"I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.'" - Kurt Vonnegut

These past two years have been amazing years. I've started my career, traveled all over the world, lived in a different country, live in a castle, and have met some incredible people. It's been a time of great personal growth for myself and I'm constantly learning about all of the things I can do if I put my mind to it and push outside of my boundaries and comfort zone.

And yet, through all of that, I frequently find myself losing sight of what's really important. Instead of focusing on all of these positives, I find myself thinking about how I wanted things to be or nitpicking on the little day to day stuff that has gotten under my skin.

So this year, for my New Year's resolution, I want to follow Kurt Vonnegut's advice and take a moment and stop and think, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is." I started this project several years ago and have decided to bring it back to life. This will help me to intentionally stop each day and reflect on something (and there's always something) that's made my heart smile.

Today, my heart smiled when I got to see all of my friends again after the break. It's always nice to have a holiday, and I certainly enjoy lying in front of the couch with my sweatpants and cat, but it's nice to laugh, talk, and catch up with friends again.

Here's to 2016! Let it be filled with smiling hearts, laughter, and good health!

A friendly look, a kindly smile, one good act, and life's worthwhile. - Author Unknown

I had a really quiet day. Hardly left my apartment. Today is the last day of the holidays, which I always find to be rather melancholy. I got prepared for work tomorrow, watched some more television, crocheted (oh how I missed crocheting), and did some tidying up.

Earlier this week I borrowed a friends iPhone to iMessage a friend from back home. I messaged him to tell him that he needs to get a messaging app so that we can communication to one another. I figured he either didn't get my message or chose to ignore it. Then, as I was just finishing up what I was in the middle of making, I got a message from him! Of course he didn't download the app I told him to, so I can't respond until I put more time on my phone or ask to borrow my other friend's iPhone again, but my heart still smiled when I saw his message.

Now I'm off to jump in the shower and get ready for bed. There's work to be done tomorrow.

Why not learn to enjoy the little things - there are so many of them. - Author Unknown

I picked the quote because it's definitely something I'm going to have to remember to do during the upcoming days and weeks.  Everything seems so much more stressful the past couple of days with my move to Kuwait coming closer and closer.  At times I feel totally overwhelmed and everything seems so scary.

So, I need to think about those little things.

Today we had a great pre-Thanksgiving dinner (no turkey, though, because the turkey is huge and there wasn't enough of us to justify cooking the whole thing).  It was tasty, with homemade stuffing with bacon and wine (two things I won't be having soon!).  It was really nice, and my heart is now smiling while I sit here waiting to take my maple sugar pie out of the oven.  So instead of focusing on the unknown, I can focus on the delicious meal I just had, and maybe I'll suggest a game night or movie for the rest of the evening!

Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. - Betty Smith

I would've updated yesterday, but I was exhausted.  We had such a busy day!  For my birthday, we went to the zoo, which was a great time, and where my smiling heart moment for the day occurred.

I am a huge fan of Giant Pandas.  The day I heard they were coming to Toronto, my heart smiled.  The day they arrived in Toronto, my heart smiled.  So obviously, the day I got to see them in person, my heart smiled.

Today, my heart smiled when I saw Monster University.  It was funny, sweet, and the theater was nice and cool!  Couldn't have asked for me more (well, maybe more butter on the popcorn, but whatever!).

Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response. - Mildred Barthel

Without looking at past posts, I'm pretty sure I've written about this many many times, but it always makes my heart smile anyway.

It's simple.  Lying in bed, the sun shining in, having no where to rush to, cuddled up next to my cat with a great book.  Seriously.  How is that not the best way to start your day and how could that not make your heart smile?

And just to make this post even better, here's a picture of my two cats (not together because they don't really like each other so they're rarely close enough to each other to get a picture of them together).

Gump!  Not the one I was cuddling with.

Forest!  The cuddle monster.

Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it. - William Feather

I'm going to play a bit of catch-up.

Monday was a hectic day at my internship.  There's been some behavioral problems that require a lot of attention, which has lots of people on edge.  Plus, there's some really important meetings later this week, training on Tuesday, and just everyday craziness.  It being a Monday doesn't help either.  But, with that being said, there's always time for a smiling heart moment, and mine was working with a student on his English homework and helping him finish it, even though he continuously said he couldn't do it.  There's just something awesome that happens when someone realizes that what they thought they couldn't do is something they can do.

Tuesday was a relaxing day.  The staff at my internship were off for training in Toronto, so I got the day off.  Of course, I spent it doing nothing, which in and of itself had my heart smiling (especially since I didn't know I'd have the day off until Monday afternoon).  I really had two smiling heart moments on Tuesday.  The first was when I finished reading Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut while sitting out on my back porch in the sun.  The second was watching The Croods with my little sister.  It was nice to spend some time with her while watching a really good movie about the importance of family.

Today my smiling heart moment happened during a meeting at my internship.  Personally, I feel like I'm getting along well and adjusting to life there, but what I personally feel isn't necessarily what everyone else feels.  So it was really nice when the staff members all commented on how quickly and easily I have connected with the students and the program, and even said that most people don't normally transition into it so well so soon.  One of the Youth Workers commented that she could tell the students like me because they went from saying that they didn't need any help, to asking me for help.  She said that when they actually want you to help them, that means that they like you.  So yeah for me!

"I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.'" - Kurt Vonnegut

So what brought me to update today?  The quote in the subject line.  In his commencement speech to the 1999 graduates at Agnes Scott College, Kurt Vonnegut ends with the phrase, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is," and that got me thinking.  If this isn't nice, what is?

The weather is amazing.  I spent some time prepping the garden to plant some vegetables, which I've been waiting to do since last year.  I also found some granadilla fruits (haven't eaten them yet, but just that I found them is pretty awesome and smiling heart worthy).  I ate a deep fried cannoli, and yes, it made my heart smile (I know what the health nuts are thinking, and yes, I see the irony).  I played two rounds of mini putt (and lost both rounds).  I got my eyes checked and the changes to my prescription is so mild that I don't even really need to buy new glasses, but (another smiling heart moment) because I have awesome coverage, I am getting new glasses (talk about privilege!).  I even had time to watch this really inspiring TED Talk: 

So, back to the original question, if this isn't nice, what is?

Edited after the fact:  The quote is originally in A Man Without a Country (also by Kurt Vonnegut), but it was while watching the commencement speech today, where he repeats this quote at the end, that I decided to update.