Strange Bedtime Stories

Illustration by: WormHappy

Here’s a simple 101 on how to feel realistically great. You will encounter the words awesome / awesomeness and similar words like good, better, great or freakin’ awesome for you to understand what I mean. My tips are very simple and friendly. Know your way to the great great land of Awesomeness (where you are right now, it’s not that far actually). And when you get there, make sure to soak up all the awesomeness you can have! 

1. Be OPTIMISTIC. Not idealistic.

There’s a difference. I say, do not be idealistic. It only exist in ideas. Being idealistic focuses on the ideal: justice, fairness, integrity and righteousness.  Since reality doesn’t always fit those standards, idealists spend a lot of time in anger, hurt, feeling betrayed and denied, repeating the same relationship problems, being stuck in victim ideation, feeling smug and superior. You get the idea. You expect too much you forget to have a back-up plan and when something goes wrong, you will definitely have a hard time recovering from them. You go sulking. 

Do not be a pessimist either.  Being negative about all things in life will nothelp. It will only make things worse. When you start being a pessimist, you’re definitely gonna be a train wreck waiting to happen. Go figure!

Be optimistic. Optimism always starts with acknowledging the reality of the situation and then focusing on the premise “everything happens for the best.”  Even tragedy can be placed in the context of focusing on the good that can come from it. Always look on the brighter side and learn that everything happens for a reason. Think of the better days. Today’s definitely a brighter one!

2. Have FAITH in God, in others and in yourself.

There’s just nothing to lose. A little prayer can have a butterfly effect. It can do wonders. Have faith in a Greater Being guiding you from up there. He’s watching. Have faith in others. You’ll need all the help you can get from them. Of course, you can’t always trust any stranger you meet. That’s kinda being stupid. But have faith in humanity and in all its existence (and in a very timely manner, have faith that Noynoy Aquino will do something good for the country. Haha). That the world will do something good for mankind. And for you. And have faith in yourself. Believe in yourself. Have faith that you can do anything you want. And that you’re freakin’ unstoppable (of course, do things legally. Seriously, trying to be cool by breaking the law and being the mighty super emo is just FAIL).

3. Be KIND and generous.

Respect others even if it irks you. You can’t burst just like that all the time when you want to. Have some respect for yourself as well and don’t make a fool out of yourself. Don’t be nasty because it will only get you in big trouble. Fight if you have to. Protect your rights but don’t go smashing on somebody else’s face just because you felt a little less awesome from something bad they did. If you can still handle it, let it pass (the world will take care of you and them, just wait!) At some point in our lives, we will all become that one person someone would love to hate for making them less awesome. We wouldn’t want them to smash our pretty faces, wouldn’t we? This can also be a good patience exercise for you, too! Just do good to others. Kids, don’t rebel against your parents. They have good intentions. Adults, don’t rebel against society. Analyze things. Make these things into opportunity. You get the idea? Say SORRY to those you’ve hurt. It won’t hurt to do so. And when you say it, mean it.

Give and share the blessings you have especially to those who needs it. The world is so abundant of everything we need and us people, are instruments in getting these blessings around especially to those who sadly gets it the hard way. Karma does know its way around, i’m sure you know that. Be kind and generous. Be good to others and others will definitely do the same to you. If some others don’t, then that means they just haven’t got what they wanted yet. That’s why they’re bitter. But you’re not! Coz you’re freakin’ awesome! Apir!

4. FOCUS. 

On the good things. Don’t envy other people because they have more. Personally, it’s sometimes hard not to, but when you think about it, you might even have more than what they have in other ways or in other aspects of your life. That’s why the idea of balance of nature was invented! Haha. We can have everything we want at the right time. Not just all at once. Don’t be so greedy. 

On the things you have: your life, your family, your job, your friends, the food that you eat, your home, the music that you hear, your freedom, your dirty shoes, the TV in front of you, the household chores that make you more responsible, the warm shower in the bathroom, the fact that you can still laugh despite everything else shitty, the fact that you still have the opportunity to surf the internet and read this super awesome tip unlike other people. :D Focus on these things and make sure you cherish them before they zap out right in front of you or without you knowing it. That’s just bummer.

On yourself and have a goal. Okay, so if you envy other people for being richer, smarter, prettier, taller, sexier, and even cooler, then why not turn this as an opportunity. Don’t consume yourself in mediocrity. Turn these things into a goal, instead. Write down on a piece of paper the things you’re worrying about today, or your problems or the things you’re not satisfied of. Then beside it, write down how to solve these things (it’s simple logic of life). Give yourself a due date or a timeline and set a goal for you to work on. AND THEN DO THE GOAL. Things are easier said than done but that’s the only way to go. Unless you have a genie that can do things for you. But you don’t. So be your own genie. Do things. Just do it. Focusing on yourself also means minding your own business. You have your own life to think of anyway! Stop worrying about other people getting ahead of you. Stop comparing, it’s for lame people. Compete with yourself. Analyze the things you’ve done in the past that you think you could still do better today. Think on how you could improve on yourself, overcome your fears, face reality and then: do something about it. Then breathe. And then move on. If things get a little messy on your end, REFOCUS. Nice huh? 

5. Think HAPPY thoughts.

Didn’t we all learn this from Peter Pan? A single happy thought can give a domino effect on you, or on other people’s lives. Think about the things or the people around you. Or how far you’ve come already, or how good you’ve gotten so far by managing everything that came into your life. The tip is still being positive. It’s like a catalyst on making things happen. When you feel oh so frustrated about life, you feel like not moving on anymore or worse, you choose to be miserable. You choose to turn your world into a cosmos of chaos and dwell in emo songs and black eyeliners. Well? if you choose to be miserable, don’t complain because it was your choice in the first place. Don’t bug other people for being miserable because you can actually get all the help you can get but you choose not to. It’s all a matter of free will, man. You can get anything you want in this world, seriously. You just need to ask. And ask for happiness. Or better yet, MAKE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS. It priceless. And epic!

6. SMILE and chill. 

Even the gloomiest day can change with one smile. Switch on that light bulb inside your head by smiling and thinking about what to do next when you have this great big wall you think you can’t get pass through. I firmly believe that God won’t give us any challenge we can’t handle or manage. No matter how big this wall is, there will always be that tiny hole that will show the light to the other side of that wall. So smile, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. 

Chill. It’s cool to panic or cry for a good five minutes when you think you’re on the low. Scream your lungs out, it’s also good exercise but make sure that after you’ve had that 5-minute break, you’ll be back on your toes and think of what to do next. Don’t be stuck up, you’ll look pathetic. Seriously. Go have a drink, smoke, watch a movie, play the guitar, run, sing, watch a gig, take photographs, eat ice cream. do something new. Unwind. 

Dance and cherish the little things!

7. EXERCISE and save money.

Exercise releases endorphines thus triggering our happy gland. And personally, I think it would be awesome if we exercised so that we’d feel good about ourselves (we’ll be sexy the way we want!).

Exercise your right to be happy. The best things in life are for free. If something costs you, it’s not the bestest in life! Haha :) I’m making sense, I promise.

Save money. Very self-explanatory. You don’t want to envy other people again for their money, right? You’re not deprived of this. The world always has a way to give you this need. It’s just right there. Look closer. Think. Think. Think. You just need to learn how to manage it well.

8. If there’s a WILL there’s a WAY.

Charge to experience. I’m sure you all have had this experience at some point in your lives. If you want something to happen, YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN. If you don’t, you just end up making some lame excuse or reason why you can’t do things. If your first option seems hold you up tight, then think quick for a plan B! Don’t feel bad because plan A didn’t work out, that’s how life is. Things happen for a reason and eventually, you’ll find out why plan A didn’t work or why plan B did. And why plan B was a better choice in the end. 

9. Take everything as a challenge and LEARN from it.

As I’ve mentioned eariler, God will not give us anything we can’t handle. If the problem seems to recur, it just means that we haven’t learned from it yet. Life is like an exam in the classroom, when you take an exam and you fail, what happens? You retake. You retake and you study hard until you get things right. Until you make sure you don’t do the wrong things ever again. Until you learn what’s right from wrong. And when you pass a certain exam in your life, that’s when you can only move on to the next chapter. And on the brighter side of life: you’ve learned! It’s a win-win situation. For those who can’t take the exam, they quit. They quit life. Don’t be a sissy. Life is great! 

10. LIVE strong. LAUGH hard. Love love LOVE.

Live strong. This is a playing field. The world is a huge playground. So be strong, have enough patience and courage to do anything that’s right or anything that’s genuinely good for you, or plainly anything that would make you happy WITHOUT HURTING OTHERS (remember Karma? yes, she’s digital now, she’s fast.). Be strong for the other people around you, I’m sure one way, or another we’ve helped others without even knowing it.

Laugh hard. Don’t take life seriously. Enjoy it while you can! But be fruitful as well. Don’t waste it. It’s the greatest gift to mankind. You don’t want to throw away something so precious, right? Laugh at the funny things but don’t laugh insultingly, that’s something else. Laugh at funny jokes. Take time to see the lighter side of things, it’s for free. Laugh at yourself for the embarrassing things you’ve done in the past. For being so whiny and too emotional about things. Haha. :D Laugh all you can. It’ll make you look and feel younger, plus it’ll make your world a better place to live in.

Love yourself. And I quote Lucille Ball: Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love. yourself to get anything done in this world. She got that right! This is self-explanatory. Go figure :) And remember, having a happy ending doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be with someone. You can be alone but still be happy. As long as you love yourself. Believe me, it’s liberating.

Love others. Don’t be a hater, it’s such a waste of time. Appreciate others and admire them for what the have or who they are or what they’ve done to you. It’s also a way of being loved back. It doesn’t have to be a romantic kind of love. Love also means simply respecting others, respecting the differences. Make friends. Even if you’re not loved back the way you love others, just love! Share it! :) Fall in love. 

Love God. I personally, am spiritual and I believe he will make things happen if we help ourselves. Thank him for everything around you. Thank him for your life, your family, your home, your food, your fancy dress, your dirty shoes and dirty socks, the late night TV shows and torrents in the internet, the idle time and the beautiful sunset, the patience, courage and strength, all the challenges that’s keeping you alive, the ideas that grow like mushrooms inside your head, the chance to dance and sing while in the shower, the chance to laugh, and the fact that you and your life is just so freakin’ awesome right now, AND YOU KNOW IT! :)