the magic formula for happiness.

do you ever feel like me, and you finally get sick of all the worry and stress... and you just sit down and decide, not to give up, but to just enjoy life for a second?

there are far too many reasons not to love life.

today i decided that biochemistry was far too stressful, and that i needed to sit still and just STOP WORRYING for one afternoon. while surfing netflix, i found the "happy" movie.

what makes you happy? 

when it comes down to it, a lot of things make me happy.

(i'm quite easy to entertain, actually...)

1. cuddling on the couch makes me happy. 

2. a hot cup of tea with a good book.

3. buying something random. especially from the dollar store.

4. fuzzy things.

5. feeling healthy.

6. learning stuff.

7. getting tips at work.

8. having someone remember your name.

9. inventing something for dinner that actually turns out. 

10. compliments. especially from strangers.

11. starting something new. a cause.

12. fruit.

13. having a clean room. (is it just me, or does having your room organized just make it feel like the rest of your life will just fall into place?)

14. finishing something.

15. sunsets.

16. holidays.

17. pinterest. and even better than pinterest: having someone ask you if you found something cute on pinterest, and saying "heck no! this was 100% jess!!!

18. having my toes painted and

19. having time to wake up in the morning and feeling drop-dead gorgeous when i walk out the door.

20. spending time with my family.

what did i learn from the happy movie?

life changes so quickly. unless we are truly happy and content with the person we are right now, we will be chasing an idea for the rest of our lives. 

we can choose to be happy.

accepting yourself completely comes as a part of the healing process.

there is no such thing as pleasure without pain.

"what do you want in life? to be successful, to be happy, and to live a long, healthy life."

what is it to be successful? and at what cost?

there is a lot of talk about a "toxic lifestyle" - the way that we live, trying to be more successful, and earn more money, and be more... just more.

i think it's time that we slowed things down.

take some time to sit down and read a book without feeling like you are wasting time.

i don't like to get too deep on my innermost thoughts here... but i had a thought the other day. i had basically failed a biochemistry test, and was thinking that my life was pretty much over because i need that class to get into grad school. 

so i called my mom. (aren't they just great? especially when the world seems like it is coming to an end.)

and after i told her how my life was ending, and feeling dejected, inadequate, and completely stupid, she just said, "it's gonna be ok."

is it bizarre that my whole day changed after that little comment? 

so grad school might have to wait a little while, but does that really mean my life is over???

no.

so when you are feeling like the world is ending, just think to yourself: it is going to be ok.

until there is an alien invasion, or an asteroid hurtling directly towards earth, i think that i'm going to keep moving on, keep moving forward, and just be happy.

even then, who knows?

:)

***

on a different note, this is my newest obsession/phase.

for the next 30 days, i doing the whole30 challenge!

find out more here.

a science that kills

you know those days when you just can't stuff any more information into your brain?

today is one of those days. 

exhibit A: 

jess's brain.

exhibit B:

this is what i do when i can't take any more school.

i fantasize about the day that i won't have to go to the plasma center... or class...

exhibit C:

you can literally only take so much of michaelis-menten, lineweaver-burk, Km, enzymes, kinetics... before you go like THIS.

you get what i'm sayin?

on a more positive note:

i start my new job on friday!

better say goodbye to free time, skinny jeans, and friends.

(but who really needs them anyway?)

;) 

hmmmm.

a haiku (from a friend)

I’ve come to hate boys

You know what’s underrated?

Owning lots of cats

You Are Tired (I Think)
You are tired,
(I think)
Of the always puzzle of living and doing;
And so am I.
Come with me, then,
And we’ll leave it far and far away—
(Only you and I, understand!)
You have played,
(I think)
And broke the toys you were fondest of,
And are a little tired now;
Tired of things that break, and—
Just tired.
So am I.
But I come with a dream in my eyes tonight,
And knock with a rose at the hopeless gate of your heart—
Open to me!
For I will show you the places Nobody knows,
And, if you like,
The perfect places of Sleep.
Ah, come with me!
I’ll blow you that wonderful bubble, the moon,
That floats forever and a day;
I’ll sing you the jacinth song
Of the probable stars;
I will attempt the unstartled steppes of dream,
Until I find the Only Flower,
Which shall keep (I think) your little heart
While the moon comes out of the sea.

— E.E. Cummings

everything's gonna be ok.

just keep swimming.

i am not the type of person that goes broadcasting when i have bad days. usually, only those people really close to me are "privileged" enough to see that side of me. everyone else just sees the happy, smiling, bubbly person.
(today was a not-so-fantastic day)
just one of those days that you muddle through. 
one of those days when nothing feels good.
one of those days when you feel stuck. and unproductive...
one of those days that your bed is the only place in the whole wide world that you want to go, and yet it is the last place that you can be. because you are running in about a gajillion other directions. (yup. that was me today.)


so, in honor of those no-so-stellar days: 
http://youtu.be/gH476CxJxfg

i have a new obsession.
now i just have to figure out how to make them. (and possibly learn how to knit in the process...)


i am super ready for fall baking!!!
i love the smells, the tastes, the colors... pretty much everything except for the wind. (i can actually handle the cold. even in a wasteland such as rexburg. it's just the cold. i swear it seeps into your very soul...)
here is a perfect (and potentially healthy) snack to get you into the fall mood:

{yum.}

{Pumpkin Pie Dip} (from skinnytaste.com via pinterest)

• 15 oz can pumpkin
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (Splenda would work too)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or more to taste)
• 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt
• 8 oz cool whip free
• cut up apples to dip (extra points)

Mix pumpkin with brown sugar, vanilla and spices, blend well. Mix in yogurt. Fold in cool whip and chill in refrigerator until ready to eat.
Makes about 6 cups.

tomorrow's gonna be a good one.
i can just feel it. :)

***
May you live all the days of your life.
Jonathan Swift

a little soothing music to put you in the right mood for the weekend. 
say bye bye school.

a lot of randomness for your wednesday

i know what it's like.

i've seen it played out a few zillion times.

you're waiting for that magical day when someone makes the connection and recognizes who you really are.

maybe they'll first catch the sparkle in your eye.

or perhaps they'll marvel at your insights and the depth of your spirit.

someone who will help you connect the dots, believe in yourself, and make sense of it all.

someone who will understand you, approve of you, and unhesitatingly give you a leg up so that life can pluck your ready, ripened self from the branch of magnificence.

well, I'm here to tell you, your wait is over.

that someone, is you.

~Mike Dooley

isn't it true though?

i was reading through one of my journals, and i found that quote.

oh how i love quotes!

i always seem to find ones that speak right to my very core. that make me want to be a better

person, and that give me the boost that i need to...

i'm pretty sure that this is my favorite saying of late.

with all the stress of an upcoming study abroad (even though i am extremely excited! ...it is still nerve-racking and i just love to worry about stuff anyways), applying for nursing schools, dating, not dating, making friends, going to class, homework, and trying to stay sane by

cooking... i just have to remember to keep movin' on!

we had an experiment tonight... we started out with a potato soup, and just kept adding stuff from the fridge that needed to be eaten. so we ended up with a very interesting (but very yummy!) soup. and we decided we needed bread to go with it, so we hopped in the car and drove down the street to maverik to get a $1 loaf of french bread.

keep calm and carry on!

i've decided that life is ok, and stressing about stuff will only waste energy.

energy that i need! (to have awesome nacho-libre themed parties like tonight!!!)

we even made a paper-mache luchador-mask pinata!

it took serious skill.

(yes, i am the idiot that painted it... don't laugh)

oh, and i did mention we dyed our hair?

here is a picture.

of the blue.

i had to make sure to hide the hair when i went to the testing center today. they don't look too kindly on those of us who express their individuality through our choice of hair color. it does not look as good as my roommates - she is super blonde so it turned bright blue. mine looks kinda green.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

i am thankful for sleep

and airbourne

and for the hours that i did not spend worrying about parties,

because hanging out with friends is always a success!