monday happy

As an individual dealing with depression, finding things to maintain a positive attitude is key to keeping my head above water. A post grad Monday is enough to shatter that resolve to bits. 

That being said, the video above has helped keep me in the black since high school. It's directed by Baz Luhrmann - and if that name sounds familiar, it should. He's the mastermind behind Romeo + Juliet and 2013's The Great Gatsby. The video is set as a commencement speech, and I honestly believe that it is the greatest thing to ever grace the internet. 

The speaker opens by advising the Class of '99 to wear sunscreen, as it has been scientifically proven to be beneficial to our health. He prefaces the rest of the speech by stating, 

"the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience." 

And isn't that just it? We find the things that work for us and we run with them. We ask others what works for them when we see their happy demeanor and adapt it into our own source of contentment. At one point in the lyrics, the speaker advises the audience to do one thing each day that scares them. Just the mere IDEA of that incites fear into my very core, so the simple consideration of it is the one thing I do each day that scares me.

However, this weekend I did something that scares the ever loving wits out of me - I went to a house party. The hostess, Haley, and I have been messaging for some time about how we need to get together. I'm thinking surely just she and I will get together and grab coffee, just the two of us. Then she invited me to her place to watch the Final Four games with her husband and some friends. I typically don't attend things unless I know for a fact that I will know the majority of the people there so I can avoid the fact that I'm not good at meeting new people. I shot a text to a friend I knew was invited, and she was going to be at the beach all weekend. So instead of using my scorching new sunburn as an excuse to stay in, I got a bottle of wine and drove over to their house not knowing what was in store for me. Guess what happened? I didn't die, I didn't break out in hives - I actually had an amazing time. Was I the only one there without a shiny diamond on my left ring finger? Yes. But I met some really awesome ladies (as well as their husbands), drank sangria, watched basketball, and showed them married ladies the magic of tinder. 

So on this Monday as I get bogged down with work, I am choosing to enjoy the power and beauty of my youth. Because let's face it - I have a loving family, a steady job with coworkers that I absolutely adore, friends to laugh with, and so much more to be thankful for. Asking for more than that would simply be greedy.