Palmer Trinity School

14 W W W. PA L M E R T R I N I T Y. O R G DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY THAT ADVANCES YOU is might sound a bit corny, but how can 'advancing yourself' ever be detrimental? Choose what you want to advance – your relationships, your body, your education, your home – and then do something simple each day to achieve it. Today, I stopped cleaning to take a fifteen minute break to sit in the sun. How did this help move me forward? I was able to appreciate my lovely garden and relax. Although this is not for everyone, it is probably better for my body than sitting on the couch feeling sad about the news I hear on the television. SEEK OUT QUIET TIMES I'm not suggesting that sitting on the couch is necessarily bad. Sometimes it provides a welcome escape or much needed break. For some, being alone is a no brainer. But I'm speaking about some sustained time – a dinner out, a solitary walk, or a long run; just some time to pause and mute the noise. Solitude also allows for time to stop and reflect without judgment – no one knows what you're doing, no one is asking if that email has gone out or if the dinner's ready or if the homework is done. Now if we could just turn off the phone – is that asking too much? ENJOY SUNLIGHT AND NATURE South Florida is a place of perpetual sunlight. Studies show that the sun provides us with vitamin D and helps lower our blood pressure. However, a gray day sometimes allows us to seek out the quiet times we need. Nature sometimes forces us to stay inside and appreciate the world around us. Consider a brooding thunderstorm and then the spectacular display as the sky dumps itself all around us. Such a natural phenomenon is one of the many things that is simply beyond us. On our campus, we are surrounded by nature both in the sunlight and during a storm. EXERCISE Science tells us that exercise releases endorphins, but on a basic level after we've got over the rapid heartbeat, sweaty clothes and shortness of breath – we know we did a good thing for our body and our brain. To those who see exercise as a scary upward battle – start small. Do some activity within the comfort of the home that raises your heartbeat. Don't leave items on the stairs for next time but go up every time you need to get something. Take the stairs instead of the elevator and carry your groceries without a cart. Before you know it, these little changes will become habitual. BE OK AY WITH NOT BEING OK AY By a certain age most of us have figured out life can't be picnics and rainbows all the time, so looking forward beyond the bad stuff is always good for us. We are not meant to control everything. We don't know all the answers, and that's okay – if you're dealt a bad hand, figure out a way to improve it. You also need to accept one of life's truths – you're not going to be happy every day. Be okay with not being okay and not being perfect. We can't conquer the world alone, and we must remember to be happy for others. LAUGH AND PLAY Find something to laugh at, be silly, allow yourself to break out of mum mode or teacher mode or serious academic mode and make a funny face – just not in the middle of convocation. Children under five barrel through life spontaneously. A little childlike wonder can be great for us. PRAY It's more natural to pray when one is religious but even if you're not you probably pray "please let it be..." anyway. If you only pray to the universe, then keep doing it. is brings our hopes and dreams into laser focus, and the more focused we are on what we desire the more likely we are to achieve it. Prayers for lottery wins and phenomenal exam results won't always be answered, but hope is I offer a few simple thoughts on happiness. Social media will tell you that all your friends are very happy, and that could be true. But if we sit back, we know that social media is not a true projection of reality. So what can we do when we need a little dose of happiness? BY A NNE NE Y R A , ENGLISH DEPA RT MEN T THE SIMPLE SECRE TS OF HAPPINESS

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