Your Happiness Factor

Confidence is Key Here is another inspirational post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Steph's videos on YouTube at  http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoz1yev_apPjE8XcVrjyjA/videos Keep smiling when times are tough. How many times have you been told that? Countless times no doubt. Well, you know what? They might just be onto something. Smiles release endorphins that cause happiness and I have actually tried this when I was feeling low (it happens to us all) and it made me feel better. At the time I had a headache and wasn't feeling very positive about life. So I tried smiling to see if what they said was actually true. And I can confirm it. It didn't work instantly but my headache soon wore off and I was pretty much back to the old positive me. At these time you just need to refocus the lenses on happiness. Just smiling and

Staying Positive When Things Hurt! Here is another inspirational post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Steph's videos on YouTube at  http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoz1yev_apPjE8XcVrjyjA/videos  You don’t have to feel A-OK to be positive or feel happy. It’s Ok to get down sometimes. Makes you appreciate the highs when they come! I was in hospital having just had an operation and I was out four days later! I’m not super-woman; it did hurt for a little while but as soon as I put the pain to the back of my mind and focused on being happy the hurt subsided. I know this can’t work every time. As I’m due to have an operation later this month, I was just lucky it did work for me.  Just keep reminding yourself that people go through tougher things every day. Helped me anyway. People go through pain every day, and this may not help ever

Smile; you only get this moment once Here is another inspirational post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Steph's videos on YouTube at  http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoz1yev_apPjE8XcVrjyjA/videos  ‘ Smile; you’ll never get this moment again’ morbid yes, but so true.  Circumstances change in the blink of an eye, from how you’re feeling to the outside no-control zone. I call outside factors this because no one can control some things that happen in life, they just do.  We can view it either as making us stronger people (which it will) or go into the whole ‘Woe is me’ routine. The no-control zone is just like worrying. It makes no difference; it doesn’t stop the bad things from happening; they will come either way. It’s just a fact of life. Bad things come to teach us lessons. That’s all they do. Although it may not feel like

One chance at life Here is another inspirational post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Steph's videos on YouTube at  http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoz1yev_apPjE8XcVrjyjA/videos  If one bad happens in a day try not to let it affect the day’s productiveness. We’ve all had days when a bad thing happens first thing and the whole day is ruined because of it. But if you just refocus on the positive after the downfall – whatever it may be – you can turn a downward turn into an upward one.  Everyone fails at something in their life – a mis-venture or makes a million mistakes – there’s no plain sailing in life, even if it looks to be on the surface. You can never really tell what’s on someone else’s mind unless they tell you. Nor what’s bubbling beneath the surface of a smile. So try to be kind. One of my core beliefs is there

Never give up! Today, we have another inspirational post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube   Do you take everything at face value? I know I used to. There’s always a back-story as to why someone’s dressed a particular way or something happens. You may not see it at first, and it may be a part of their life that they don’t want to admit to. Everyone’s going through hard times, but not having the same experiences. Don’t feel alone, because everyone is going through life at their own pace. Though everything may look fine on the surface, you can never tell what someone’s going through. You don’t know how far someone’s come. You don’t know where they are in their life – whether they’re thinking of giving up or anything. Don’t take everything at face value; there are deeper reasons for everything. Th

Don’t regret not saying something! Today, we have another inspirational post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube   Don’t regret not saying anything. I’ve had a few moments where I’ve just had to say something, either to voice how strongly a particular situation has made me feel or just because it was a now or never moment. If I hadn’t said anything, I knew I would regret it and the other person would probably never know. Life is so precious that I don’t want to regret something that I had the opportunity to say or do. The counter-argument to this is that you may not feel the same way by the morning. But if the conviction is strong enough to make you feel it, it must mean something to you. You have the power to change anything at will, those obstacles we have no control over are the real blocks. Unl

 Giving little compliments away can mean so much Today, we have another inspirational post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube   I think it’s important to always be considerate of other people’s feelings. Like remembering when important things happen in their lives, especially if they’re fearful of that event. That’s why giving little compliments away can mean so much. It can brighten someone’s day. It can be a simple thing such as ‘I like that colour on you’ or ‘I really liked your work today’. As is well known in the world by now, that children don’t respond if there’s someone putting them down, they respond more to small encouragements. We are all like little children and that is nothing to be ashamed of! Just now our little encouragements have developed into compliments. So give one away. T

Today, we have another inspirational post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube   Doesn’t it just feel like all your problems are weighing you down?  Well the good news is this is just temporary. Although it feels like it will go on forever, I assure you it won’t.  In months, years, a decade you’ll be looking back and asking yourself why did you think that was so hard? Why did you let that stop you? And it’ll either be because things have toppled on top of that, and you have learnt to deal with it or all the issues of those days have disappeared.  And you’ll be glad you’ve been through it. Either because it’s taught you how to deal with problems for the future when they appear, or you’ll be so thankful that that was then and this is now. You will be better equipped to fight off a similar issue,

Grow into a stronger person Today, we have another inspirational post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube   When I come across roadblocks/setbacks/obstacles I know I have 3 options:  Give up  Give in Give it everything I’ve got.  It would be easy to give up, but if I didn’t struggle on where would all my stories come from? Because what hurts so bad today could be made better tomorrow. You never know what could happen.  So don’t do something silly that you might regret later and/or would hurt your loved ones. I admit in those hormonal teenage years I used to think about packing it all in, but I could never do it. And do you know why that was? It was because I couldn’t bear to see someone I cared about lonely. I still know this person and I don’t care for them in the same way as I did, but I’l

We Are All Being Brave - Judgements Today, a new and inspirational post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube   We are all being brave. We are all fighting our own battles. Whether physically visible or not, we have all thought about packing it in at one time or another. One quote I like to remember is ‘If you are lucky enough to be different, stay that way’. I think it is true, because everybody is offering something different in life. Everyone has a different attitude, opinion, way of life etc. (the list is countless) so that is why I think it is a poor choice that we judge. Someone could just be having a really bad day and your comments could lower their self-esteem. Do your best not to do that to that person.  Everyone has issues (the list of issues they could have is endless). I was caug

e-Happiness 2 By Stephanie Carfrae Here is another post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube   I don’t have a magic wand to whisk away all of your problems.  Heck if I did, I definitely wouldn't be in this predicament.  But I do have the power of words, which in the words of Dumbledore, are the most inexhaustible source of magic, both capable of inflicting injury and remedying it!  Celebrities are admirable because they are actors, dress in a particular way or are singers.  The people we regard as strong are people who act as though everything is OK, even and perhaps especially, when the world is falling down on them.  Singers are breaking the mould into acting nowadays, whether it’s just in music videos or like Jennifer Lopez, acting is where they made their name. And it seems e

You Are Amazing By Stephanie Carfrae Here is another post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube   ‘I think you’re amazing,’ someone says to someone else, but it doesn’t matter who, because they’re all amazing really. People are amazing.’ An insightful quotation from David Nicholls in his amazing book One Day. And it’s so true.  Whether your wings are still forming, you’re still metamorphosing or your wings are fledging, or you’ve already taken flight, YOU ARE amazing.  Always believe that. Even when the world seems to have turned its back on you, there is a star somewhere shining for you. Always have the confidence to believe that. Because YOU ARE worth it.  Anybody who tells you that you aren’t are merely jealous because they want to be who you are, or they are pessimists.  When you know

My Belief By Stephanie Carfrae Here is another post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube   When I find myself facing a task I don’t like or that I think will take a long time if I get involved.  I just imagine myself not being able to do that particular thing ever again. It helps me stop putting things off.   Having infinity to get things done is a nice idea but that’s all it can ever be because time is so precious. Life is unpredictable at the best of times.  After I’ve had a good time at an occasion, I just use that as inspiration to do what I need to.  Life is an unpredictable waiting game.  You never know what is coming next. Which is why it can be exciting.  When you’re going through a really hard time, it seems it will never improve. But there is always a ray of light somewhere. I

Making the tea. When you feel the fear! Here is another post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube    You are arrested by your own fears.  You are the only one stopping you. "Because I might get laughed at!" "Because I might get it wrong!" Sound familiar?  If you never try, you’ll never know. You could be the best.  But a reluctance to face what you could be great at is, of course, a holdback.  If you’re strong enough to not want regrets, you need to let go of your fears. Though people may laugh at the start, when it becomes your norm, people who appreciate you will laugh at them!  Just because someone doesn’t believe in something, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong for you.  My parents are very protective of me and won’t even let me make a cup of tea! Crazy I know: they are on

Don't regret Here is another post from contributor, Stephanie Carfrae. She is a Creative Writing Graduate; you can find her own blog  at   www.stephcarfrae.blogspot.co.uk   and I think you will be inspired by Stephanie's  first video on  YouTube    'I don’t regret anything I have done or anyone I met. There was a reason for every one – either they’re long lasting friends or they’re to teach me about distance or to show me that holding onto something isn’t worth it. I only regret the time I wasted not making the most of every moment – when, at uni, I used to stay in every night – not making anything happen when I could have. You never know what could happen. Don’t waste it. You only get one chance. So go be free. No one has the right to tell you how to live. I know the future may appear dismal right now, but I promise somewhere there is a star waiting to shine above you. In life, there are 3 things you need: A wishbone; A backbone; A funny