If something is difficult laugh about it!

I saw this clip of a comedian named Drew Lynch who has a stutter due to a throat injury he sustained in an accident. It's funny to me how so many comedians took to comedy after going through some difficulty or other. The idea shows me how important it can be to laugh and how people can find a lot of strength and comfort in happiness. I hope everyone can grow to laugh in the face of difficulties. Life just seems better that way.

Go ahead, be afraid!

"Everything we do in life is based on fear, especially love." Mel Brooks
Read more at: http://mobile.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/melbrooks382745.html

Things I took from this quote: 1- it's good to be afraid sometimes ( as long as it's a motivational rather than paralyzing fear) and 2-because this blog is written with much love, I guess it means I now have and officially terrifying blog and I'm proud of it!

Never lose hope!

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." -Helen Keller
Read more at: http://mobile.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/helenkelle164579.html

If you're reading this I hope you always have hope and that you believe in yourself and your abilities. If nothing else, know that there's always something worth chasing! To end this random post,  I send you much love and best wishes now and always!

What the world needs is love

I saw this clip of a song that Broadway stars did to pay tribute to the victims of the recent mass shooting in Florida. I liked it best because the world does need more love in it. Indeed, I seek to add a little more love into this world with this blog in the hope that it will spread.

I don't always know where I'm going but I do get where I need to go in the end

If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Lewis Carroll
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/lewiscarro165865.html

I have never had a good sense of geography (as many people well know) it gets to the point where I still sometimes have to use a GPS to find my way home and I factor in at least 10 minutes of "getting lost time" in my estimations of how long it'll take me to get plaeces. However, one thing I always know is that I will get to where I need to go, because I'm determined to do so. Besides, the fact that I get lost frequently means that I see more of the world and even if it is frightening, maybe it's good to be frightened sometimes. However, I feel less afraid knowing that I will find my way home because I always do and to me, home is the best place to be. 

Help Maggie and her friend Nick Raise Money To Go to the ADAPT Youth Summit

Nothing makes me happier than helping people and I'm especially passionate about doing things to advocate for people with disabilities. To help myself to become an even better advocate for people with disabilities, I applied to participate in the ADAPT Youth Summit along with my friend Nick Holzthum and we were both accepted. The ADAPT Youth Summit  will be held in Rochester, NY from August 5-9th. The event is meant to help young adults with disabilities hone skills they need to advocate for others with disabilities. It gives participants the opportunity to learn from seasoned disability rights experts, strategies and methods of advocating for this cause. (ADAPT itself is a nationwide organization comprised of state chapters of disability advocates.) As part of Massachusetts' chapter of ADAPT (MassADAPT) Nick and I have participated in ADAPT's national action in DC by demonstrating to promote the Disability Integration Act that will help people with disabilities live in their communities rather than in nursing homes. We are both very passionate about disability rights and Nick and I see the Summit as an additional opportunity to share with other participants what we've learned thus far in our advocacy efforts.

In order to go to the Summit, Nick and I need to raise money for our  combined transportation costs to and from Rochester. We are hoping to raise $800 to pay for both our plane tickets. Any money that we raise in excess of our travel needs will go as a donation to MassADAPT. If you're reading this, we need your help! Help us get to the ADAPT Youth Summit! Help us raise money for MassADAPT! Every little bit counts and we will be extremely grateful for your support!

If you wish to donate to help us get to the summit follow this link: https://www.gofundme.com/2b4ze8gs

The family that sings together!

I saw this clip of a family singing group and it really made me smile. I like seeing children sing and dance. It's fun to watch and this family of performers is really good! To me there message is when in doubt, sing and dance!

There is a gene for happiness!

Apparently there is a gene for happiness and according the Ellen DeGeneres some of the key things that cause happiness are:

• Having a B-positive blood type.
• An act of kindness (or simply witnessing an act of kindness.)
• Stating at least 3 things you're grateful for.
• Pictures of cute animals
• Pictures of cute people.
• Pictures of cute people holding animals. 

To see Ellen's explanations of these things, watch this clip.

A fun Selfie

Apparently it's International Selfie Day. (I don't know who comes up with these holidays but anyway...) as it's International Selfie Day I thought I'd share one of my favorite selfie. It was taken with some of my coworkers and we had a lot of fun making the picture! I love my coworkers!

A cheerful Starman

I heard this song today called "Starman" and it seemed cheerful to me for some reason.  I especially like part of the lyrics which state "let all the children boogie" It reminded me of how my sister and I used to practice and do impromptu dance recitals for our parents. I kind of wish we'd filmed those recitals, not for the dancing (which I'd rather forget),  but for the fun time we had doing the recitals. Nevertheless, they will stick in my memory because I like remembering good times so when I need to I can pull out the memories and feel good inside.  To end, I think kids should have many happy memories and most of all, lots of reasons to dance!

My Dad is awesome

You know you have an awesome Dad when:

• He's willing to dress up like the San Francisco Chicken for your 5th birthday and is further willing to be chased around by a bunch of 5-year-olds during the event.
• He takes you on rides in an old British sports cars as fast (and as safely) as possible, just for fun.
• He teaches you to try new things (even if it means not letting you leave the dinner table until you try that new food. Now I try most anything, as long as it doesn't smell terrible and as long as it's not peas!)
• He laughs at your jokes, even if they really are terrible. 
• He always works to make sure you and your siblings and your mom want for nothing. 
• He's a good listener and helps you work through problems you have, even when it means he has to present a view you don't like.  It does help get the problem solved. 
• He comes to all the sports games, theater performances, dance recitals, etc that you and your siblings have throughout childhood.
• He teaches you to respect yourself and other people. 
• Even though you might go to him when you feel like you need something and your mom says "no", if it's something you really don't need, he'll tell you you have to work for the things you really want in life, otherwise, just getting something isn't as fun. 
• He's always there when you need him most. 

Some of the most important things in my life

"The most important thing in the world is family and love." John Wooden
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnwooden447007.html

I love my family ever so much. They taught me what it means to truly love people. I think I love more because of their influence. I'm very proud to be a sister to an awesome sister and brother and I'm proud to be my parents' daughter. It's my hope that they will always have reason to be proud of me as well. 

Just because it's Friday and because I can't help myself!

It's Friday and I can think of no better way to celebrate today than with Minions and ice cream! Enjoy the clip below!

The Things Lucille Ball did

"The more things you do, the more you can do."- Lucille Ball
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/l/lucille_ball.html

I really like the I Love Lucy show and I especially like this clip of a skit she did where she's working in a chocolate factory and she has to put all these chocolates in their boxes before they fall off the conveyor belt. Somehow the quote above reminded me of this clip because in it, she doesn't always know how she's going to accomplish the task set before her and yet she finds a way she can do it. Plus, the way she did it is super funny to me!

To give you a reason to laugh today

I think people should laugh at least once a day and to that end I thought I'd share this video that succeeded in making me laugh. It has little funny clips about different topics.  I hope everyone has a reason to laugh every day, even if it's just because of a YouTube video.

If I were stuck on Mars

Over the weekend I saw this movie called the Martian which is all about this astronaut who gets left behind on Mars and has to survive until NASA finally realizes he's alive and can retrieve him. It got me thinking  (just for the heck of it) about what I'd want with me on Mars if I ever got stuck there.

• Trail mix-I don't care if it has to be vacuum packed, I just love the stuff.
• Some awesome music so I can have dance parties whenever I want. 
• A flag with SOS on it so I can stick it on Mars so people can come save me.
• A communication system that always works so like ET I can always phone home. 
• A pirate flag to go with the SOS flag just because, what's life without a good 'ol pirate flag matey!

God I'm so glad I don't have to get stuck on Mars!

Everyone's love is valid

I want to send more love out to the world and so I saw this video and thought it was fitting. All I want is for people to feel loved and to know that their love is valid.  To me, love is the best thing there is and nothing can stop it.  Love endures and therein lies its beauty.

Imagine

Events today actually made it hard for me to think of something happy but what I came up with was the song "Imagine" because despite everything I do imagine a better world and  I believe it can be better. I'm working to make that idea a reality. I wish people would love more and hate less, I keep this blog as a whole in an effort to spread the love I have in me a little farther in the world.

Funny Sign I saw on the T and had to share

I saw this sign on the T and for some reason I found it funny.

From this sign, I learned 2 things,  1) I'm glad that I'm not so much of a multitasker that I am compelled to juggle things even in bed. 2) Apparently, there is no limit to the things one can do in bed!

My character

"Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking."-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/hjacksonb101336.html

Things I've done when I thought no one was looking 

• Sing in random places.
• Dance down sidewalks
• Hugged random people
• Given chocolate chip cookies to homeless people on the street.
• Swear!

Some of the things listed above I started out doing when I thought no one was looking. Then I realized most of those things were too much fun to do "in secret" so then I stopped caring about what people would think if I sang or danced or hugged or used profanity. I now have a tendency to dance in public, I hold events where I and other people give hugs to random strangers, and I do swear sometimes very much like a sailor. (For some reason that's very surprising to people, I never figured out why.) All I know is that doing the things listed above made me feel happiest. I never want to be perfect but I do want to be a good and kind human being.  That's how I want to be remembered.

Enjoy the ride

"I think the thing to do is enjoy the ride while you're on it.-Johnny Depp
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/johnny_depp.html

I like this quote because it reminds me of my Dad. He loves old  British sports cars and refurbishes them in his spare time. when I was really little he used to take me out in his MG to go buy doughnuts some Saturday mornings. Since we lived out in the country he'd go really fast down the road and although I did feel a bit giddy, I used to love the way the wind went through my hair and I always knew I"d be safe. When I think of that I think of how in my life I really have enjoyed the ride. Even if things seemed difficult, I feel like finding something positive and happy, even if it was the smallest thing, helped me get through. I resolve to continue to enjoy the ridge because and find something happy in each day because I draw my strength and hope from that happiness. 

I enjoy the now!

"True happiness is... to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future."-Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/luciusanna121552.html

This quote reminded me so much of a cartoon clip I saw about living in the "the now." I think it's really funny so here's to living in the now and laughing a lot while you're at it!

Dean Martin makes me smile

The singer Dean Martin was born today in 1917.  Since his singing always made me smile it seems only fitting to share a song he sang which is actually called "When You're Smiling." Things generally do seem better with a smile.

 

Until it's done

"It always seems impossible until its done." Nelson Mandela
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/nelsonmand378967.html

I think what I like best about people is that they can do so much. Every day things are done, things that maybe at some point someone felt those things would be impossible to do. Sometimes I find that  when I'm working on a project, as long as I can think "this has to get done," then it does get done eventually. It may not be finished in the best way and I end up having to redo a lot of things but in the end, things get done and somehow I feel better about it if I had to struggle to get something done. So today in this post I celebrate struggles. I've found, for the most part, that the end result is usually worth fighting for. 

Once in a while

Yesterday I heard this song called Once in a while and I like part of the lyrics that state:

"But once in a while, I catch myselfOnce in a while, I ask myself
What am I doing?
Once in a while, I need your help
But once in a while I feel like
I just wanna dance
I feel good"

It really did make me feel happy and I did actually start dancing at a bus stop of all places. It was actually pretty fun. I hope everyone once in a while feels like dancing. 

An awesome concert

I just came back from performing with Melrose's Polymnia Chorus. We sang the musical Jesus Christ Superstar with soloists playing the different parts in the play and the chorus backing them up. It was really fun and what made it especially nice was how happy it seemed to make the audience when they watched us all sing. Even if the musical is rather sad, the fact that it can still bring happiness despite being a sad story, makes it a very fulfilling musical to perform. I thought everyone sounded really good and plus we had a professional Broadway singer (who was a friend of one of the chorus members)  sing the part  of Jesus Christ. I think we did really well and I'm proud that I was part of the musical and that I'm a member of Polymina.

The need for a smile...

"If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love."-Maya Angelou
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mayaangelo134889.html

I hope you can always find a reason to smile and if you can only smile once, I hope you let it shine out so it brightens multiple people's days. 

Hooray for feeling glamorous

The actress Marilyn Monroe was born today in 1926. I always thought she was quite glamorous and today that got me thinking about how nice it can be to feel glamorous. Sometimes I get all dressed up and even if to the outside world I may not be going anywhere special, to me, that little bit of glamor makes life more fun. When I was much younger I did also like to dress up and I guess that part of me has still stayed with me. I think there's a bit of glamor in everyone and I hope everyone lets that little bit of glamor out to show off to the world sometimes. To me, it really is a morale booster. So here's looking at all of us!

Photo of me and a friend looking glamorous! :)