Tag: belief

Does Evelyn Everybody?

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My favorite book on planet earth is Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.

It’s about a high school girl that doesn’t try to fit in: she plays the ukulele, and dresses weirdly, and believes in the power of anchovies on pizza … until she doesn’t.

Her boyfriend starts to tell her that she shouldn’t do things because everyone doesn’t do that. So she comes up with the name Evelyn Everybody and continually asks if “Evelyn Everybody does that?” Does Evelyn Everybody eat anchovies on their pizza?

I just wanted to let you know that at the end of the book, (spoiler alert), she goes back to being herself. Not caring what Evelyn Everybody does or feels or acts.

So if you are scared that Evelyn Everybody doesn’t do what you do, don’t worry. You can still be you. And actually, you should be.

Don’t Force It

Bailey Gunn1 Comment

The message tonight is really simple.

Don’t force it.

I think it’s easy in life to want something so much that it hurts. That you try and try and try and try to make it fit in any way you can. It could be a relationship, a friendship, a career path, or just more food in the freezer.

But I’m here to tell you that nothing is being helped by you forcing it. Let it take its time. And most importantly, if it doesn’t work out, don’t make it fit. Some things were meant to run their course and be done. (Like that old chicken in the back of the freezer. Take it out, throw it away, be done with it.)

And by the way, you can totally be sad that it’s over. You don’t need to be happy go lucky as soon as it’s done. Don’t force that either. Just let yourself feel every emotion without judging yourself for feeling that emotion. You’ll be happier (in time).

So don’t force it. If it’s not working, there’s probably a good reason for it. After all, life is meant to be enjoyed — if you aren’t enjoying it, you’re forcing something.

Let It Be

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So, I guess it’s song lyric week on baileydailey. But here we go …

If you’ve been a long-time baileydailey reader, you know that I commute on the train. And I see people doing everything:

Listening to music/podcasts, putting on make up, perusing magazines, reading books, talking to their neighbors, playing games on their phones, typing up reports, writing posts on social media, shopping online.

But do you know what I don’t see? At all? Anyone doing nothing at all. Just being. Just being human beings.

Actually, I see it so infrequently that people get weirded out if I’m not doing something. If I’m just sitting, looking out the window, people don’t sit next to me. Like I might just strike up a conversation, goodness forbid. Like I’m a leper for not staring at my phone. Like a normal human being should.

So, here’s your friendly reminder to just be. Be a human. And don’t worry about doing something every moment of every day. You have my permission to just be alive.

I Write

Bailey Gunn2 Comments

Do you ever wish you had a superpower? Invisibility? Ability to fly? Telepathy?

So, maybe you don’t have a superpower. But what about something you’re good at? A passion. Maybe you sing. Maybe you draw. Maybe you dance.

Me? I write. Which is basically what was in Pandora’s box when they let all the demons: its hope.

Like: I hope I get a career in writing. I hope I can write a book someday. I hope someone is reading this.

Yeah, it’s not the best superpower or the best passion. You can’t go on a competition show and write your way to fame and fortune. (You can write a mean birthday card for your friend, though.)

But it’s mine. And most days, I love writing. It’s when I’m not writing that I hate it.

So, write on. Dance on. Sing on. Draw on.

Live and love your passion.

Even a Smile

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I pass a lot of the homeless on my way to work. And you’d have to have a heart of stone to not at least feel bad, even if you do just walk by them.

But today, one lady was making it really hard to walk by her. She was rattling a can of change and calling out to people on the street, imploring them, “every little bit helps! Every little bit helps!”

And as I walked by she said it again: “every little bit helps! Even just a smile!”

And that stopped me in my tracks. Because I wish I could tell you that I walked back and gave her some change.

I didn’t. I kept walking. But a smile did creep onto my face, one that only I could see, and as is the case with smiles, it did make me honestly feel better. It was so much preferable to the sour expression I was displaying originally.

And like the woman said, even a smile helps. It helps you, and it helps the people around you.

So go ahead and smile. I can guarantee that you have at least one thing to smile about.

Destination: Happiness

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Happiness is always a moment away.

I'll be happy on Friday, when it's the weekend.
I'll be happy when I finally lose those 10 pounds.
I'll be happy when this is all over.

Happiness is hard to attain when you can't really ever reach it. It keeps getting pushed back. It's a destination, not a journey.

But what if happiness is right here? Right now? How differently would you function if happiness was a state that you could be in now?

Well, the answer is you can. Try it. Be happy. It's okay. I give you permission to drop anything that doesn't make you feel good. Smile into yourself.

See? Isn't it better now?

Let yourself be happy now. Don't wait.

Even When You Can’t, You Can

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Exercising is hard.

Your brain says, "what are you doing to me? My body is out of breath, my muscles are sore, and you just keep…going? Are you trying to kill us?"

And you would love to just stop. Because why torture yourself like this?

But you don't. You take another step. And another and another. And suddenly, you're at the finish line. Even when you thought you couldn't, you still can.

Repeat as necessary with any obstacle in your path or your life.

The brain is a difficult muscle. It's difficult to convince, but if you don't stop, you may just find that you'll succeed. As log as you ignore that little voice that says "not right now" or "I can't."

Even when you think you didn't have any more to give, you do. Wring out every last drop, and you'll do amazing things.

OK, Universe!

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Ok, universe! You win!

The fact that BOTH of my shoes came untied as I was carrying an armload of things shows me that I can't control everything and that I need to stop trying to.

Alright! We get it!

I am powerless to unmake a mistake but I can make sure I don't repeat it. And I can take more time to correct myself before moving on.

Fine, universe! You were right all along!

My body is tired at night because I am fighting you all day long. I'll stop fighting and start going with the flow. I promise.

Ok, universe! It makes sense now!

I can only give when I have enough. I can't do more if I'm not taking care of myself.

Ok, universe. What's next?

Fourth Wish

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If a genie were rubbed out of one of my lamps at home tomorrow, and he materializes in smoke and grants me three wishes, I would wish for a lot of happiness, a lot of money, and a lot of puppies. (That is, if I couldn't wish for more wishes.)

But if I had a fourth wish, I would wish that I was someone else entirely. New hair. New face. New attitude.

Because most days, I'm frustrated by myself. I'm shy, I'm weird, and I'm self conscious. And it's not cute, like a misfit in a teen movie.

But I'm starting to realize that I should never waste a wish on being someone else. Because I was put on this earth to be me. It would be a crime of the universe to be anyone else. And it's time that I recognized that whatever I am, I have to love me.

So bring on the happiness, money, and puppies. I promise to be careful what I wish for.

Dance

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I found this wonderful quote by Wayne Dyer today:

When you dance, your purpose isn't to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way.

I like this quote because it touches upon something that we all take advantage of: life. We race through the work week to get to Friday and the weekend. We stare at the clock, waiting to go somewhere else with someone else. All we do is try to waste time when we should be…well, living.

So I'd encourage you to dance. It's the only way to stop time completely. To say, I will enjoy this moment for the sole purpose that I'm alive and I'll shall ask for nothing more. I will enjoy this beat and this rhythm until it ends. And I will not wait for the next beat — I'll just dance right on through.

And don't forget that dancing is just usually fun in the first place so it's a great way to enjoy yourself anyway.

So, make time to dance. Turn up the music. And forget about time for awhile, except for the time you spend on your feet.