Day 5: October 31, 2010.

This is girl right here.

A beautiful person, a beautiful suite mate, a beautiful friend.

Dana makes me happy :)

Day 4: October 30, 2010

I'm sorry I'm a little late on this one.  I promise I would have have shared my "like" earlier, but it was quite a marathon of a Saturday and I'm just now getting home!  My mom and I left early this morning, as she had to get to the South Seaport to get in line at TKTS and I had rehearsal.  Post rehearsal, I had about an hour before I had to be back at the studio for the Tisch Gala audition (TONS of fun!!), and then after that we ran back to my room to throw on some real(ish) clothes and head uptown for a dinner date at the best Spanish tappas restaurant around (Sangria 46 in case you want to make note of it!) before topping off the night with a little Broadway.

Somehow Mom snagged us front row seats for "Fela!"  My mind is blown.  It was two and a half hours of amazing, amazing, amazing performance.  That's got to be my "like" of the day :)

Broadway makes me happy :)

Day 3: October 29, 2010.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to limit myself to one 'like' for this wonderful Friday :)

Mom's here.  She absolutely rocks.  I have enjoyed more tear-jerking laughs in the last five hours than I have in the last two months.  What are we laughing about?  Who knows?!  But every laugh has come from a place so deep within that I haven't been to nearly enough these days, and being able to share it all with one of the best people I know is more than I could ask for right about now! :)

My mom and I caught a cab to come down to the hotel we'll be staying at tonight and tomorrow (I am surely thankful to have a nice change of scenery for a few nights!) and this was the beautiful piece of the West Village we saw as we made our way downtown.

In a city known for its lights and glamor, it was very calming for me to be in the middle of it all but feel so far removed, even if for only a few seconds.  The small, narrow rows of brick townhouses and apartment buildings were lined with trees of gold and crimson, feeling very residential and very much like home.  (Not that I'm saying that the greater part of Northern Virginia contains too many quaint neighborhoods like the environments of these streets, but something about this "nook" of New York City connected me with the comfort of home during fall.) I love finding places of solitude within the chaos of the world that this city contains.

One last thing...Mom and I ate at a restaurant that had a very interesting wall decor that I'd never seen before!  Behind the table that we were sitting at, three wax candles were placed into the wall.  The combination of time and frequent use have resulted in this:

I just thought it looked really cool :)

So today, Moms, laughter, fall, quiet comfort and neat physical reactions (this dance major knows a thing or two about science...(ish!) haha!) make me happy :)

Day 2: October 28, 2010.

THIS CRAZY CAT RIGHT HERE'S COMING TO THE CITY FOR THE WEEKEND!! :)

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  T'is true!  T'is very true!

Family makes me happy :)

Day 1: October 27, 2010.

I sang a lot today :)  And it wasn't that muffled "I don't want people to hear me sing" singing voice (which I find myself doing often, not wanting my next door neighbors or those passing the room in the hallway to hear), but that singing voice that comes all the way from the pit of your stomach.  That "feel good" singing voice.  It was the singing in the shower one, which is only one small step below the ultimate "windows down in the car" one.  My roommates weren't home so I wouldn't be of any disturbance to anyone in my immediate vicinity, so I sang.  And sang.  And sang.  I didn't hit every note every time, but it felt just as good all the same.  Then I went outside to walk to class and sang down the street :)

The tops songs on today's playlist included:
"Uncharted" by Sara Bareilles
"Nothing for Granted", "Anything for You", and "The Lucky Ones" by Brendan James
"Helium Hearts" by Jason Reeves
"I'm a Sucker for a Kind Word" by Copeland
(among many others, of course!)

Singing makes me happy :)

Let's take the challenge.

     Life doesn't always give us a convenient "Like" button to click every time we come across something that we find delight in.  But that does not mean that we should feel any less inclined to allow ourselves to appreciate those pieces of daily life that bring with them smiles, laughter, joy, happiness; maybe it was a kind stranger who held a door open for you.  Maybe you heard a song that you absolutely love but haven't heard in years.  Maybe you realized you actually did have one more clean pair of socks as you were getting dressed for class and running late thanks to the snooze button.  Whether we're having the best day of our lives or one that couldn't possibly contain one more unfortunate event (but, of course, always seems to have just one more around the corner), there is something to rejoice in.  And no matter how big or small that something seems, it all carries equal importance because in whatever situation you find yourself in, it's exactly what you needed to get a smile on that beautiful face of yours!  (Or at least in your heart if your lips just couldn't find the energy to show it!)
     So here's the challenge.  Starting tomorrow, October 27, 2010, "Operation: 'Like' List" will commence. What does this entail?  It's quite simple..365 positive thoughts.  One a day for one year!  That's it!  Each day, allow yourself to document (at least) one thing that brought you happiness.  At the end of this year, you'll have composed a wonderful log of positive reminders about the beauties that you've experienced as each day has passed!  Some may be subtle, unexplainable feelings, others may be loud victories.  At the end of the challenge, you'll walk away with quite a helpful archive of "souvenirs" from your year.  Thoughts to remember, memories to carry, and a positive mentality that will continue on longer than you may think at this point in time :)
     Don't feel like you have to share online like this, but this blog is where I'll document my daily findings.  If you wish to do so, starting a blog such as this one is super quick, super easy, and will provide an easy, organized way to chronicle your year.  If you wish to do so, create a free Blogspot account (through Google/gmail), put "thelikelist-YOUR NAME/INITIALS" as your domain name, and link it here!  Pass the challenge along to friends as well!  Let's get people on board this train and spread the contagious love for each day that we feel in our hearts :) Life's more fun in a "glass half full" world!
  
Love to all,
Michaela