Choosing to Be Happy

I recently finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I've debated in my mind whether I liked the book or not, but in the end decided that there were good lessons to be learned even though the tone was "I'm holier than thou." Happiness is an interesting topic and seems to me like big business for a lot of Americans because many of us are unhappy.  I imagine that this all started with the ideas placed in our heads when we are young about The American Dream. The American Dream tells us that you can be anything you want and have anything you want as long as you work hard. That may have worked for the pioneers, but for me, I find that working hard leads to more work. Not to say that successful people don't work hard, but rather working hard isn't the only way to be success. I would say I equate success with happiness, which is wrong.

Then there's the Asian part of me that was trained from a young age to do well in school, get a good job, then be successful. I feel like got the first two pieces done well enough, but I'm still not there in terms of where I'd like to be.  I get that happiness is different for different people, but I think the one thing everyone can agree on is that happiness is being satisfied from within. I find myself jealous of people who are satisfied with their lives; people who knew what they wanted to be when they grew up from the start. 

So despite my resistance to the idea in The Happiness Project, I find myself trying to improve myself to live a happier life. I'm not unhappy, but rather I'm bothered by letting life pass me by when there's so much opportunity. Everyone can be happier. 

Before I read Happiness Project, I read The Secret and The Power by Rhonda Byrne, so in a way I was searching for something, before I was even aware of it. Happiness is big business, there are so many books and people out there giving advice about how to live happier. Not for everyone, but for some, happiness is a choice. You can either choose to be happy and enjoy your life, or you can focus on the faults. Sometimes environment plays a huge factor in being happy. Combine a negative environment with sort of a Stockholm syndrome and you're left feeling unhappy with no hope of getting out. 

So starting today I am choosing happiness. I'm going to focus on my own happiness for one year. I'm going to choose to do things that make me feel like it was all worth it. To hold myself accountable, I will also blog about the experience. 

 In the book people argued with Ms. Rubin saying that happiness is selfish. I disagree. When I'm happier, the people around me are happier. The laws of attraction in summary states, you can either attract positive or negative with just your thoughts. So you shield yourself from the negative and be positive. For me this will be one of the biggest challenges. I can be a downer dolphin with the best of them. 
So where to start?

To begin Ms. Rubin suggests marking out goals by answering the following questions:

▪ What makes you feel good? What gives you joy, energy, fun?

▪ What makes you feel bad? What brings you anger, guilt, boredom, dread?

▪ What makes you feel right? What values do you want your life to reflect?

▪ How can you build an atmosphere of growth—where you learn, explore, build, teach, help?

From there, you set your goals and break them down onto a resolution chart. Here's what I got so far: Click Here

There's really nothing to lose, so it's worth a shot. If anyone wants to join me, I hear that's a good thing, so please let me know. There is currently no Happiness Project group in Orlando. Or if you would like to borrow the book, I'd be happy to loan it out. 

Follow me to Alaska

Tomorrow I blast off on my trip to Alaska and Canada. I'll be trying to Tweet, Instagram, and blog as much as I can, but I will not be buying Internets.

I found this really cool website that transmits the location of the ship (Carnival Miracle) throughout the week. In case you're wondering. http://www.seascanner.com/schiffsposition.php?schiff=Carnival+Miracle

Tracking the weather is something I do. Of course this past week in Alaska it's beautiful and sunny.  The day we arrive in Alaska it will be rainy and cold, for the entire week. Oh well. I guess I see intense sun 360 days of the year anyway.

I'm bringing an old school journal and pen with me, so I can note my adventures. Who knows. Maybe I'll come back with the next White Fang written.

Packing for cold weather has been a challenge. I'm usually a very light packer, but for some reason I'm bringing way too much clothes.  Warm clothes are bulky too. Shamefully, I am bringing two pairs of flip flops. Yes, I realize I'm going to Alaska, but what if I need a pair or two. I'm not bringing boots, which may also pose a problem. I've only lived in Florida for four years and apparently have become cold weather ignorant.

Also a funny story: That bridge that collapsed near Seattle is the bridge necessary for me to travel to Vancouver after the cruise. I'm sure there's a detour. Yay for American infrastructure.

At the end of the trip, I'll be visiting my cousin Karyn, who I have seen since 2008? She has two adorable children who I've never met. I'm very excited to meet them!

This will be the longest trip I've taken (aside from that time I lived in Los Angeles). It should be an adventure! I can't wait to come back and tell you all about it.

Vacation Poem

Tomorrow I'm going on vacation,

Traveling across this great nation. 

Crossing things off my bucket list,

I know this is a trip not to miss. 

It will be wet and cold,

but most beautiful, I am told. 

I hope to see tons of whales,

after all, I've obsessed over the details.

I don't even care if it's just their tails, 

If I do not see them it will just be fails.

I followed the whales on Twitter, 

and when I see them my heart will flitter.

It will be hard to return home,

but I think I'd miss my Chrome. (book)

So, I will see you all very soon,

Until then, try not to swoon. 

Today Show Taping Recap

Today I had a totally fun experience being apart of the Today Show taping at Universal Orlando. I also got my mom involved and to see her excited for something was worth getting up before dawn. Due to the terrible storms in Oklahoma, I had my doubts about the "fun-ness" of the event, but it blew my expectations. The whole thing was very organized and I can say that the staff was SO nice!

We lucked out and were able to be placed exactly in the shade of a palm tree and positioned on the far side, but right in front.

Mom shook hands with a lot of the talent too. What fun!

Arriving home, Dad DVR'd and we watched frame by frame. We were actually on TV for a hot second and my friend Christian was on a bunch. I'll try to get some screen caps later.

I lived 23-years in New York and never went to a Today Show taping, so I'm glad I did this one. I'm thankful that my mom got to join me and she had a blast. Hooray!

For Craig: My Alaska Trip

Dear Craig:
In 6 days I'm going to 

ALASKA

I am traveling via:

And I hope to see lots of:

I've been saving up all my money to buy:

Then I will return back to Orlando. 

The End!

Good Asian: Baked Tofu Bites & Fancy Sauce

So I've been on a mission to eat healthier as part of my "Happiness Project". I've learned that you can eat a lot of veggies and fruit and still not up your calorie count. My biggest challenges are meal times, because I love high-calorie food. Today, I had a craving for tofu, but I did not want it fried (though I'm sure it would taste amazing). So here's my super easy baked tofu recipe.

Good Asian? Baked Tofu & Fancy Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Block of Tofu (Extra Firm)
1 cup Cornstarch
1/2 tbs. pepper
1 egg
2 Cups Panko Breadcrumbs

Fancy Sauce
1/4 cup of Soy Sauce (Low Sodium)
2 tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. of seasme oil
1 tsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp. minced garlic
Red Pepper Flakes

Prep. 20 minutes (at most)

1. Open the package of tofu, drain water. Then pat dry. If you are not in a rush, I'd place it on a few paper towel and press it for 30 minutes to get more water out. Basically, put towel on top and bottom and get something heavy to put on top.

2. Cut tofu into smaller blocks. I did it in two inch rectangles.

3. Place cornstarch and pepper into a bowl. Place beaten egg into a bowl. Place Panko breadcrumbs into a bowl. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. It may be wise to spray with cooking spray.

4. Coat each tofu, first in the cornstach, then dip in the egg, then coat in Panko.

5. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Then flip each piece and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown on each side.
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Fancy Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients. Yay! You can also heat the sauce to combine all the flavors.
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The taste is light and crunchy. The panko makes a huge difference. I also tried this with breadcrumbs and it was not as flavorful. I would be willing to try this with BBQ sauce or some sort of hot sauce as well. If you try this recipe, let me know what you think.

What is your passion

This week I attended a lecture about personal branding, which of course got me thinking. The speaker went around the room and asked, "What is your passion?" For the first time, I was able to answer coherently. Here is my answer: My passion is story telling. I believe everyone has a story, whether it's personal or in their head. I tell stories through writing and I love it.

Expressing my passion is difficult because sometimes I can go towards the crazy side (ex. whales), but passion is something that I lack. Well, not that I lack it, but more like I have so many passions it's hard for me to feel satisfied.

The man giving the lecture is a head honcho of Human Resources, so he knows a number of things about getting jobs and moving up in the world. He made an interesting point being that everyone looks great on paper, but it really is the interview that helps distinguish a candidate. He emphasized that he encourages his team to look for passionate people. Most people can learn the skills to do whatever job, but whether or not they want to do it can make or break an interview. This makes a lot of sense because with the economy, everyone now has a bachelor's degree or higher, some people have experience, and other don't. In fact, the only way that a 20-something who graduated during a slump in the economy can stand out, is by showing their commitment and dedication. For my next interview (whatever it may be), I'll be sure to show my passion more.

For me, the hardest part was identifying what it was. My next step is to determine what I can do with it.

Starting Challenges

With less than 30-days until my trip to Alaska, I find myself needing to finish things. At work, I've taken on pretty much a new job, so time is short and I come back quite exhausted.

I began a 30-day writing challenge to really start moving my book forward. It was going well until yesterday, when my mom got sick and I was too tired to write. I made it five days. I'm still going to write something everyday that is not work-related. I can envision seeing my name at the top of the New York Times Best Sellers list. I also see myself at book signing and writing professionally for a living. These are all within my reach, I can feel it in my heart.

I also feel the need to read more, which is a huge challenge because of lack of time. I've always felt that you cannot write effectively unless you read avidly. If you ever feel the need to see what I'm reading you can follow me on GoodReads. I will strive to make time for myself. Today, I had a technology free and nag free hour, so rather than meditating, I did the thing that makes me most happy. I ate, a lot. For an entire hour, I ate everything I could get my hands on. This sort of concerns me because it's definitely a sign of emotional eating, but it felt so good.

Also in my various pursuits, I'm trying to think of ways to make my work environment a more positive place. I've been reading a lot about The Secret, The Power, and The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  All these books have the main message of changing the way you think to be more positive. There is nothing to gain from having a negative attitude, so why do it.

I'm going (rather ambitiously) change the way I think and hopefully bring that positive atmosphere and positive way of thinking to my office. I admit it is going to be a challenge, I'm dealing with 20-something underemployed people, who have to deal with getting yelled at all day. I'm also totally going to write about it. Stay tuned.