Happy, Wish, Want, Love

HAPPY
Have you seen Mel Robbins' TED Talk "How to Stop Screwing Yourself"? I watched it last week and I can't stop smiling because of it. Her premise is that having whatever you want in life is simple. But not easy! She lays out very clearly in the space of a mere 21 minutes how to have the life you want, or more bluntly put, stop screwing yourself. One fact that she brings up which really stuck with me is that each of us had a 1 in 400 trillion chance of coming to exist on this earth. Isn't that incredible?! We've won the lottery, everyone! Don't squander your winnings. ;) And if TED talks aren't your thing (?!) she also has a book and a Twitter.

WISH
Right now, at the very top of my wish list is this chic yet practical Patagonia down coat. I have been wearing the same sporty, hip-length Mountain Hardwear Puffer for seven years now. It's so warm and toasty, but I want something more grown up, sophisticated and that covers my behind! I think I need to get this beauty for next winter! Time to start saving up...

WANT
You know when your makeup isn't quite settling into your skin right, or you just want to look extra dewy, or you need a quick refresh during the day? Well, you can use MAC Fix Plus for all of those moments and more! It comes in four different scents: Original, Rose, Coconut and Lavender. And right now, you can get this set of three minis for just $15. They all smell wonderful, but I'm a sucker for anything rose scented. Mmmmm, want!

LOVE
I finished this book last week and it was absolutely beautiful. Murakami is a Japanese writer with a cult following for his ethereal, almost fantasy novels. He blends reality with the realm of dream and imagination to create a truly magical world into which you are swept up and come to quite literally inhabit as the reader. Translated by Phillip Gabriel from the Japanese, the original linguistic spirit is maintained with short, simple sentences which somehow weave an intricate, poignant tapestry of human nature. I thoroughly loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone, but particularly to anyone going through a hard time.

One passage in particular made me stop to re-read it several times: "Tsukuru had never lacked for anything in his life," Murakami writes, "or wanted something and suffered because he had been unable to obtain it." He goes on: "Because of this, he’d never experienced the joy of really wanting something and struggling to get it."

For me, that turned the idea of what struggle is directly on its head. Or maybe, it turned me completely upside down and I saw struggle from an angle which I'd never seen it from before. Suddenly, it felt as if Murakami were speaking directly to me, whispering in my ear not to despair, but to recognize that if we choose to see it that way, to struggle can be a joy because it means that we want something truly wonderful with all our heart.

And then, in an absolutely surreal moment, I turned the page and someone had left a four-leaf clover pressed within the pages of the library book. It blew my mind and I felt changed somehow. Rather magical if you ask me.

So tell me, what is making you happy right now? Anything on your wish list? Tell me about something you're loving these days. I'm all ears! xo

(Mel Robbins photo via Twitter)