Tag: advice

Night Reader

Bailey Gunn6 Comments

I grew up surrounded by books. I became an English major, and I’m even trying to write my own.

This weekend, I spent a whole night discussing books with a great friend. A whole night.

And it all comes down to one turning moment in my life: my parents read to me. I wrote my college essay on the beauty of my Dad coming up to my sister and me’s bedroom and bringing the book we picked together from the library only days before. Whether it was Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, my Dad always read to us at least a little every night to give our mom a break. And when our eyes started to flutter close, he would check on us to see if we were still listening. And the next night, he would inevitably have to go back and reread parts that we had missed.

I can’t say anything about my math skills. Maybe if I had rehearsed my timetables at night, I would be better. But I can say I’m a good reader.

So, if you do anything for your kids, make sure you read to them. They won’t forget it, and neither will you.

Love,

Bailey

Here’s Why

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Here’s why I write BaileyDailey:

It helps me process my day. It helps me to come to terms with things. And it puts a smile on my face time and time again. I don’t think it’s necessarily groundbreaking. I don’t even think it’s good most of the time. It’s short and repetitive and sort of narcissistic. Let’s be honest, I’m not even the only person doing this type of format for a blog.

But.

You might not get an honest explanation from anyone about anything. From your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend. From your best friend. From any friend.

But you’ll get one from me. I’ll explain how life works, how you should stop, how you should start, and everything in between.

I’ll explain it all. And I won’t ever ask anything from you, dear reader, except, to well, read it.

So, please. Keep reading and commenting and liking.

You don’t know it, but it truly means the world to me.

Love,

Bailey

Don’t Answer

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What happens when a phone rings? You answer it, right?

Well, not me. I have a phone at work, and I was getting wrong number calls daily. The people on the other end were not exactly the nicest after I kept telling them to go pound sand. So, I finally asked my boss one day if I could change numbers or change desks or something to stop them from calling.

And he gave me the best advice, he said: “if you don’t recognize the number, don’t answer it.”

And suddenly, I was free. I hadn’t thought of that, to be honest. At least, I hadn’t thought it was an option for me; I was at work, I’m supposed to be available to anyone and everyone that needs me. Aren’t I?

And that’s when it hit me. In life, you don’t need to answer every call. If everyone expects you to answer every time, then they’ll start abusing that.  If you respond to every emotion you have, you’ll drown.

So, don’t answer every call. Let a few a day go to voicemail. I promise they’ll be there when you’re ready to take them.

Love,

Bailey

 

Repeating Myself

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Do you ever feel like you’re repeating yourself?

I do. All the time. Especially on this blog. I’m so scared I’ll write the same blog post twice, make the same joke again, spout the same wisdom.

Hey, in 500 posts, you can’t help but repeat yourself once in awhile, right?

But at the same time, I don’t worry about it. Because it just means my brain is running down the same path, ready to embrace and understand something in a new light. It’s like reading a book more than once; you get something different every time you read it. You just have to think that you’re in the same place for a different reason. That you’re there to learn something else that you passed by once before.

So, forgive me, if I repeat myself. My only desire is to beat you over the head with a topic until it gets through your thick skull.

Or I’ve completely forgotten that I’ve done it before. Either or.

Love,

Bailey

Nothing Ever Changes If You Don’t

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Okay, everyone. It’s the end of January. And if you haven’t fallen off of your resolutions horse yet, I bet you’re thinking about it.

I know I am.

But don’t!

I came across this great quote, “nothing changes if nothing changes” and I can’t stop thinking about how true it is. If you don’t change, then your situation doesn’t change either.

Or along the same lines, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Change starts with you. You don’t even necessarily have to want change before you have it. You just have to start.

Love,

Bailey

Friendly Reminder

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This is your friendly reminder…to be friendly.

Yes, everyone out there is fighting a hard battle, and blah blah blah. But that’s not the most important reason to be nice to other people. Actually, why do you need a reason? This should be your default mode.

And you can come and tell me that you had a hard day, and life isn’t going the way you expect it to, and it was one time, but I’m going to reply: you had a choice. You always have a choice.

And don’t misunderstand me. When I say nice, I’m not referring to a doormat. I’m saying kind, generous, and friendly. Even when it’s hard to. Even when you’d rather not. Even when it’s not important.

Be a friend as often as possible. Because we all depend on each other.

Irony

Bailey Gunn2 Comments

Do you know what real irony is?

When you grow up as a budding theater major, who had little to no problem getting up in front of her closest peers and reciting Shakespeare, and winning competitions, no less…

And then having to get up in front of a small group of people to give a work presentation and basically going out wicked witch of the west style into a melted puddle of embarrassment…

What is the deal? Where do I get my adult card punched so that I can get up in front of people and speak? Why is it so different from making a PowerPoint to baring my soul through literature?

I wish this was easier and I didn’t care so much. But if I didn’t care, what would be the point at all?

My definition of irony is acting apathetic when it actually means the world to you. So don’t be afraid to go down swinging. Just giving it everything you have will yield your best results, even if you could care less.

Coincidence?

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My old car was a barrel of monkeys. (If those monkeys all had knives and were trying to all get out of the barrel.)

It had its problems. What my dad likes to call “gremlins”. Some of the electrical stuff in my car decided to work when it felt like it. But most often, my driver side window refused to roll down.

After not being able to put on my seatbelt correctly, I bought a new car. And it has been working great. Except recently. When the driver side window decided to stop working. (Did you guess that?)

So my question is: is this a coincidence? I mean what are the odds? (I don’t know because I’m math challenged).

But it seems to me that calling it a mere coincidence takes the fun out of it. So I’m calling it a rare mistake of fate.

In life, there are reasons for things. But in your own life, there isn’t always. Don’t trouble yourself with finding meaning. Some things were just meant to be (or meant not to work.)

Reflect

Bailey Gunn2 Comments

Like anyone who has lived enough years, I’ve lost a loved one. And on the day of their death, I try to reminisce and think about when they were alive. Reflect on their life. Remember who they were.

Which is a very sad event indeed, and it usually leaves me crying by the end. I miss them, and it’s so hard to be here without them.

But what we should always remember is that you are a reflection of the people you love. You are just a mirror image of the people that you call friends because your likeness recognizes likeness in them. And so, if you’re missing a loved one, simply be the mirror to their life. Live as if you lived for them. Reflect and be reflected. And you will live and walk in their light.

-dedicated to Neil Venitsky. Thank you for believing in your dream so that I could believe in mine.

Go for Happy

Bailey Gunn1 Comment

This is your friendly reminder that you should be doing one thing that makes you happy every day.

I don’t care what it is. If it’s taking a bath, if it’s watching tv for an hour, or if it’s writing a blog.

Go for happy. The only question you should be asking yourself in deciding whether you should do something is to ask if it makes you happy. Then follow this really simple test: no > don’t do it. Yes > do it.

Now I can’t tell you what will make you happy. Only your heart can do that. But I would listen to it sooner rather than later…

Because life is short. We have to keep what makes us happy at the front of the line and forget about everything else. When you strive for happy, everything else will fall into place.