happy – Jenna Jamieson, Author

Share Your Joy!

By Jenna Jamieson | December 22, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

Tis’ the season to remember that Christmas isn’t a happy, cheerful, fun, and joyous time for all. Some find this time of year to be extremely hard due to loss, stress, anxiety, financial strain, or internal struggles that many of us may not even be able to see.

It is easy to get wrapped up in the holiday lights, the music, and the lovely Christmas and New Year’s festivities, forgetting the many people that have no one to share the season with, or don’t feel the happiness that others feel throughout the season. There are kids that won’t have presents under the tree on Christmas morning, people suffering from depression and anxiety, divorced parents that must share the holiday with their ex-spouse, and endless situations that create anger, sadness, and uneasiness.

Remember that you have the ability to change that for someone. You can use your joy to help put a smile on the faces of others. Smile at those who are hurting to give them hope and strength that shows them you care. After all, your smile may be the best part of their day. Consider changing the way you celebrate Christmas by decreasing the amount you do in your own family so that you can help give to another family. Further, be willing to reach out and help strangers by delivering cookies, gift certificates, or presents to a family in need. You could help someone putting air in their tires, a shopper who can’t reach groceries on the top shelf, or holding doors for senior citizens. Be sure to also show a little extra appreciation this time of year to those in the customer service field, including retail workers and food service employees who work tirelessly and endlessly throughout the season (often at very low wages) to ensure that others are able to create special memories with their loved ones. (I speak from experience on this one!)

As you wrap up the holiday week, please keep in mind all those that may be suffering. Those are the people we desperately need to reach out and offer a hand to. It can be as simple as a smile, or as elaborate as offering to give to those in need. After all, there are many people that struggle to even meet their basic needs this time of year and all year long.

So my challenge and hope is that by reading this you choose to use my #ProjectKindnessBook to spread YOUR cheer this holiday season. Your cheer could be the difference in someone’s life; even if you only change one life this holiday season, that is better than none. Happy Christmas with love and hugs from me to you! May 2017 be the year of spreading kindness to strangers.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

A new year of kindness!

By Jenna Jamieson | October 31, 2016 | Comments 1 comment

I just turned 29, which matters for a few reasons, but not for the reasons you might think. It wasn’t really all about celebrating me, or eating lots of birthday cake. Instead it was about completing my first full year of my #ProjectKindnessBook goal. I have a picture of each random act of kindness for the 28 things I did to help change the lives of others throughout the previous 12 months. I didn’t post very many of them on social media, and I didn’t count the things I did for friends or family as random acts of kindness. In fact, I actually took the pictures to keep myself accountable and to serve as a reminder of the positive actions I have the ability to do for strangers and people I barely know.

Not only was it a time to wrap up my year of 28 random acts of kindness, but it also meant it was time to start my year of 29 random acts of kindness. It has helped remind me to give more, take less for granted, help strangers, and cherish what I am able to do for others. My year of 28 random acts of kindness proved to be a bit difficult at times, probably because it was my first year. My #ProjectKindnessBook initiative was a new thing for me and I wasn’t sure what type of random acts to do that would keep it anonymous. By the end I had so many different ideas of what I could do, including an overabundance of ideas to use this year. I now have many ideas on how I can give to strangers without identifying myself to get recognition or credit.

With only a few weeks into my year of 29 random acts of kindness I am farther ahead than I would have anticipated at this point. The random acts I do are almost always for individuals and families rather than donations to causes or organizations because I hope to touch the heart of everyday people in the world – people of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, gender, and race. My year 29 random acts of kindness will have a minimum of 29 different things I do, but by the looks of it thus far I will probably far outreach my goal which is a great thing. That makes me happy because it means I am spreading more random acts of kindness out into the world. I hope others will join me on my journey of giving back and spreading kindness all around us and throughout the world – no matter where you live. Happy sprinkling random acts of kindness wherever you are! View my Project Kindness page or visit my previous post What is #ProjectKindnessBook? to learn more.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Find your passions {express yourself & decompress}!

By Jenna Jamieson | July 7, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

Life can be a mountain. It is much more a mountain than a beach. There are challenges to overcome, hoops to jump through, and hills to climb to meet your goals and achieve your dreams. Passions, hobbies, and ways to fill your time in a meaningful way for yourself and others help combat the challenges and obstacles. You may not even think about the hobbies or things that you do to relieve stress, whether it be spending time with your kids, going on a date with your spouse, exercising, reading, cleaning and organizing your house, or some other hobby that you love. There are hundreds of hobbies you can use to enhance your life and those around you. It will make you stronger, happier, and more relaxed to devote some of your own time to your health. It may just seem like everyday life to most people, but having avenues to decompress are vital. They keep you happy, healthy, thankful, and sane.

Not only are hobbies important to decompress at the end of the day or week, or at the end of a very traumatic or draining month, but they allow you to express yourself in a unique way. I often scrapbook and exercise to destress and reduce any tension that I feel. I love to scrapbook to get my creative juices flowing and to reconnect and visit all the fun adventures that I have been fortunate enough to be able to experience. I have been scrapbooking for 10 years and it is one of the most calming and refreshing hobbies that relieves stress. On the other hand, I love a good workout and sweat session to boost my energy and rejuvenate my body after an exhausting or frustrating day. Both are great hobbies that help my mind and body in different ways. My small hobbies have helped me maintain a balance in my life and a thankful spirit in my heart.

Finding your passions and sticking to them will make you feel more at ease with your life, giving it more depth and meaning. You might also find that channeling your hobbies will give you energy, express your creative side, and remind you to be thankful for all that you have.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Quality over quantity…in life and in health!

By Jenna Jamieson | April 27, 2016 | Comments 1 comment

“Quality over quantity” fits my life mission and many of the goals I set for myself. When I workout I like to keep it in the back of my mind. I want quality over quantity. What does that mean to me? It means using the correct form for the exercises I perform and creating a workout that fits my lifestyle and body. It is for my sanity, strength, and a stress reliever at the end of the day. In other words, I would rather do fewer reps and sets during my workout than lots of reps and sets in the incorrect form. That can cause pains, strains, and injuries.

The same can be echoed for the career paths I have gone down. I have come to appreciate (and enjoy) having a job that is far more “quality over quantity”. That may not even make sense, but let me explain. I work in public education and I don’t get paid a lot, but the work I do and the students I touch are the reason I have come to like the work that I am doing (after having changed career paths several times prior). The quality or meaning it brings to my life far outweighs the quantity or money I am making.

Lastly, I love to travel. It is probably one of my favorite things to do and I wish I could do it more often. I love the experiences it gives me, the memories I create, and learning about the world. I like seeing other cultures, gaining new perspective, and more than anything the quality it adds to my life.

The meaning behind this post is to remember that in life it is far better for your health and happiness to appreciate life and people, not things. Take pleasure in the small things…the things that create memories, experiences, and teach you something about yourself and others. Make your life center around quality and experiences. You will be happier if you do! And, more than anything remember to appreciate your health and the aging process. After all, good health and aging is something that some never have the privilege of experiencing. As my grandma once said, “If you have good health you don’t realize how lucky you really are.”

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness