfriend! I am wondering if I can afford a Marc Jacobs bag, not college. But that is just me, and good things come to those who wait.

Right?