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Lula Harp

~ one girl's journey into cooking, crafting and self discovery

Lula Harp

Tag Archives: happiness

Toast Tuesday: Be Awesome

16 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by Lula Harp in Toast Tuesday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

be positive, happiness, walk the talk

I choose to surround myself with awesome, positive people. My work environment is full of dark unpleasant people and I have to work very hard every day to keep my positive attitude. While I am inherently a positive person, I have a very dark and snarky side that can take over if I let it.

For this reason, I listen to positive podcasts, positive playlists, and have happiness all around me at my desk. No matter where my eyes light, there is a little something to make me smile. We have to want it. I can’t want you to be happy and make it happen. You have to want to be happy and you have to make it happen.

I had a reminder of this recently. I have two friends; one who keeps talking about making a change, and one who took action to make a change.

My work friend I often joke and share life stories, came to me recently and said something has to change in the way I communicate with the world around me. I’ve got to do something different to make this happen. The old ways aren’t working. He signed up for a class and the very next day had an opportunity to apply something he had learned. He was so excited to tell me about how he learned something from each person in the class. On his morning commute when some old lady cut him off, he recognized that his initial reaction was negative and was able to change his self-talk.

I stop by my coworker’s desk many mornings on my way in and have “caught” him doing his homework. I am so excited and proud for my friend that he wants this for himself and is making it happen.

My friend that keeps “talking” about making a change… well, sadly, when a bump happened in his road, he immediately turned back to the negative. Turned back to all the bad habits and things that had found him in the sad space he has always been in. I’m a big believer of you get what you give. If all you are telling the universe is how much this life, this person, this ______ sucks, that is all you are going to get – one giant suck-fest.

I’m going to leave you with the new quote that is on my mirror now…

Grant me the serenity to kick some mother-fucking ass today and karate chop the shit out of anyone that is slowing down my train of awesome.

Now get out there and kick some ass!

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happy, grateful, blessed…

07 Sunday May 2017

Posted by Lula Harp in just a thought

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

be genuine, happiness, happy heart, joyful, positive

We all have things that happen to us.  We also have those things that we make happen.  I make myself happy every day.  I make the life I want to live.  I make the friends I want to have.  I make conscience choices every day to be as genuine as I can.

Part of being genuine in my life is knowing what I can and cannot do.  I cannot control anyone else.  I cannot make anyone else happy.  I cannot make anyone do anything they don’t want to do.

I can make my life the best it can be.  I can be as happy, grateful, thoughtful, and peaceful as I want to be.  My life is mine to enjoy to the fullest.  I will not waste a single minute.  I will savor them all, for the ones we have are all we are going to get.  Make the most of them all.  Make every single minute count.

We cannot undo what has been done.  Be mindful of your words and actions.  The things you put out there cannot be taken back.  You get what you give.  If all you are putting out is hatred and anger, how do you expect to find genuine positivity and love?

Enjoy all the day has to bring; a good book, a new song, and a happy heart.

#lulahasahappyheart

enter my heart
photo bombed cocktail kitty
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Dream, Wish, Love
Dream, Wish, Love
wood you be mine
leave me in peace
leave me in peace
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What defines you?

23 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by Lula Harp in just a thought

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Tags

favorite things, happiness, joy, Self discovery, smiles

In college I studied English and art; the things that made me happy.  I am still the English and art major at heart.  It is still the written word that brings me joy.  The use of language to tell a story and transport you to another place.   A splash of color, a glistening dewdrop, or a majestic sunset bring me such happiness.  Seeing the pure pinkness of my cat’s nose while she naps in the sun and how water droplets bead on my dog’s coat when we walk in the rain.  These are a few of my favorite things.

I now sit at a desk all day pushing a pencil, really a mouse and a keyboard.  It drives some of my friends a little nuts that I don’t want to talk about work.  I have the luxury of being able to leave it at the office and that is where it stays.  It is not the thing in life that brings me joy, so why would I want to talk about it?  It certainly does not define me.

I want to be defined by the happiness and joy in my life,  the new knowledge I glean each day, and the smile I leave for someone else.  I love to learn now that I am learning on my terms.  School was never fun and that’s why I thought I wanted to be a teacher.  Today I teach what I want, the way I want.  I teach people tiny ways to be happy and how to spread joy.   Even when I teach at “work”, I have fun.  Because otherwise, why do it.

If we can’t have fun, what’s the point?  What defines your life and how you live?  Are you working just for another paycheck?  We all have to have money to live, but do you make the best use of your life outside of that paycheck?

A few recent snaps that made me smile and I hope they will you as well.  May this day bring you all the smiles and joy you desire.

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Coloring outside the lines

25 Sunday Sep 2016

Posted by Lula Harp in just a thought

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Tags

901Rocks!, creativity, girlfriends, happiness, painting, Sunday morning

As a kid I didn’t mind coloring outside the lines. I’d always make a line and try to stay in it, but it never seemed to work. Now, I’m all about lines and lanes. I want you to stay in your lane on the road. I want you to drive the right way in a parking lot and not cross sideways to take a short cut.

I like things to be just so… Since I’m not a terribly good artist, crazy sister got that gene, the whole 901Rocks! happiness scavenger hunt has been a bit of a challenge. I’m trying to embrace coloring outside the lines and know that the goal is to make someone happy and not create a Van Gogh masterpiece.

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I had the girls over the other night and since then my dining table has been art central. Waking up slowly with my coffee and paint has been fun this weekend. I’m just doodling and let whatever happens happen. If I happen to go outside the lines, then it was meant to be.

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Enjoy your beautiful Sunday.

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Happiness Rocks!

17 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by Lula Harp in just a thought

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

901Rocks!, happiness, happiness campaign, love, memories, smiles

I think I’ve mentioned before we have no idea how it impacts others when we show a little simple kindness in some unexpected way.  I know I have memories that I feel quite certain others would have no recollection of.

Another happiness project has been lurking in the back of my mind. This one has nothing to do with my office. As for my office, I have decided to people outside of my cube want to be miserable and dramatic and I cannot have any part of that. All I can do is go in and be as happy as I can be. So within my three walls I have surrounded myself with as much happiness as I can.

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Recently a new group in Memphis started on Facebook that was born out of a summer project to get some creative activity in their kid’s summer. It has been dubbed a creactivity. 901Rocks! is really about spreading happiness all around.  It’s like Pokemon Go, but you don’t need a smart phone. Happily painted rocks are hiding all over town. They’ve been spotted in parks, grocery stores, churches, schools and offices. You name it, they are there. Some are fancy, some are messy, but they are all born out of love and happiness.

A few years ago a friend of found one of these happiness rocks and passed it on to me. I think I was supposed to receive the message and send the rock back out for someone else to find it. I didn’t. I kept it. It’s in my kitchen where I see it every day and every day it makes me smile!  I’ve been thinking about doing this for sometime and I am delighted that this has taken off.

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I am not an artist. I wish I were, but all I have are warm, happy thoughts.  So with that, I am going to be hiding my happy little rocks all around town.

Happy hunting!

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My Happiness Campaign

26 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by Lula Harp in just a thought

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

attitude, cube farm, decorate, happiness, positivity, quotes, work

My office is the most dismal, dreadful cube farm of depression and disinterest. Some days it’s down right difficult to make myself walk through the doors. Not too long ago, I took it upon myself to put up positive quotes on wipe boards around the office.

Something struck me today, and I’ve decided I’m going to covertly decorate the hall that leads into our department. I have a willing accomplice. At this point our thought is something akin to the yellow brick road with positive, non-denominational quotes throughout.

I’m putting the call out to writers, reader, friends, and happy folks to send me your favorite positive and uplifting quotes. I’m not on Facebook, Twitter, or twatnot, so please spread the word far and wide, for anyone to leave a happy comment here.

I’m going to leave you with my most recent merry message to the masses…

“A great attitude becomes a great mood. A great mood becomes a great day. A great day becomes a great year. A great year becomes a great life.”

— Unknown Author

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365project about town bacon baking Blogging Blogging University books breakfast cocktails community cooking dating dinner garden girlfriends grilling just a thought Memphis photo challenge photography pizza Portland recipes restaurants Toast Tuesday Uncategorized vacation wordless wednesday words work

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