Nothing to do but smile

"I have nothing to do today but smile." -Paul Simon

I find that smiling has gotten me through so many things and as much as I felt corny doing it sometimes, I always feel better when I  smile. If I could get every person I saw to smile I'd be so happy just because I figure that if smiling makes me feel so good, such a good feeling is too good for me to keep just for myself. Wherever you are reading this, I hope you have many reasons to smile each day.

Happy Friday!

I wish everyone a very Happy Friday (and that is my profound thought for the day.)

The fun in breaking rules

"If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun."-Katharine Hepburn
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/k/katharineh100041.html


I love minions and when I saw this quote it really reminded me of them because minions are all about breaking rules and they do so with a lot of enthusiasm! Plus, they usually look like they're having a lot of fun when they're creating havoc. Anyway, I think they're funny and they always brighten my day somehow. I thought the video below was especially funny and I hope you enjoy it. 

Father and daughter togetherness!

I saw this really sweet clip of a father and daughter singing you've got a friend in me and it reminded me of how my dad and I have always been good friends and although we never sang together, I'm still really proud to have an awesome dad.

Happiness as a duty

"Happiness is the natural flower of duty." -Phillips Brooks
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/phillipsbr105599.html

 in a way I've made happiness a duty throughout my life.  I feel like it's a duty that I'm proud to have because happiness (or at least optimism) has helped me get through many things in my life and as a result, happiness has been a beautiful thing for me. In a way, happiness is like a flower in that it grows bigger and more beautiful as it can be spread to others. So, even though staying optimistic isn't always easy, it is fun and it very rewarding, as is making flowers grow.

All the possibilities

"I believe things cannot make themselves impossible."-Stephen Hawking
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/stephenhaw627113.html

One of the things I really like about life is that I've found that even though I don't always get to where I think I want to (or should) be, things still worked out the way they should. I like the quote above because to me it says that we make things possible and that's a wonderful power that humans have. Maybe the things we make possible don't always seem like the biggest things ever. However, I still like to think that there's so many great things that people can do and  I believe that each good thing somebody does contributes to making so many more even greater things possible. 

Live High and Mighty

I heard this song today called "Live High" and although I initially thought it was a drug reference it turned out to be a rather positive song. It talked about the need to live high and live mighty Usually I think being all high and mighty is not a good thing really but when I think about those separately in the context  of this song, it reminds me of how I've always felt a need to at least try to live to a high moral standard. I decided a long time ago that I want to be someone people can look up to if they want to and in holding myself to what I feel to be a high standard, I find I do feel better about myself. Also I like how the songs says live "mighty" and to me, living mightily means living life to the fullest so maybe, living high and mighty isn't so bad after all.

A soul to light up a room

"What is a soul? It's like electricity - we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room."-Ray Charles

I like this quote because I believe there's a light in everyone and Ray Charles showed a lot of light to the world through his music. This reminds me of a song he sang called "Light Out of Darkness." Some of the song's lyrics are  something like"love glows like a candle in the window and when it glows it brings light out of darkness giving you a rainbow. Hope shines in the shadows left behind you and in the night it bring light out of darkness and the light will guide you." I like these lyrics because I've seen how love can bring light to dark times in my life. That light has helped me to continue to have hope and to spread love farther because at least for me, love is something that needs to be shared to be truly enjoyed. 

An act of kindness

I saw this clip online about a college instructor that allowed  a single mother to bring her baby to class. For this action, the instructor and the mother and baby were all invited to go on the Ellen show. I really liked this clip because I think that nothing should stand in the way of learning something new and becoming a better person as a result. I love learning because learning is something that gets passed down through generations and so that's why I was really glad to hear that this mother is getting more education. My hope is her child in turn will be more educated and empowered as a result. Thus, the passage of knowledge continues and all that gives me a lot of hope for the future. 

A warm and cool joke

This joke made me laugh when I saw it and so I just had to share it here. I wish everyone who reads this a very happy day. 

Hot and cold...

A man walks into a store and he saw a thermos. The clerk walks up to him and asks, "May I help you with anything?"

"Yea! What is that?"

"Why that's a thermos!"

"What's it do?"

"It keeps things hot and it keeps things cold!"

"I'll take it"

The next day the man goes to work carrying this thermos. His co-workers ask him, "What's that!"

"It's a thermos"

"What's it do?"

"It keeps things hot and it keeps things cold!"

"So whatcha got in it?"

"Two popsicles and a cup of coffee."

Read more on page: http://www.jokesoftheday.net/the-best-jokes/

Goodness from a fall

I Witnessed yet another example of how good people can be. I was hurrying along to catch the bus this evening and I tripped on an uneven sidewalk. Two men and a woman ran out of the shop by where I fell and helped me up and helped me pick up my bag and everything. After thanking them I went on my way. I'm fine and the whole incident made me think of the song "Learn How To Fall" because I learn may things from falling down. In this instance, in falling I learned that I am very thankful people can be really good to each other.

Peace amid storm

"You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you."- Joseph B. Wirthlin
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/josephbwi645832.html

I really like this quote because I really believe that peace in the midst of storms is an awesome thing. I like how even in big storms in nature, there is always an eye or area of calm in the middle of them. I know that it doesn't take a way from the seriousness of storms, metaphorically, calm in the storm makes difficult things bearable. It's just a matter of finding that calm which can be tricky but it is worth finding and when I find it, I know that I can get through things. Despite the storms, I can't help but believe that life is good.

A no worries bank

I tend to worry quite a bit more than I should. So From now on I vow that if I start to worry, I'll put some money in this piggy bank. When it's all filled up I'll donate the money to NAMI's (National Alliance on Mental Illness or an Independent Living Center (haven't decided which yet). Anyway, I figure if I can support programs that help people worry less too then I can give my worries away for a good cause.

Interesting sayings

Since Sunday is typically a moral day so that got me thinking about sayings and words of wisdom I still think are slightly odd, here are a few, just for the heck of it:

• "When the going get's tough, the tough get going." That saying always made me wonder where the tough people went when things got difficult, did they run the other way or something?
• "Bite the bullet"- It just seems to me that if you have to face something unpleasant I wouldn't add explosives into the mix.
• "More than you can shake a stick at" -the only logical way I'd see the point of shaking a stick is if you were an old lady and you wanted to express your frustration with someone.
• "Rub the wrong way." Is it possible to rub someone the right way?
• "Waking up on the wrong side of the bed" Obviously whoever made up this quote should not sleep on the left side of the bed. (So they would always get up on the right side of it!) 

The importance of a mantra

I took some classes today to improve my singing/performing capabilities and one of the classes featured a speaker that talked about how if you have a positive attitude and you feel happy it helps you sing/perform better.  I realize that that's not a new concept but I liked how she talked about how it can be really helpful to have a mantra so that if you're ever nervous you can say the mantra to yourself. I decided mine would be "Everything will be all right in the end and if it's not all right it's not yet the end." That'll be my motivation enough to keep on singing until everything is all right!

A Fun Concert

I just came back from performing in an acapella concert which was super fun and it was nice to get all dressed up like the 1920s! The acapella group I'm in (Harbor Light Show Chorus) sang really well. We sang "What Lola Wants" from the musical Damn Yankees and "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin and we sounded really good. Tomorrow The concert is actually part of a 2-day event and tomorrow there are classes to help people improve their singing skills. I'm really glad to be part of this acapella group and to be able to improve my skills because there's always more to learn and with any luck I'll be able to spread music I love even farther!

Body and Soul

The singer Amy Winehouse was born today in 1983 and she once sang a lovely song with Tony Bennett called Body and Soul. Although Amy is no longer with us,  I feel like she did put her body and soul into her music. In a way,  music does take over the body and soul if you're really passionate about what you're singing or playing. All I know is music makes my soul feel good!

Hooray for Mandy Harvey

I'm really pleased that Mandy Harvey, a singer who happens to be deaf has gotten into the semi finals of America's Got Talent competition. How can a deaf person sing? Well, beautifully apparently. (Ms. Harvey wasn't born deaf, she became deaf due to an illness. I really like her most recent performance on America's Got Talent because she used sign language as part of her performance. She shows how no matter what difficulties you might face, it is possible to still enjoy music.

Just a quick note for Tuesday!

This is just a quick note to anyone who reads this: I hope you had a very happy Tuesday and I wish you and even happier Wednesday! I send you best wishes now and always.

Be brave and spread the love

"A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave."-Mahatma Gandhi
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mahatmagan164233.html?src=t_brave

When I think about this day in history I end up thinking about the brave people who stepped up to help others in a time of great need. It also makes me think of how many people continue to help others now recovering from the hurricanes. This in turn makes me think of how each act of goodness is an act of love. One thing I like best about love is that there are so many forms of it and so many ways to show it. So I say, be brave and spread the love and to that end, I send much love to all who read this. 

Freedom in Singing

I heard this song called Freedom Song by Jason Mraz that really spoke to me because it's all about how Mraz feels freest and happiest when he's singing. Like Jason Mraz I find I do feel better when I sing, music has always been therapeutic for me. Plus the Freedom Song is really positive and it does my heart good to hear it. I hope everyone has something that they can do that makes them feel happiest, because those are the things that make life worth living and freedom worth having.  Happy Sunday everyone.

Smiles are a shared language

"Everyone smiles in the same language."-George Carlin

I love languages and learning new ones so this quote really touched me because a smile is something everyone understands. I think that's what I like best about smiling-it's a way to connect people and since we're all in this life together, things just seem better to me when I'm connected to others through smiling.  So spread the happiness, spread the love,  and smile often!

A fun Abilities Expo

I went to the Abilities Expo in Boston and even though I went as part of my work, it is something I'd attend even on my own time. It's an annual event where various disability advocacy organizations and vendors that offer services to people with disabilities gather to show the public how they can help people with disabilities. I like it because it's fun to see all the new things that have been created to support people with disabilities. This year one of the new machines that was being showcased was a motorized scooter you could fold up so it turned into a suitcase which I thought was pretty cool. They also have free wheelchair repair stations which are super helpful for so many people. I also like going to this event for work because I like showing off the organization I work for. We're dedicated to empowering people with disabilities. We do so by promoting legislation to increase housing and building accessibility and by creating publications to bring more attention to issues that negatively impact people with disabilities so it can help other service providers to better serve people with disabilities. (To learn more about where I work follow this link: http://www.dpcma.org.) Anyway, I'm excited because on Sunday they're going to have a dance show where people in wheelchairs dance. It'll be really fun!

Even if the going to is round about, one can still get to where they need to be

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be. Douglas Adams
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/douglasada101558.html

I find that a lot of the time I don't know where I'm going (I have to factor in at least 10 minutes of "getting lost time" into journeys). Despite this I do get to where I need to be in the end. When I feel like things  aren't so great and I don't know what to do next to get out of the difficult  situation, in a strange roundabout way, I do end up finding a way to get through things. My point to all this is, losing one's way (albeit slightly unnerving) isn't such a terrible thing, it makes finding the way to go next more interesting. So get lost!

On goodness

"The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life."- Jane Addams
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/janeaddams392995.html

The American pioneer social worker Jane Adams was born today in 1860 and I like this quote that she said because as much as I want good things for myself, I find that I always feel better if I'm doing something good for others. It also makes my heart feel good when I see the kind things people do for others. I feel in my heart that each kind thing we do for each other makes the world that much better. While one kind act might seem like a drop in the ocean, I figure that without drops of water there would be no oceans so every little kind act counts and means a great deal to me.

So I wish a very happy Wednesday to everyone who reads this.

One summer joke just because it's September

So as the summer is pretty much winding down now, I thought I'd give it one last hurrah with the joke below. Happy Tuesday everyone!

  A vacationer called a seaside hotel to ask its location. "It's only a stone's throw from the beach," he was told.
"But how will I recognize it?" asked the man.
The hotel owner replied: "It's the one with all the broken windows."

Read more on page: http://www.jokesoftheday.net/

Beach day!

As I had the day off today, my good friends took me to Revere Beach which was super fun because I really do love the beach.  We stopped at an outdoor restaurant and bought fish and chips which reminded me of my family because my mum is British and well, as odd as it may sound, fish and chips always makes me think of the UK and how my family is always with me. There's something nice about watching the sea. I like walking in the sand and feeling the water touch my feet even if it is ruddy cold, there's something peaceful about it.  Plus, the sun was out and the sky was so blue I kind of felt like it was as if the sky and water were as one.  Although I didn't take a picture at the beach today,  the picture below was taken at a similar beach on Prince Edward Island.  I post it hear to give a little piece of beach to everyone!

Find happiness in the struggle!

"A lot of what is most beautiful about the world arises from struggle."-Malcolm Gladwell
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/malcolmgla662391.html

I like this quote because even if life is a struggle it reminds me that there is a lot of beautiful things in it and those are the things I hold onto when I go through things that are hard for me.I find that because of life experiences I've learned to appreciate things I have in life more, especially music. I like the song in the clip below because it's all about the beauty that exists in the world and it makes me want to dance. So today, I send this song out into the world with best wishes and much love. 

Living in the Moment

I was listening to some music today and a song came on called "Living in the Moment" by Jason Mraz. It was really refreshing to hear it because I want to live in the moment more often and not worry so much about the past or future.  That's not to say I don't try to learn from the past and think about the future and try to plan for it. I just feel I have learned that life is about moments and so I'll focus more on living in the now!

Teachers who gave me something to think about

"I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework."- Lily Tomlin
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/lilytomlin108017.html

I've always liked learning and so I liked this quote because it reminded me of of the more interesting things teachers gave me to take home besides homework. These include:

• A relic-I went to a Catholic elementary/middle school and when one of my teachers who was a nun found out I was born with a serious illness, she gave me a box which contained a locket and inside the locket (according to a tag on the box) it contained a piece of the bone marrow of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. She said it would protect me. Although I sill think it's the oddest thing I have, it also makes me think of the different ways people show they care about each other and how much religion and faith can mean to so many people. 
• My first chapter book-one of my teachers in elementary school got each student in her class a chapter book. I love reading and so I thought it was really cool she did that. It did make me want to read more. 
• A nickname- I grew up being called Margaret and I have nothing against that name at all. (my family members still call me by that name sometimes-especially if they're irritated with me.) Anyway, the name Margaret was too long for an art project that we were trying to do in class (each student would write their name vertically on a piece of paper and write a word we felt described ourselves that started with each letter of our names.) My name was deemed to long to fit on the paper we used and so it was shortened to Maggie and people have called me Maggie ever since. I remember going home that da and thinking that it was rather nice to have a nickname as it seems like a way of showing affection somehow. I also thought (and still think sometimes) that as long as it's not a name that's derogatory, cruel, or mean spirited, I don't really mind what name people call me. 

I learned many more things from my teachers throughout the years but these things stick in mind as they helped shape who I am and/or how I think about the world.