Have Courage & Be Kind

Everyone and their dog likes Disney. Be it Disney Land, Disney movies, Disney coloring books, Disney themed parties...you name it, if you can slap the Disney logo on it, it becomes a hot commodity. And because we live in a world of controversy, everyone has an opinion of sorts on the oh-so-famous Disney Princesses.

Whether you think they're too amazing, too unrealistic, too feminist, too girly, too whatever it may be, you've got an opinion on the princesses, too. I've heard that Disney Princesses teach girls that they have to wait around for men to come and save them, to find their shoes, to wake them up, to be the knight in shining armor that catches them when they fall (both from towering heights and in love). I've also heard that Disney Princesses teach girls to be bold, chase their dreams, and work hard for what they wish for.

I think that the last Disney Princess movie, the live-action Cinderella, really hit the nail on the head with lessons to be learned. The lesson of all lessons! This movie made you believe you could be just like Cinderella; kinder than kind and brave in all the right ways. Of course, this attitude didn't come without hard work and constant devotion to fulfilling her parent's wishes.

Cinderella's mother spoke some of the most inspired words I've ever heard, urging her daughter to simply, "Have courage, and be kind."

Truly, isn't that what all Disney Princesses try to teach us? Courage and kindness, when combined, are two of the most unstoppable powers in the world. You don't have to save China, kiss frogs in the bayou, or hang out with seven shorties in the woods to have a story worth telling.

The princesses I see today are the women who take time out of their schedules to be a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on, a silent angel serving with everything she's got. True princesses refuse to speak ill of others, and are willing to bravely do what is right, even when its out of the ordinary. They live by the saying, "Just because it's what's done doesn't mean it's what should be done."

Ariel looked out for others. Tiana was accepting of everyone, no matter who they were. Snow White was nurturing and giving. Belle helped others realize their goodness. Cinderella was kind and had courage. I could go on and on, but I'm sure you know what your favorite princess did to be courageous and kind.

Everyone can be a Disney Princess (that's right guys, even you) if they simply act with courage and kindness. Sometimes it takes courage to be kind, and other times it takes kindness to bring about acts of courage. But all of the time, it's worth it to have courage and be kind.

The 3 W's of Daily Success

Finding the motivation to be productive can sometimes be difficult. We usually need a mantra to get us out of bed in the morning, and a good mantra always has awesome alliteration! Please enjoy our Three W's of Daily Success!

Wake Up

The first step to any successful day is to actually start the day. Yes, mornings are hard sometimes, but if you can pry yourself out from under the covers, you can literally accomplish anything. Be it eating a good breakfast, getting a head start on the days work, or just having more time to devote to Netflix marathons, waking up in the morning should be the first thing on your to-do list (and it's the easiest thing to cross off of a to-do list!).

Work Out

Being lazy is easy, and since when has anything easy ended up being a successful endeavor? (I've never experienced that, but if you have, please tell me.) Keeping up on your fitness can boost your energy levels, make you feel better about yourself, and you will definitely notice a difference in your attitude. You don't have to work out every day, but a few times a week sounds pretty doable, right? And if you really can't find time in your week, just try taking the stairs instead of riding the elevator! Anything to get your heart a'beating.

Work Hard

So now you're awake and full of energy...what to do now? Resist the urge to hop back in bed or lounge around for the rest of the day! Put your new-found energy into your family, school, work, friends, anything! Everything good in the world came from hard work, and it's your turn to add to the good. You will feel the satisfaction of a productive day, and that feeling is a lot better than the one you get after realizing you just spent eight hours watching music videos on YouTube.

Do you have a mantra that fuels your drive to be productive? Let us know in the comments! We'd love to try out your ideas!

Subway Lovin'

 Today's post comes from a guest blogger, one of our resident Happy People, Melissa! We hope you enjoy her happy story!

Yesterday at work, I was just swiping some cards at the cashier station at Subway, smiling and thinking about how wonderful and funny life is. When ALL OF A SUDDEN a customer turned to me and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you have a beautiful smile?"

I was kind of taken aback. I replied, "Uh...Yea...maybe once or twice."

 To which he then replied, "Well you should keep smiling!"

 I think I'm going to smile forever now.

Thank you random, kind citizen! How I love you! And how I love that your words made my day 100% better.


There is such power in the words we use! I have a great friend who tells me "Whenever I think of a compliment for someone, I have to say it! I just can't hold it back!" Let's all choose positivity and kindness. And in this process of giving and receiving kind words-- it'll do the heart some good--makes us feel a little bit happier! It's like a drop in the bucket of happiness.

This is my challenge for all y'all reading this blog-- compliment a stranger today. Don't hold it back. Even if you feel weird. I'm grateful that my Subway friend didn't!
Are you gonna do it?
I'm being serious.
Do it.
 Please.
It's kind of addicting actually.




-Melissa

My iPhone is My Best Friend

Are you and your smart phone attached at the hip? (Hopefully with one of those stylish phone holsters, circa 1992).

Image courtesy of the talented McKenzie Benson!

The relationship between a phone and it's person is quite a unique one, and it's something the world has never seen before! We can't go anywhere without our phone, and no, we most certainly won't turn it off when someone asks (we're looking at you, flight attendants everywhere).

Smart phones are great! They connect us to information from all over the world in seconds, let us talk to our friends at the drop of a hat, and can defeat boredom with a game of Trivia Crack or a few thousand pins on Pinterest.

However...we should probably start to question our maybe-too-close relationship with our phones. We found three potentially fatal relationship red flags and came up with a few ways to correct them!

The Phantom Vibrate

Bzzzzzz. Ok, you know you felt it buzz this time. Alas, as you check the screen for the 17th time in the past half hour, the screen is blank and no new messages have actually arrived. Weird.

You've gotten to a step in your relationship with your phone that you practically are willing it to alert you of information. We cannot urge you to take a step back fast enough! The constant wonder if you got a notification will drive you to insanity soon enough, but how do you combat that? Try turning the vibrate OFF. That's right, all the way off. You'll be amazed as the stress slowly seeps away.

The Panic Attack

When someone asks to borrow your phone, do you cautiously allow them the honor, and then proceed to hover like a new mother over her new born child? You should stop that, because it's weird, annoying, and down right psychotic. While that may be a slight exaggeration, it's still rooted in truth!

Practice being away from your phone for a few minutes at at time. Give your phone to a friend to hold in their purse or pocket, and check out the world around you! So many amazing things are going on outside of the screen.

The "I'm Just Checking the Time!"

This is self explanatory. No one needs to know what time it is every two-and-a-half minutes. Buy a watch, and give your phone some much needed vacation time. (It'll help you save battery power, too!)

Let us know how reeling back on your relationship with your phone effects your relationships with the people around you!

Brown Rice: The Staff of Life

Brown Rice makes Kevin healthy AND happy! It's amazing to see what happens when we change up our diet just a little bit. Switching out your breakfast PopTart for a healthier apple, bowl of oatmeal, or basically anything but that sugar coated cookie trap could completely change your day for the better. Stick with those healthy choices, add some color to your plate, and we promise you'll notice a change!

Kevin: "I just really love brown rice..."

(Thanks to Coak Productions and Melissa Andelin for filming and directing this video!)

Runners Will Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

It is absolutely no secret that an active lifestyle leads to a happy lifestyle. We could pull up the scientific studies, show you a mountain of facts, and guilt trip you into joining a running group if we really wanted to.

But we don't, so we won't. Why?

Because the Zombie Apocalypse is leaps and bounds more important than the science behind the endorphins you get when you go for a good run (or do any form of physical activity).  It also provides better motivation to get in shape!  Zombies don't run very fast, or so we're told, so you don't even have to be particularly good at running to survive when the zombies start trying to eat your brains. But keep in mind that other people are training for survival just the same as you. Arianna, one of our Happy People, let us in on her secret for running.

"I try to stay active so that when the apocalypse happens...I'll be able to out run people."

In the event of a Zombie Apocalypse, we are assuming that the remaining survivors will eventually suffer from some form of depression. Just because the world is full of rotting corpses whose sole focus is to feast on your flesh doesn't mean you don't need to devote some time to yourself and your personal happiness! Stick it to the man, and find joy in the journey...that journey being through the rubble of your fallen town as you sprint towards safety, of course.

Melissa, another one of our Happy People, told us what she thinks about when she's practicing for the Zombie Apocalypse.

"Normally I think about how much I don't wanna die.  Or sometimes I think about how I'm gonna have a super hawt body. And that I'm on top of the world. And if I'm upset, I run faster until I've conquered that demon!"

Preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse doesn't just mean running! If running isn't quite your style, you could practice biking away from zombies, jumping over injured zombies, swimming to safety - basically any activity can be turned into a survival skill!

Good luck, and we will see you on the other side.

I'm Not Asleep, But That Doesn't Mean I'm Awake!

No matter how much we resist it, sleep is necessary for a happy life.

But, oh, how we love to resist it!  There are a lot of far more important things to do in life than sleep...like binge watching your favorite show on Netflix or staying up until 3 AM texting that super attractive guy or girl you met in line at Jamba Juice. Oh, and throw in the occasional all-nighter before an exam, and you've got the perfect recipe for a not-so-happy day!

Sometimes, it's worth it to throw in the towel before midnight. A wise woman once said, "The hours before midnight give you the best sleep!" (That wise woman was my mother, mom's know everything.)

Turning in early is difficult though, and our group of college student participants definitely learned that this past month. But despite the difficulty, there were fantastic benefits found in getting a few extra snoozing hours at night!

We asked a few students if getting enough sleep made them noticably happier, and here is what they had to say:

"Yes, of course! Because then I don't have to take naps on my half hour lunch break, haha! I have a clearer head and feel more ready to take on the day." -Marissa

"Getting enough sleep does make me happier. Although most of the time I'm happier when I can sleep until at least 9 AM. Having to wake up any earlier than that makes me hate the world..." -Derek

"If I could get more sleep, I would be 5% happier right now." -Adam

"Enough sleep is like happiness on steroids. Without it, it's weak sauce happiness." -Melissa


Keeping ourselves healthy by maintaining a (semi) regular sleep schedule has definitely proven to make us happier! Do you have any night-time rituals that make it easier for you to hit the hay at a decent hour? Let us know in the comments, we'd love to try out your ideas!