Don’t wear a long face especially when the world is celebrating and cheering. Besides, sadness makes you feel old. But if you are still grimacing about something, then I guess I cannot really blame you. I have been there for many times and it’s really hard to fight it especially when it affects you very much. In fact, I have come up with some ideas on how to fight against it. It’s very effective, if you ask it. On the other hand, if you are feeling sad, you can write down these ideas to give you points on how to bring back a grin in your face even though you are sad.

1. Wallow. Cry, mop around, be bitter for some time. Releasing that emotion is really helpful to minimize the weight of your sadness. Rather than keeping it inside yourself, you just release it until you are able to do things that you want.

2. Do something that cheers you up. When you are tired of moping around, then you can begin enjoying your time. Whether it’s  stuffing yourself with sundae, reading a good book, looking at a breath-taking scenery, or watching a movie, enjoy your moment to the fullest. With this, you will be able to breathe freely and smile.

3. Take a walk. Walking is not just a form of exercise. It can really help you ease your pain. In fact, a study has shown that people with depression can deal with their problems more easily from taking a walk for at least 10 minutes.

Remember that it’s only natural to feel sad about something. But if you are going to be blue for a long time, then it’s not going to be healthy anymore. That is why I am sharing my techniques to you, to make you feel better when sadness strikes you.

Hell, I know it sucks to doubt something, especially when it’s yourself that you are doubting. Believe me, I have been there for a couple of times, and it feels like it is very hard to stand up. No one is really stopping you to move and you can’t do anything you want because of that doubt.

If you are in this situation right now, then you have to take actions before it’s too late…. before your self-worth is crashed. And if you are clueless about such actions, then I will share you to the things that save me from crashing:

1. Believe. This should be the first word that pops in your mind when you are starting to doubt yourself. Believe that you have what it takes to get your goals. Believe that you will conquer your weaknesses and will exceed your limitations. Just believe and you will go far.

2. Stay positive. It is very important to be optimistic. Looking at the bright side even at the darkest times will help you fight your inner monsters.

3. Boost your self-esteem. Your friends and family can help you develop your self-esteem, but at the end of the day, you really are the only person who can boost it. This is because you know your weak spots. Once your self-esteem is boosted, I don’t think doubt can no longer affect you to the point that you will lose some self-worth.

If these things are not much of help, then you can consult a professional who can explain the reasons behind your doubt. Their expertise is solving such cases and with that, they will help you understand it and conquer it.

There is a cold sweat in your face. There are goosebumps on your flesh. Your pulse rate is increasing. Your chest feels like it’s going to explode. You are angry. You are mad. You are enraged. But wait…. You don’t know how to express how furious you are at the world.

Well, if you are clueless as to how to express it, well, don’t worry. I have few suggestions for you….

1. Destroy the things around you. Throw any stuff you see. Whether it’s a toy, a mug, an instrument, a cabinet, a refrigerator, it doesn’t matter. And don’t get bothered at its direction because it’s not really that important. Don’t pay attention to its value. Who cares if it’s worth a thousand bucks? Money doesn’t concern you when you are mad, right? Remember, you are enraged, and the only thing you should care about is for them to feel your anger.

2. Curse everything. Ass@#le. B&*llsh!%. Son of a b^$%*9. Try to find words that can express your madness. Of course you should be certain that it’s a bad word. Because if your are saying things like, “Forgive my rudeness, I am being carried away by my aggravation,” I don’t think people would assume that you are that furious. So, curse all you wat. Oh yeah, you might as well be creative and use other language.

3. Be rebellious. Remember that the rebellious people that we know have issues…. and they are mad. So, worship these people and make them your idols. Follow their footsteps and do what they do until you become a rebellious icon yourself. And just a piece of reminder, don’t lose that angst of yours so you can become a credible rebel, eh?

Guilt…. How I hate the word…. It makes me bothered all the time…. It makes me disturbed all the time…. And I never get peace whenever I feel it. It makes me think of what happened over and over again, even if I’m already sick of it.

Because I can’t stand the burden of guilt, I do these things so I can finally get over it and move on:

1. I divert my attention to other things. No matter how hard it is to get rid of this guilt, I force myself to focus on other things. I watch movie, surf the net, play a video game, and other things that will really catch my attention. With this, I’ll forget the weight of being guilty.

2. I make up for it. This is one way of “atoning” for my mistakes. It is definitely more profound way to overcome guilt. Apparently, when you feel it, you did something that you wish you could take back. But because it is impossible to do that, one of the best ways that you can do is to make up for it.

3. I never do it again. I am definitely not a fool to do something stupid again, that will make me guilty later on. Of course, I should learn from my mistakes and be more mature after that. With this, I can live without any guilt.

With my own guidelines, I can avoid the burden of guilt. Of course, there are still instances when I feel quite guilty, but still, with my personal code, I save myself from the “insanity” it can bring.

Is everyone turning you down? Don’t you get the attention you want even after you’ve done everything? Well, I guess you might not be doing the “right stuff.”

I have few ideas here. You may think it’s a little extraordinary, but if you are a total sucker of attention, then you won’t mind doing it…. even when it’s shameful. Oh, by the way, take note of this…. it’s shameful…. not embarrassing….)

1. Fart in front of a huge crowd….. And when I say fart, I mean a long and loud fart so everyone can hear it. After that ceremonial call, you can check everyone’s head on your direction…. while their noses are covered….

2. Get caught by your parents while masturbating. To do this, you have to be sure that you call their attention. Go to your room and throw random things. Make sure you leave the door unlocked and you can start doing that nasty thing. When they call your name, don’t answer. For sure, they will check you out. And when that door gets opened, voila, you’ll be successful in your shameful operation. And knowing that parents love their kids to know such sensual things after they get married, you won’t just be getting their attention, you will also get some long-day lectures from them.

3. Get aroused after a girl touches you. Another kinky idea here. But I guess this will work too especially when a girl just touches you in your arms innocently. Oh yeah, be sure that she will notice that screaming stuff of yours for you to see that disgusted look on her. With this, you’re not just going to have her pay notice to you. When she shares it to her friends, I’m sure you will also win their attention.

So that’s my list. You can come up with more shameful acts if you want. But before doing such crazy stunts, be sure that you already swallowed your pride, when you will no longer have a great reputation after.

A man’s pride….. Even a youngster can understand that. I am girl, and I can’t really understand why men treat their pride like their better half. And sometimes, they do some stuff for their pride…. and sometimes for their ego (which I love to term as their macho image….er). Based on my observation from my guy buddies’ personalities, they do this to make them feel like a real man. I guess this may raise eye brows, but hey, this is just my opinion. Besides, I’m a girl so I won’t be able to completely understand it.

On the other hand, I guess a man’s “pride” is always misinterpreted as “ego” or their “macho image.” For pride is dignity and respect that you give to yourself. With this thought, I ask my male buddies about what makes a pride of a man….. And here are their answers:

1. Sense of responsibility. Since women nowadays are becoming more independent-minded, strong-willed, fighters, men tend to lessen their will to take responsibilities, thinking that us, girls, can take actions. A divorced man can be a primary example for this. He can forget about his child’s needs simply because his mother can nurture him. But hey, a man should always know how to take responsibilities in every action he makes.

2. Living up to their words. It’s very easy to make promises. But the real challenge here is if one can live up to it and fulfill it. And hey, even when it hurts him to do that, it takes a real man in order to keep his promises.

3. Fulfillment of their dreams. Men have always been proud for their strength. And if this so-called “strength” isn’t able to put them to their goals, I guess the thought of it is humiliating. That is why, a man has to prove himself, not just to the people around him, but to his self as well.

Argh! I can’t sleep from thinking about what happened a while ago. I joined this crazy group on their wacky plan to vandalize the library in our campus. I have to admit that it’s really fun to do that, but what broke our spontaneity was the school guards who caught us in act! And tomorrow we will be facing the school administration to discuss about our “fates” in school.

Thinking back, I wish that I didn’t join them. I knew in the first place the tight security system around our school, and getting caught was not impossible. But hey, I was carried away with their silly ideas so I ended up coming with them. So here I am, anxious about what will happen tomorrow. However, what really makes me disturbed is this regret. I’m guilty and I am regretful. And because I know our crazy stunt is a serious school offense, the only thing that can keep me from being kicked out is to show my sincerest remorse.

Anyway, since I am still bothered and disturbed, I decide to just post a blog about this. I bet, you readers (if there’s any ;p) will somehow get related with my situation, as everybody has at least something that they are regretful of. So, to make this stuff lighter, and to help me forget about my tomorrow’s “fate,” let me just give you some pieces of advice on how to express sincere remorse (if that is, you want to make up for your mistakes):

1. Apologize. “I’m sorry,” is a common statement uttered when someone commits a mistake. On the other hand, this has turned into a meaningless thought as one speaks of it without any sincerity. So, if you don’t want to be like this “devious one,” then look someone at the eye and contend this word with all your sincerity. In this way, the person will spot your regrets for your mistakes.

2. Make amends. Find a way on how to make up for your wrong doings. It can be a good deed, a favor, or even a compromise.

3. Learn from your mistakes. Once you regret an outrageous thing, be sure that you won’t be doing it again. After all remorse is about being apologetic for your mistakes and it will only be worthless when you do the same thing again.

This is just a short list, nevertheless, it is still helpful. In fact, I think I am taking my own advice to prepare myself for tomorrow’s judgment. Sheesh….

There’s terrorism, there’s scarcity, there’s war, there’s inequality, there’s abuse, and there are millions of things that can make you depressed. But hey, life is still beautiful and there are things that can bring smile in your face. Yeah, in fact it can make you really happy.

To brighten up your day, here are some things that will remind you that it’s happy to live.

The beauty of nature. The wonderful scene of sunrise, the breath-taking sight of sunset, the scent of green grass, the coolness of the breeze, the touch of the sand, and the current of the sea….. these are some of the best things about nature. If you’re going to pause for a while and take a look at them, you’ll appreciate it more.

Good times with your buddies. These are the days when jokes and laughter are your language, when you drink, eat, play, and party harder. Then you exchange some stories and take pictures together. The bonds that you share reminds you that it’s not everyday that something bad happens to you.

Good work. Achieving your goals uplifts your self-esteem. It boosts your confidence after accomplishing a hard task. It is a way of telling you that despite the difficulties, there are good things that will happen in the end.

These things may bee too shallow for some. However, if you get to appreciate small things such as these, then happiness can be achieved easily.

Exceeding your limits to achieve your goal can be excruciating, especially when it’s failure you meet in the end, and not that success you are dreaming about. And later, it can hit you with pain and frustration. Because it seems like the end of everything, hopes can be difficult to find and there can be more struggles in gong back to the road you once take.

Frustrations can be too tough to handle, so here are some tips on how to beat them before it hits you and puts you in low self-esteem.

“Let frustration be your motivation.” This is a statement that encourages optimism among those who are frustrated. Instead of getting down from failure, put your head up and use it as an inspiration to get better.

Reflect on what happened. “What went wrong?” Ask yourself this question and it will help you reflect on your strengths and weaknesses. And since you’re using that frustration as your motivation, you will be working on your weakness until it becomes your strength.

Failure is a part of the process. Accept the fact that it’s not always that you get the best things in life. Remember the famous phrase, “Life is like a wheel,” where there will be times when you are not on top. So, if things don’t go according to your expectations, accept it whole-heartedly because it’s part of your betterment.

Being an appreciative person as I am, I have expressed thousand of thank yous to the people around me. Whether it’s a simple act or a big favor, I make sure that they know how thankful I am. In fact, I learned to say “thank you” in various languages such as “arigato gozaimasu” (Japanese), “merci” (French), “danke” German, and “spasibo” (Russian). But being flexible in foreign language isn’t enough. As I said, I want them to feel my warmest gratitude, so I exert some efforts to return the favor.

Gift-giving. There are loads of items in the market that can be a thank you gift. But sometimes, I make sure that my gift is more symbolic or more valuable by creating a hand-made gift myself. I once did a colorful and artistic framed picture of my friends and a box of messages for them.

Healthy gratitude. Cooking for them has always been delightful. Even when I am not good in this field, with a guidance from my mother (who is expert in cooking) and a good instruction in the cook book, I’ll still manage to prepare them a decent meal.

Lend a helping hand. This is my way of giving back their kindness. I make sure that I give my best shot in helping them, whether it’s a topic they can’t comprehend, repairing a broken item, or during times of trouble. But of course, I do this not only because I am returning the favor, but because I want to be there because they are important to me.

There are other ways that I do to express my appreciation. Some of them are not that special. Gee, some of them come in the simplest manner. But the bottom line here is, I am making them feel that their act of kindness is being appreciated.