Doors

A door is a movable structure used to open and close an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or spins inside a space. (© Wikipedia)

But for me, a door can also be untypical and somehow invisible. It can open to new adventures, new experiences, new feelings, new people, new environments. 

Wikipedia goes on: "When open, doors admit people, animals, ventilation, and light. The door is used to control the physical atmosphere within a space by enclosing the air drafts, so that interiors may be more effectively heated or cooled. Doors are significant in preventing the spread of fire. They act as a barrier to noise. Many doors are equipped with locking mechanisms to allow entrance to certain people and keep out others."

Doors prevent a spread of fire. Therefore, metaphorically speaking the fire could be the new things. Fire is bad, because it can destroy so much. But doesn't fire also symbolize energy, power, action and passion? Are these bad things? It's exactly like life. When a door opens, it can be a whole new possibility, but it can also destroy so much.

"Many doors are equipped with locking mechanisms to allow entrance to certain people and keep out others"

Some people need to lock themselves behind doors to feel safe. Opening these doors can be dangerous because one is vulnerable. But it can also open up to a new relationship that might mean so much. 

They also say, once you've opened a door, you can never go back. This is also only partly true. One can never forget the experiences, acquaintances made, but if it feels uncomfortable, one can hide behind these doors again. Maybe just to have time to think it over. To realise, that these new possibilities are good. 

Maybe all this is the reasen why I take so many pictures of doors ;) Big, small, welcoming, scary, open, closed, cute, bold,....I could go on and on!

(Sources: Door, Fire symbols and meanings, Pictures: Mine)

Be happy

You don't always have to be the best. You can do your best. And that's enough. As long as you're happy. Don't overwork yourself just to become the best. Because as long as you're not happy, you can't be the best.

This espcially counts for school. There are the people who fool around all day, barely listen and their grades aren't that good. But they're happy. Then there are the ones who listen, study, get grades that are ok. But they're not the best. And they don't care. They are satisfied with the outcome no matter what. And then there are the people some of us will never understand. They get to fool around, have AND get great grades. Why?? Dunno. But they do, and they're happy. Good for them . (Seriously, it's unfair but it's not their fault so just be happy for them).
And then there's me. I always tried being the best, wanted to so badly. But no matter what I tried - it never worked. And the not-working-part was what made me unhappy. I have been told I can't change it and that I should just be happy and content with what I can do. What I can reach. And what I actually do. I am supposed to stop comparing myself to other people and find out the good things about myself.

I am working on that and I thought this might me a little bit inspiring for other people too :)

Be thankful

Thanks to a very good friend of mine I am trying to be more thankful.

He reminded me of how lucky I am to be who I am, to be able to do the things I want to, to be able to think about others, to be able to live the life I am living.

People need to take more time being thankful for everything they have. 

I was frustrated because on that day everything seemed to be going wrong. Literally everything. At least I thought so. I missed my train, my bus, wrote a bad test (at least I thought so - it felt so bad), let things fall down, spilled my drink.....

So what if I miss my train? I can take the next one ten minutes later. It doesn't matter if I come to school ten minutes later. I should be thankful I can go to school. Thankful I have enough money to use the train. Thankful my body is capable of running to the train instead of being sick. Thankful I am actually able to think about how much this missed train affects my life instead of thinking whether I will survive this day, get enough to eat and drink, see my family and friends.

Same goes for the bus. So what?

The test turned out a whole lot better than I expected. I should believe in myself more.

Oh well, things fell down and spilled. Keep it together felilu! Geeeez.

I am thankful for being healthy, having amazing family and friends, time (!), enough money to live a great life... (wow. I'm one of the 8%...).

Thank You God.

Acts of Kindness

Exactly what I want to do. These random acts of kindness. Whether they are for friends, for family or for strangers. Especially before Christmas I was in the mood to do good things. To show kindness, that's being showed way too little.

One of my favorite bloggers just posted a little story of "seeds of kindness"

And just the other day I sent a lollipop to one of my closest and most important friends...He had been telling me how he couldn't sleep and didn't really have enough energy. He was tired and I felt bad for him. So I sent him a little lollipop that gives him energy due to the dextrose in it. It just felt good doing it. I wrote a little note but I didn't write my name. The next day he thanked me and said he couldn't think of anyone else that would be so kind (and crazy) and just send him a lollipop out of nowhere. Ok. I asked him for his address a day before and wrote about something we had just been talking about. But it made me happy.

I am going to do this more often.

Last year I randomly sent some flowers to my grandmother - gee was she happy about those! And it felt good.

People should feel good like this. Maybe do some more kind things. It could also just be to hold the door for someone or to pick up something that fell down. Here is a little video that's quite inspiring:
If you give a little love, you can get a little love of your own (The original was found on Facebook but since I can't relink that here - here is my version ;))

Be Kind. Keep acts of kindness alive and make people happy!