If you have five minutes...

1. Call your mom or dad.
2. Floss your teeth.
3. Water the plants and wipe dusty leaves with a damp paper towel.
4. Respond to emails. (AHEM.)
5. Pitch three old items from the refrigerator. (of course, this assumes you aren't like me and eat every single thing that you have. leftovers are their own food group in my fridge. Thanks granny.)
6. Untangle a necklace.
7. Brush the cat.
8. Remove gum wrappers, receipts and ATM slips from your purse.
9. Shed something. Anything. (this is always fun.)
10. Write a thank you note that you've been putting off.

Guess what? Spring is coming! I can see it. Yellow hyacinth (sp?), daffodils, flowerbuds on the trees and that really bright green of barely unfurled leaves on trees. The knowledge that rainy days are going to give us really really spectacular tomorrows. Plus, I happen to like a steady rainy day. As long as it's not the fifth in a row. But this day was on its own and even had some thunder and lightning during yoga class. (: I like warm weather. and I looooove hot weather. I can't wait.
Plus spring seems to bring out that restless, 'what can we do now?!' feeling in many people including myself. I get this almost uncontainable urge to run and shout and dance and go up to random people and ask them things. Come on! Aren't you excited about breathing! Being alive on this day, this one day in the world?! I realize that this 'theme' has been covered in books, movies, radio and every single form of media. Not to mention conversations between people. But it's because it's so true.
Some of this may come from family and other stuff that's happened over the past year. You know I don't like to talk about big unhappy things. (opposed to the little trivial unhappy things like I get stuck at every red light ONLY when I'm running late. What is that?!) However, my uncle Jay and Aunt Lee both died within the past few months due to colon and skin cancer in October and this past Sunday respectively. They were both siblings of my mom, which means from the youngest child of five, she now has 2 older siblings alive. That is scary. Other people I know have health things going on. So for the mothereffin love people, take care of yourself. You can't prevent certain things, but you can try to be good to your body. It's a machine that works better when you treat it better.
And please, please, please for me, don't just be in this world but live in it. Things are going to go wrong. You will move back in with your parents. Your car will break down. Your checking account may say $0. You might spill soda down your favorite (white!) shirt. People will move away from you. But honestly? You're breathing. You have the amazing ability to wake up tomorrow and have it be full of unknown surprises. You can feel the sun shine down on your face when you step outside. You have friends who love you. You have this moment, right now.
In that train of thought, research has shown that happier people live longer. Now, I had some trouble finding my happy thoughts (peter pan anyone?) during the end of december and january. So, being a giant science nerd I collected research on what can make you happier. Here are the cliff notes:
1. Make a list of three things you're grateful for. (I actually do this when I get in bed. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes serious. But they make me remember good things about the day or look at a bad moment in a new light.)
2. Don't underestimate the power of nostalgia. Put up pictures from your past that make you smile.
3. Don't dwell. Seriously. You may think that going over and over a mistake or problem or friend/ family drama will help you because you think you're finding answers or gaining insight. Stop it. You're actually obessing and constantly bringing negative thoughts to the forefront of your thoughts. That ain't good.
4. Find something little in your routine each day that makes you happy. Look forward to it. For me, it's a) making my bed. because i'm a freak. and making my bed involves straighting the covers and placing a folded blanket across the bottom. and b) my morning breakfast/ coffee routine. Especially on the weekends and my day off.
5. Exercise. Volunteer. Give to a charity. Hold the door open for someone. (and not just that cute guy coming out of the gym.)
6. Find something that you are 100% engaged in while you're involved in it. Start baking. Knitting. Learn to breakdance. Take Yoga classes.
7. Look forward to something in the future. A vacation, a dinner date, going for a hike on the weekend, the next episode of your favorite tv show.
8. Hug people. Show and tell people you appreciate them.

Well there you have it. Love you.