Top Ten Thursday: Happy Things

Apologies for missing out on Top Ten Tuesday this week! I actually did a draft of it already on the Tuesday, but I was seriously pressed for time that day that I was unable to finish it.

The Top Ten list I drafted is actually a different list from the one I'm making right now. I'm not feeling very well today due to the issues at home I keep talking about. I've been crying a lot lately and when I'm by myself at home, I usually lie on my bed for about an hour doing nothing but just crying. I also realised this morning; you know that pissed-off feeling you have when you have PMS? That's been me every single day for the past three months. To sum it up, I do feel very useless and helpless in my situation right now.

But despite the situation I'm in now, there are still some things that automatically just lift your spirits up a little when you're feeling down. Sometimes, the bad situations still outweigh the good stuff in life, but I believe it's still good to keep yourself in check by cheering yourself up every now and again when you're feeling that down. The joy you get from it may be fleeting, but I think they're actually important to have when all you can do out of your bad situations is just wait for it to end.

Having said that entire speech, I'll get on with it. So, here are the ten things that make me happy when I'm down!

10. Daydreaming about the future

For many people, and yes I'm gonna admit, including me, daydreaming is really a form of escapism. As we grow up, we kinda begin to think that daydreaming is lame or pointless because it's not like dreaming and imagining things will get us anywhere. But c'mon, even doctors have said that daydreaming is actually good for the brain! For me, daydreaming is pretty much subconscious where I just start doing it out of nowhere when I'm bored or looking to escape. I usually daydream about my next holiday, future possibilities that's so open to new chances and choices, you can make anything out of it and make it a happy place. For those who don't believe in dreams because 'dreaming won't get you anywhere', remember that it's your dreams that actually initiate what you want out of life, and it can be the very thing that pushes you into action. For me, daydreaming about all the great things that can come helps me visualise how I can make the most of my future opportunities, and also reminds me that bad times like such won't last forever and that things will get good too.

9. Bikeriding outdoors

Sadly, I haven't actually done this in a while because the weather down under hasn't been at all great; it's been very bipolar, raining for weeks then sunny for a couple of days, then raining, then sunny etc. But when I remember the Australian summers to be all-time-hot about four years ago, I used to do this. Australian kids and teenagers usually just spend their time indoors watching TV and going on the computer (which shocked me at first when we first came here from the Philippines because everyone was literally outside during the afternoons), and when you do this a lot, the air indoors kinda gets all congested and un-fresh that when you go spend some time outdoors exercising, it's really refreshing and mind-clearing. Kinda like you're escaping the everyday routine and going off in your own little mind-world for 20 minutes. I really oughta been doing more of this because when I do, it's pretty swell!

8. Eating fresh, healthy foods

Living in a westernised country kinda means that we're bombarded with a lot of ready-made fast foods, from McDondals to MiGoreng (it's Asian, but with our love for foods that you can prepare quickly explains its immense popularity here in Australia). So, when you get out of the norm and begin to eat a lot of fresh foods like fruits, veggies and fine home-cooked meals, you gotta admit that it does feel physically good. It may not taste as bangin' as junk food, but when you eat fresh foods like that, it feels... refreshing? Hahaha. Plus, it not only feels physically good to the body, it IS physically good for the body too! In a way, it's kind of a win-win situation too, right?

7. Sunny days

Okay fine. The picture above... it wasn't really sunny that day. In fact, it was pouring with rain. You just gotta thank digital manipulation and flash photography for that! But hypothetically, let's just say it was a sunny day. A lot of people like the rain. I guess I can kinda see their reasons why, but for me, I personally find it depressing. The clouds are grey and you can't go outside. Peering outside your window doesn't even look that great for me when it's raining compared to when it's sunny because when it's sunny, it's kinda like it's inviting you to go outdoors and enjoy it! I don't exactly know why sunny days cheer me up. I guess it's because I was born in a tropical country (actually, even the rain was happy for us because it meant that we got to take a shower in the rain, but taking a shower in the rain here in Australia doesn't seem very fun because the rain water here is too cold!). I just like how when it's sunny, it's like the world is inviting you to enjoy the view and the Vitamin D it's giving out for free. Good day for picnics too, which is precisely what we were trying to have in the above photograph!

6. Watching pointless comedies that don't relate to me in any way, shape or form

I recall having this one entire week where I didn't go out at all (because my parents wouldn't let me because I go out so much). I started feeling really bummed because I felt like I was imprisoned at home with my grandparents. I couldn't even watch on my own TV in our living room, eat in our kitchen, use the bathroom etc. because they've hogged it all. So, my sister and I have been pretty much treating my room as our house. We sleep there, we get dressed there, we eat there, we watch TV there too (my antenna's broken though so no TV, only DVD works). The only thing we don't do in my room is go to the toilet there and take a shower. Now, there hasn't been a TV show or a movie about that, so instead I watch movies like Stepbrothers (above) and Zoolander, and TV shows like Friends and How I Met Your Mother to ease the tension I feel through the fact that I don't relate to the storyline of any of these at the moment at all, and also because they're funny as heck! A really really good and convenient way to take your mind off your worries for an hour (or more, if you decide to have a marathon instead!) and just laugh, laugh, laugh!

5. Funny and/or uplifting Youtube videos

There are a lot of Youtube videos that really cheer me up. From random beauty tutorials, sh*it people say videos, random comedy vids, Bubzbeauty and music performances from some of my favourite artists, but because of my immensely-strong Aussie pride (or just the fact that bogans are hilarious to me), I put this video up for you for your entertainment. Non-Aussies will not get this, but for those living down under, you will get it. Just like those pointless comedies, these videos are another form of escape for me where I can just focus on watching it, laughing or enjoying it without taking life too seriously. Plus, if you just can't be bothered watching an hour-long movie to get your temporary happy-fix, Youtube is a good place to hit too. You will literally find anything in there!

4. Looking at my baby photos

My mummy and I when I was two.

Who here doesn't miss their childhood days.? When all we cared about was whether the food we were eating was yummy, if we could play outside or not and whether we were bored or not. When you begin to realise how fast time goes by and how complex life can be, you know that only means one thing: you're getting old! Every now and again, I enjoy flicking through my old baby and childhood photos. I think I find this activity to enjoyable because I love little babies and little kids, I find them so adorable (I even had a dream last night that I apparently had a baby hahaha). Through these photos, I also enjoy seeing how happy things used to be and I enjoy seeing how much people in those photos have grown up. That should make me sad though, and I guess a lot of people will be saddened by that, but I choose to look at it in a good way. It makes me happy how life really works; when I see old photos of me as a child, I realise how much I've changed and gone through in life, not only physically but mentally too. I continued to live and achieve things, and the other great thing about looking at these photos and realising stuff like "I haven't seen that friend in a while", then realising that you've again found contact with them after ten years. I think realising how much people's lives progress through looking at old photos is a blessing and pretty enjoyable too!

3. Baking

My friend Carmel says that when she's feeling down and sad, she recently discovered that she likes to redecorate her room. Funny how for me too, I've recently discovered my artistic and creative activity to do when I'm feeling down and sad; baking. Due to family circumstances, there have been many, many things I haven't been able to achieve this post-HSC holidays that I really set my mind to as goals; including learning how to drive, cooking meals and getting a job. But there was one thing that no one could stop me from fulfilling: learning how to bake. I pratically began my journey in baking land through using cake, cookie and brownie mixes, which I will say, are really, really easy that I think anyone in the world can do them. I then started venturing off to making baked goods from scratch through recipe websites (which I'm really really thankful for), and my cooking is actually not that bad! It's edible! Personally, I've always been  a painter and an illustrator in terms of being an artist, but I'm kinda stepping away from that because I wanted to start doing something creative that was also useful for the everyday life (I was even gonna do jewellery design as a fine arts major instead of painting/drawing if I got in at COFA), and baking happened to be there since everyone in the world eats food, right? I don't really eat everything I make; I mostly like to give them to other people and feeding them, then seeing their reactions to what I made so I know if it's good or if I need to improve on the recipe. It's a fun journey that's actually surprisingly not that hard! Don't listen to anyone else: anyone can bake!

2. My friends

This may come off as surprising, but frankly, it did take me a while to find the perfect set of friends for me. All the way from primary school to junior high, I had friends here and there but there was always drama and up until today, really only a few have stuck with me from those times of my life (which I am really thankful for). But it wasn't until I got to St Marys that I found out who my true friends were, from meeting new people to old friends and friendships fading away and even turning their back on me as a result of me moving schools. They're seriously some of the happiest people I've ever met. They love to have fun and they've always got your back whenever you need something, little or big. I just hope to still keep in contact with them even though we're all off to university now because these kinds of friends, although I've only known most of them for two years, are too precious to just let go. You know that when you find people like this, you gotta love being around them. Instant mood-lifter!

1. Reading the Bible and praying

I know, I know. People always accuse the Bible of being 'contradictory', of being 'mean', the like. But to be honest, though I used to think like this too, I don't find that at all now. I guess it's because I've opened my mind now to see that everything I've seen the Bible say has come true/applies to people's lives, and I've gained a lot of insight knowledge about the things that makes the Bible 'contradictory', and it turns out they're all sham anyway. Seriously. Many of us see reading as a form from escape when we're feeling blue, and for me, this book is best because not only can it bring you up, you know it truly applies so you know you're guaranteed to be okay anyway. I also find praying after reading invigorating because that's when it's you who can really pour out your feelings. When you read the Bible, it's God who is talking to you, but He also wants you to pray too because He wants you to talk to Him too. And the great thing is, He doesn't want you to pretend you're a great person when you talk (pray) to Him. He wants you to come exactly as you are, without fear or anything. The other great thing about this is that not only are you guaranteed to find joy beyond the sucky things, it doesn't cost very much to read the Bible and pray either!