Carry-On Luggage

Hooked on Happiness

Sustaining Good Feelings During Our Everyday Lives

"I wanted...to pack [the good feelings] in my carry-on luggage..."

I am back from vacation and currently sitting in the Saxbys on Penn's campus. The break proved to be exactly what I needed in order to be refueled and revived. I am bursting with good feelings that are stemming from the wonderful trip that I was able to take with my Mom. As I left the Cayman Islands I found that I had gained more than just a kick ass tan. I was departing with new feelings- calm, relaxed, hopeful, contented, energized, and happy. I was enjoying these feelings so much; I was truly hooked. I wanted to be able to bottle them up (in a 3.4 oz container of course) and somehow manage to pack them in my carry-on luggage and bring them back to Philadelphia with me. Of course I knew that was an impossibility because feelings and emotions are not tangible items that we can put away and store for later.

Hooked on Happiness

But still, I am so hooked on happiness that I need to figure out a way to sustain these good feelings so that they are able to positive influence me and my everyday life. After experiencing something pleasant- vacations, a good date, receiving praise, a reunion with an old friend- we are left with good feelings and happiness. But so often we fear the end of the happy event because we are concerned that once it is over- the trips ends, you have your goodnight kiss, your friend says farewell- that good feelings will cease to exist as well. Seeking and enjoying pleasantries is important; but it is probably more important that we learn a means of sustaining the resulting good feelings. 

Not all pleasures will make us jump for joy-

"Tranquil pleasures last the longest; we are not fitted to bear the burden of great joys."

- Christian Nestell Bovee

I chose to include Bovee's quote because I feel that it provides an explanation for why these moments, which bring us such overwhelming delight, must end. We are not meant to be overjoyed in all instances of our lives. If every moment or experience was a "great joy" they would start to lost their worth and meaning. It is the fact that these "great joys" are scarce that makes them so special and pleasurable. Perhaps it is the ability to maintain the good feelings, which accompany these moments of elation that allow us to achieve the longer lasting "tranquil pleasures."The "great joys" get us hooked on happiness.

It is this love of happiness and joy that leads us to pursue means of sustaining good feelings even during the monotony of our everyday lives. Just because happy experiences or "great joys" end does not mean that the positive emotions that they induce need to be fleeting. We can manage to hold on to these feelings- contentment, peace, happiness, etc.- so that they play a role in our everyday lives and provide us with the less demanding "tranquil pleasures." Although I was unable to literally pack up my positive emotions, tucking them away in my carry-on luggage somewhere between my dirty socks and the souvenir candle I purchased for a friend, I do believe that I have managed to bring these good feelings with me back to Philadelphia and as a result am continuing to experience the "pleasure" of which Bovee speaks. 

Sustaining Good Feelings

So, the question is: How is that I managed to metaphorically pack up my intangible emotions? Truthfully, I am not sure that I can offer an honest answer to this question because bring these good feelings back with me was truly an unconscious act. All I know is that they are here with me now. But I worry that once school gets back in full swing that I will somehow lose them while walking from one class to another. 

"It was easy to...maintain my good feelings...on vacation."

It was easy to experience and maintain my good feelings while I was away on vacation. I had no obligations. My only duty was to wake up in the morning, head to the beach, soak up the sun, read for pleasure, and drink margaritas. So obviously there was no concern that my happiness would cease because there was no outside force threatening it. Now that I am home and have somehow managed to bring these pleasant feelings along with me I am terrified of losing them. 

How can I continue feeling good?

How can we manage to sustain good feelings during our everyday lives, despite the many elements that could interfere with our abilities to do so? I would like us to consider two quotes as means of grappling with this question and potentially finding an answer to it. 

"Only one thing has to change for us to know happiness in our lives: where we focus our attention."

- Greg Anderson

This quote seems fitting with respect to the way in which I have managed to sustain the good feelings I experienced during my vacation. Of course Anderson's words could accompany a plethora of themes and notions; they can be applied to other situations in which we find ourselves. However, the idea of "focus" and its connection to "happiness in our lives" struck me. This thought can be applied in two ways. First, we can utilize focus in our everyday lives, especially in a moment of sadness of anguish, by remembering the things from our previous experiences that brought us happiness. 

"...the sunshine...always [brought] a smile to my face."

For example, the sunshine and the beautiful beach in Grand Cayman filled me with joy, always bringing a smile to my face. If I can hold onto these images, and choose to focus on them in mundane or unpleasant times, then I can elicit the sense of happiness that they provided me with while I was on vacation. I may not be on the beach, soaking up the sun, but I still have the memories and distinct images of the sun and sand ingrained in my mind. I can't physically find them as walk the streets of Philadelphia, but they exist within my head. I can tap into these mental pictures, focus on them, and allow them to bring me happiness and good feelings wherever I am. The second way in which we can apply Anderson's "focus" theory actually works well in conjunction with the following quote-

"Some pursue happiness, others create it."

- Author Unknown

Anderson suggests that we redirect our "attention" in order to have "happiness in our lives." I want to assert that we "focus" on the elements of our pleasant experiences that brought about good feelings within us. I was able to find happiness in a number of sources while I was away. I found joy in being able to read for pleasure. I loved having the opportunity to spend time with my Mother without any stressors or distractions. I had fun sitting in the hotel lobby or on the beach playing endless rounds of 500 Rummy. I couldn't help but feel pleased each time I took my first sip of a frozen peach margarita. And it was nice to take the time to get dressed up and go out to dinner. 

"...endless round of 500 Rummy."

Now that I have given "focus" to, and in doing so recognized, the different things and activities that brought me happiness while I was away, I can work to recreate them in my everyday life now that I am home. I may not be able to magically create 80 degree weather and white beaches, but I definitely have the power to incorporate some of the other aspects of my vacation into my routine. 

I certainly can't recreate this-

This is where Anderson's idea of "focus" and the above quotes assertion about "creat[ing] [happiness] are able to work together. Redirecting the "focus" of my "attention" helped me to determine what is was about vacation that evoked good feelings within me. Now I am equipped to "create [happiness]" in my everyday life by integrating these practices from my vacation. 

"I can plan activities to do with my Mom..."

I can easily make time to pick up a book and read a little bit each day. I can plan activities to do with my Mom that allow us to escape the pressures of reality, even if only for a short period. And I can arrange to have nice dinners with friends and family that require us to get dolled up. It is so simple for me to recreate these elements of my vacation even though I am now back in Philadelphia; it is all about choosing to take the time and effort that's required to incorporate these little things into my everyday life. If we are able to identify actions that bring us joy and are feasible to include into our routines then we have the capability of literally creating happiness for ourselves. Just because the "great joy" has passed does not mean that you need to slip back into the frustrating monotony that defines so many of our lives. Once we become hooked on happiness we do have the power to feed our fix. 

False advertising! Happiness requires a will and a want-

We must redirect our "attention" in order to summon pleasant memories and consequently good feelings is merely one way that we can sustain good feelings. We can also make the decision to  identify and focus the elements of our pleasant experiences that brought us joy, and then proceed to actively recreate these factors, in order to achieve happiness in our everyday lives. 

We may not be able to pack up our good feelings, shoving them into the confines of our carry-on bags, but with the right tools, we have the power to sustain them during our everyday lives and conjure up happiness no matter where we go! It's ok to be hooked on happiness once you've discovered your capacity to achieve it everywhere and anywhere!

Let the good times roll,

xo

Hooked on a Feeling, B.J. Thomas

Lets work to sustain good feelings during our everday lives-

If You Wanna Be Happy, Jimmy Soul

We hold the key to our own happiness-

Here We Go Again

Getting Back in the Swing of Things

Acclimating to Our Usual Environment and Routine

Here We Go Again

I am officially back on campus and it feels as if I have never left. I don't feel as if I had a break at all. It seems that it has taken me almost no time at all to acclimate to my usual environment and routine. The campus feels as comfortable and familiar as it did when I left it in December. The classroom environment has not changed. The faces of the professors and the material may be different but other then that it all seems very much the same. I am maneuvering from class to class like a pro (now that I have been on campus for almost 2 years.) I am writing down assignments, attempting to adjust my class schedule, texting friends, and balancing my Trenta coffee and a cigarette in my mouth all at once. I have reclaimed my identity as Rachel, the coffee drinking, cigarette smoking, always organized and dedicated Penn student. I can't believe less than 6 hours ago I was snuggle up in my bed at home in the suburbs. Although it seems that I have acclimated rather quickly I still don't fully feel that I am in back in the swing of things. I am adjusting to life on campus, following my routine, and attempting to live up to my standards as a college student; but doing so is taking a great deal of effort on my part. There is a hint of, what I call, that "Here We Go Again" attitude. I give off the appearance that I am taking it all in stride. But, deep down, I am still exhausted, still struggling with the death of my friend, still fighting off illness, and still trying to recuperate after a very eventful and not so relaxing break. 

This semester feels like stale bread-

I don't feel the excitement and enthusiasm that I would like to feel as I approach the dawn of this new semester. It feels stale, old, and monotonous. Its lacks the freshness, energy, and openness that I associate with new beginnings; instead it exudes an air of here we go again...My post from yesterday, All Good Things Must End, offered and affirmation and discussed a level of determination required in order to get back in the swing of things in the hopes of completing tasks and pursuing our goals. I have managed to muster up this determination. I am here on campus. I am going to classes, reaching out to friends, and organizing my life in order to create a strong foundation for the Spring semester. But my determination is not met with an equal level of passion. As I said yesterday, desire is crucial element in building an unyielding determination. My desire to finish my undergraduate remains present and continues to push me forward. But, I want more than just a desire to complete the semester and ultimately graduate. I wish I wanted to be here. 

I'm ready to complete my college experience-

I wish I wanted to be learning, socializing, and participating on campus. It seems that sometime during the last few weeks or so I have lost my enthusiasm for being a college student and perhaps for life itself. I find life to be exhausting and somewhat daunting. I am 23 and I am still attempting to complete my undergraduate degree- When is it going to end? When will I be finished? When will I be able to enter the real world and embark upon my "real life"? 

I'm sick of the game; I want "real life" !

Mentally and emotionally I am ready to graduate now; however, my academic record says otherwise. It seems that I am bound to be a college student for at least 2 more semesters and it is up to me to figure out how to eliminate my here we go again attitude and replace it with some excitement and enthusiasm. I need to open my mind and my heart in order to discover a way to make these next few semesters fun, enlightening, and beneficial. We only are given one undergraduate experience; although mine has been atypical and extended it is still up to me to make the most of it and savor the opportunity. I am going to introduce an affirmation for us to consider in the hopes that it will help us to infuse our lives with some passion and fun-

I am constantly energized by life's possibilities.

New courses, professors, and possibilities !

This affirmation just popped out to me this afternoon. By approaching this semester with a here we go again attitude I have forgotten that this new semester offers a host of possibilities. Although a great deal of things- campus, friends, classes, workload, routine- feel the same as always I have to admit that they are not identical to last semester. I have already brought bags full of new decor for my apartment in order to give it a mini face lift. Yes, my friends are the same, but there is always the chance to meet new people and build upon the friendships that I already have. My classes and professors are completely different from last semester. I have the opportunity to be excited by new material and discover interests in topics that I have yet to study. And I have the chance to make connections with these professors who do not yet know me as a person or a student. So although a lot is the same, a lot is different as well; these differences create possibilities that can both energize as well as excite me. Rather than looking at this semester as yet another semester as a college student I need to look at as new, and with newness comes potential. 

I want genuine enthusiasm-

I am already feeling inspired by this affirmation. It has allowed me to open my eyes and see what makes this semester unlike previous semesters. It has enabled me to realize opportunities for creating and strengthening relationships. It has helped me recognize that there is still a great deal of information out there for me to learn, grasp, and absorb. New classes open doors for new interests and passions. Perhaps my Communications class will introduce a concept I have yet to encounter. My more advanced French course will certainly strengthen my aptitude for speaking and understanding the language. And my schedule is not yet finalized; I may end up in a class that is completely unlike anything I have ever taken before. 

Getting back in the swing of things implies a certain energy (the verb "swing" seems to express a level of enthusiasm or an energetic vibe.) I don't simply want to become acclimated to my environment and routine; I want to metaphorically swing along. I want to bop from class to class, task to task, and friend to friend with a level of unbounded energy and happiness. I want to be passionate about returning to my usual environment and routine. Let us abandon our here we go again attitudes; efface it from your mind and memory. We may returning to our usual environments and routines but that doesn't mean they are the same as when we left them. Instead of looking at our return to the usual as typical and predictable, let us look at the possibilities that come with starting again. It doesn't matter what you are returning to- work, campus, home, school, office- every domain possess a level of novelty and potential. Sometimes we spend so much time focusing on the elements that are the same that we fail to recognize aspects that are different and open the door to possibility. Maybe there is a new employee at your office who you could begin a friendship with. Perhaps you are getting a new roommate at school. You could organize your folders and assignments in a new way in order to incorporate variation into your life. You could add something new to your routine- plan to meet a friend for lunch every Wednesday, start following a new television show, begin journaling, write your own blog! If a new possibility isn't handed to you upon your return take it upon yourself to create one. Just thinking about new possibilities and the potential that this fresh beginning holds can help energize and excite you. Don't just acclimate to your usual environment and routine; get into the swing of things! 

Think about the potential and infinite opportunities that could await you as return to your everyday life. It may seem the same as it was before. It may look and feel identical to how you left it. But, it is not; it is different. Approach this return to school, work, or home with an openness; be willing to see changes and potential. If we allow ourselves to recognize the possibilities that exist within our lives than we are able to become energetic, enthused, passionate, and excited. Let us acclimate to our usual environments and routines while also noticing possibilities to invoke or embrace change. Lets throw a way our here we go again attitudes and add a swing to our steps!

Look for the possibilities and passion will follow,
xo

Get Back in the Swing of Things

Swing, Swing, The All-American Rejects

Holiday Aftermath

Post Christmas Recovery

Recoup, Relax, Restore

Holiday Aftermath

So Christmas is now behind us, leaving us with all the anxiety, stress, and emotional fall-out of the holiday aftermath. It is time to return all the gifts that we are unhappy with. Deal with extra pounds we have put on during our merry making. It's hard to get through Christmas and endless family gatherings without a decent amount of alcohol; and who can resist the allure of holiday cookies and warm pie? It is officially time for post Christmas recovery. I, for one, spent the majority of yesterday sleeping and nursing my hangover that had built up over the course of four days. It was a necessary day of recuperating and relaxing after some raucous holiday parties. 

Recoup and Relax

Now that I am back in action (sitting at my usual Starbucks and no longer wearing pajamas) it is time for me to restore. When I say restore I mean it a number of ways- mentally, physically, and emotionally. It is time for me to return to my usual mental state because although it is vacation I still I have a number of responsibilities to fulfill. (I need to finally work on transferring my credits from GW to Penn, I must complete my major declaration form so that I can officially declare my Communications major, and I have an abroad application to complete in the hopes of studying in France this summer.) It is time for me to pay some much needed attention to these tasks so that I am able to return to school in January without them lingering. Additionally I would like to restore myself physically. 

"Nursing my hangover..."

After days of indulging I am not feeling like myself. It may be in my head but I seem to be experiencing the customary post Christmas bloat and I don't like it all. My jeans feel a bit snug. My face seems to be just a little bit rounder. And my stomach is descending slightly more than I remember. Not to mention that my body is confused by all the alcohol and high calorie goodies I have been consuming. My chest feels tight, my stomach is in knots- nausea, heartburn, indigestion- and my hands are slightly swollen. It is crucial that I resume to my normal eating patterns in order to restore my physicality, returning to my physical norm (for both comfort and vanity's sake.) I allowed myself to indulge and enjoy over the holiday but it is not a lifestyle I can or intend to keep up. If I continue to indulge I will certainly find myself in panic mode at the end of the break. (I am already in a semi-state of crisis as I reflect on everything I have eaten- pie, cookies, candy, wine, bacon, banana bread, hearty dinners- over the past week or so.) 

Christmas food coma-

But, I suppose it wouldn't be a true Christmas without allowing ourselves some extra treats that we wouldn't typically eat. However, this physical discomfort and concern is feeding into my emotional well-being. As a girl with an eating disorder it goes without saying that food and presumed bodily changes play games with my mind. I am hoping that restoring my physical self will help in the restoration of my emotions. But food regrets and body image woes are not the only elements that are hindering my emotional normalcy. There is a level of emotional fall-out and sadness that comes with the end of the holiday. I have been looking forward to Christmas for months now. It is has been that shining reward that kept me going during hard times; it pushed me to fight in the face challenges and struggles. The holiday filled me with cheer in the weeks leading up to it. The music, the decor, the energy- the elements of Christmas made me smile and warmed my heart. 

"Post Christmas bloat..."

The holiday aftermath lacks all of these joyful aspects and I am feeling a bit lost. What is next? What do I have to look forward to now? What is going to help me get through the difficult moments? Of course New Years is right around the corner; but New Years doesn't have the same special place in my heart as Christmas. Post Christmas recovery involves multiple things: recuperating (after days of drinking, eating, and celebrating), relaxing (once the festivities are over, the pressure has released, and we have time to settle down and take it easy), restoring (physically, mentally, and emotionally), and finding a motivator, a new sparkling reward that encourages us to move forward and overcome the challenging struggles that life throws our way. 

Post Christmas

We have a lot to do in the aftermath of the holiday and not all of it is so much fun. But lets not let ourselves get the post Christmas blues- don't lose the good cheer that Christmas brings by focusing on the regrets that come with overindulging during the holidays. Lets remember Christmas for all the wonder and magic that it creates within us and try to keep this spirit in the holiday aftermath and into the upcoming new year.

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

- Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

As I have said in this post, and many other Christmas related posts, the holiday season is somewhat magical. It brings families together. It allows us to feel the excitement and pleasure that we felt as children. It is a time of merry making, traditions, kindness, warmth, and love. As the season comes to a close we tend to forget the beauty and magic that Christmas is able to bring and instill in all of us. We move on with our lives and neglect to engage in the kindness, warmth, and love that we felt and shared during Christmas time. While we recoup, relax, and restore during our post holiday recovery lets also add one more element to our list- remember. 

Remember during your Post Christmas Recovery-

I know I have already mentioned so many things that we must do while we manage the aftermath of the holiday season. I am sorry if I have overwhelmed you with one more task. But I think that is important that we try to remember the feelings and energy we had leading up to Christmas and during our holiday celebrations. Remember the positives- excitement, joy, enthusiasm, generosity, kindness, energy, love- that collectively create an insoluble holiday spirit. Remember this spirit and try to hold onto it. With this spirit we can enjoy the pleasures associated with Christmas all year round. I am not one for New Years resolutions. (Rather than inspiring me to make positive changes in the upcoming year they tend to add pressure to my already stressful life. I can't focus on a single goal that is meant to encompass my deepest wants. I can't imagine a single desire that could extend over the length of an entire year.) 

"...warm spirit of Christmas..."

But this year I can think of an appropriate and worth while resolution that is deserving of a year of focus. This New Years Eve I plan to make a pledge to keep the warm spirit of Christmas in my heart every day of the year. I want to feel the excitement, energy, and joy that comes with Christmas on even the most of ordinary of days. I hope to share kindness, generosity, and love with others on days that hold no special meaning. This year I plan to keep "Christmas in my heart" all year round; it will serve to benefit both me as well as all those that I come in contact with.

"Many years ago I resolved never to bother with New Year's resolutions, and I've stuck with it ever since."

- Dave Beard

Usually I am like Beard; a cynic who resolved to forget the practice of creating resolutions for the upcoming year. I still understand the logic behind. Creating a resolution can be daunting. How are we supposed to form a statement for the upcoming year that is reflective of all we wish to achieve? How can we be sure that this desire will last us the whole year long? 

Just looking at this list makes me exhausted !

What if we find that as the year goes by the resolution no longer seems important or relevant to us? As daunting as creating the resolution can be, thinking about fulfilling it can be all the more stressful. What if we are unable to achieve this goal within the year? Resolutions can add undue pressure; we are setting ourselves up to attempt to achieve one large goal that is supposedly indicative of our greatest aspirations. 

Some resolutions are just infeasible-

What if we fail? Have we failed as humans? Sometimes we need more than a year in order to make our dreams a reality. Certain resolutions are simply infeasible. However, this year I would like to challenge Beard and all of this notions and questions that I have expressed. I believe that I have come up with a resolution that will remain relevant to me for the full length of the year. Ultimately my goal to remember, to maintain my Christmas spirit, to feel and emit positivity can be summed up in a single word: happiness. My resolution is one that requires no deadline. I can live up to this goal every day, all year long, and continue to strive for it in years to come. Perhaps instead of referring to it as a New Year's resolution I should regard as a resolution for life instead-

I don't know but I intend to pursue it !

I resolve to feel happiness and spread it to everyone I meet now and for years to come.

This sounds like an everlasting and feasible resolution to me. In fact, I have already been working toward it without even knowing it via this blog. My resolution has been deep within me for months now; I just failed to recognize or label it as such. In the holiday aftermath let us focus on our post Christmas recovery: recoup, relax, restore, and remember. Let us fully recover from this past Christmas and prepare ourselves for the excitement of the upcoming New Year. Let us not by cynics, like Beard, and instead formulate resolutions that seem everlasting and manageable. I urge you to fondly remember and look back upon this Christmas. While you reflect attempt to hold onto some of the positives- merriment, excitement, love- that blessed you during this festive season. Just because the holiday is over does not mean you must lose all the joys that it brought. 

Santa may have lost his hat but don't lose your spirit !

We can maintain our Christmas spirit all year round; engage in its beauty and spread its magic even on the most typical days. 

Don't let the holiday aftermath bring you down. Instead, let us look at is as an opportunity to recover and better ourselves. During this recovery period we can return to equilibrium (mentally, physically, emotionally); but we can also choose to make a change in the way we live our lives. Sustain your holiday spirit in the pursuit of a happy new year and infinite happiness in the years to come.

Best of luck in your post Christmas recovery,

xo

For those of us still holding on to Christmas, let us remember that is traditionally 12 days-

12 Days of Christmas

Shall We Begin a New Year's Countdown?

5 Days Til 2013

If we intend to create resolutions this year lets work on making them feasible-

Feeling Triumphant

The Sweet Smell of Success

Continue to Pursue Your Goals

After a long and brutal semester I have finally finished and I am feeling triumphant! This past September, as the Fall semester began, I felt concerned; I doubted my abilities to see it to the end. My initial goal was to complete the semester without having to take medical leave. As the semester progressed and the end drew near my goal shifted. I no longer wanted to merely finish the semester. I wanted to go out with a bang, ending it with the same commitment, fortitude, and and dedication that I showed throughout the course of the semester. Today I can sit here and say with confidence that I have achieved my goal and success smells sweet. These past few months were filled with intense challenges- weight loss, stressful doctor appointments, some symptom use, social issues, depression, mental breakdowns- but I never stopped pursuing my goal. 

Don't let obstacles get in your way-

"Obstacles are those frightful things you seen when you take your eyes off your goal."

- Henry Ford

We all experiences struggles and obstacles in our life. We can recognize and feel strife regarding them. Upset in the face of challenge is warranted. But we cannot allow them to act as barriers or stop us from continuing on in pursuit of our dreams. I know my life would probably be easier if I didn't suffer from anorexia. My struggles would be fewer and perhaps less debilitating. But, I can honestly say that my struggles makes my achievements feel exponentially more rewarding. I know what I have had to overcome and how hard I have had to fight in order to achieve my goal. I had to put in the hard academic work that all students face but I had to manage more than just classes and assignments. I am a full time student but I am also a full time anorexic who is working to live and find happiness in my life. 

Fighting for happiness every day !

Both roles require time, effort, and energy. Sometimes it is overwhelming attempting to manage both. My anorexic thoughts permeate my mind when I am trying to finish an assignment or focus in class. My school work adds stress that leads me to resort to symptom use or strengthens my depressive thoughts. But ultimately I found the balance. Finishing the semester marks numerous achievements for me. I achieved my goal as a student who wants to move forward and graduate. I fought my numerous struggles and beat them, revealing my strength and capabilities to myself. Completing this semester fulfilled my goal as an anorexic who longs for a life, a sense of normalcy, and happiness. I showed myself and my family that I can take care of myself and succeed in my endeavors despite the disease and associated challenges that plague me every day. The amount of success I have achieved in fulfilling this single goal is astronomical; it bolsters my feeling of triumph. I could not stop smiling to myself last night after I submitted my final assignment. I am reveling in my freedom and enjoying the sweet smell of success. 

Success smells sweeter than homemade cupcakes !

I am excited, amazed, shocked, and unbelievably happy all at once. Over the past week or so I have been expressing that Christmas and the holiday would be all that more rewarding if we committed ourselves to our last few tasks and completed them diligently and to the best of our abilities. I am here today to tell you that this notion is correct. As much as I wanted to slack off or give up as the semester came to a close I never did. I did not let my commitment waver. I produced finished products that reflect my level of intelligence as well as my abilities and dedication as a student. Knowing that I put forth my best effort is allowing me to sit back now and relax. I am proud of the work I turned in and I am not overly concerned about the grades I will receive. I know I did the best I possibly could. I worked feverishly until the very end. The break that I now have the pleasure to enjoy is all that more rewarding because I know I never gave up. The common phrase "Anything worth doing is worth doing well" holds true. There is no point in dedicating any amount of time to a given task if you don't intend to complete it to the best of your ability. You ultimately do a disservice to yourself by producing work that doesn't accurately reflect your capabilities as a student, teacher, employee, parent, or person in general. If you still have work ahead of you then try and trust these sentiments that I have shared with you. Complete your obligations with all the energy and strength that you have left. This feeling of triumph and the sweet smell of success is well worth the hours I spent toiling over my final assignments.

"Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it."

- Author Unknown

I chose this quote because it focuses on the process rather than the finished product. I don't know what grades I have earned this semester but I can still relish in the sweet smell of success because I know what I had to do and what I had to give up in order to get to this point. The process was far from easy and I feel all that more successful for knowing that I was able to get through it. I gave up sleep, time with friends, moments of relaxation, family gatherings, the ability to act on eating disordered urges, cuddling with Milly, and perhaps even a bit of my sanity in pursuit of my goals. Sometimes our goals demand that we give up on some things in order to attain the final prize: success. Although I missed out or was unable to do certain things over this past semester I do not regret it for a moment. Nothing- a day of restricting, a night out, a holiday brunch with my family, a good night's rest- is better than this triumphant feeling that I am currently experiencing. I urge you to continue working and fighting, no matter what it takes, until the very end so that you are able share this amazing feeling with me. While I just completed a large personal goal this feeling motivates me to continue setting and pursuing goals in the future. Nothing beats accomplishing a goal and experiencing that sweet smell of success!

Continue fighting, working, and pursuing your goals,

xo

I think success is sweet !

7 Days Til Christmas

Hark! The Herald Angels Sings, from the animated film A Charlie Brown Christmas 

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)