Day 120

I have some family from Greece here visiting and not only am I thrilled to see them again, but after seeing them not in their familiar surroundings, where they usually run the show, I realized they are very appreciative and easy going about everything. This is not to say they are not anything less than that back in Greece; however, usually I am the one thanking them for everything they do for me when I am visiting, but now that the roles have reversed, they have displayed they do not expect anything in return and are appreciative with everything. 

Think about this for the day..From the outside looking in, how do you portray yourself? Is it parallel to your values and does it represent who you are internally? 

Day 119

Oscar Wilde once said..."Some cause happiness wherever they go...others whenever they go". I think this quote resonates with me today. Remember to not only spread love and smiles to everyone but always be genuine and sincere. I just learned that you can tell a smile is sincere in a person's eyes, which I thought was very interesting. Happiness comes from within. Try to find your inner happiness and follow and chase that. And in return, that happiness will radiate onto others. Happiness is contagious.

Day 118

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p2zUf06iy1A

This is such a great joke to play on someone. It was heartfelt, personalized, and sincere. I think as a society, if more people do more big and little gestures such as these, then the word would be a happier, friendlier, and more genuine place.

Day 117

http://twentytwowords.com/sweet-old-lady-smiles-and-waves-at-passing-kids-every-day-they-finally-show-her-what-it-means-to-them/

What a sweet story. You never know the impact a wave or a smile can have on any given person. This simple but kind gesture could change a person's whole attitude, demeanor, or mood for the day.

Day 116

http://youtu.be/M6RjR0z3v3c

What a touching and heartfelt pay it forward story, with such sentiment and meaning behind it. I am a big believer in supporting our troops, because regardless if you agree or disagree with the war, it is important to support our men and women when they are away from their families and loved ones, putting their life on the line to keep us safe. I was pleased to see the news touched on this good humanity story.

Day 115

Good humanity comes in and from all different shapes, sizes, colors, religions, ethnicities, sexual preferences, countries, etc. Remember, it is sometimes not what you did for another human being, but rather what you did not do for them.

Day 114

http://mostamazingplanet.com/finished-just-greatest-whale-rescue-ending-video-will-leave-speechless/

This video is a little lengthy, but definitely worth watching to see the end result. To summarize, these individuals on a boat helped save this whale's life. As a way to show thanks, the whale performed a 45 minute show including flips, waves, and dives most likely to show gratitude. It gave me the chills to see such a touching, selfless, and difficult task being sought out for the betterment of the whale. These individuals did not give up and they demonstrated this will full conviction. 

Communication is not only the usage of actually speaking words; I argue nonverbal communication has an even greater impact on others than the actual words being spoken. The power of actions and what is not being said speaks louder than anything. In relation to the video, those individuals communicated to the whale they were there to help and not harm the whale; in addition, because the whale was not able to say "thank you", I believe the show and performance communicated a very special thank you to them.

Day 113

I often take my Grandma to her medical appointments and yesterday in particular was a more complicated day than usual. I found myself loosing my patience and being frustrated at her for acting so infantile. However, it got me thinking and then feeling bad that I was not more patient with her. In all of this, I realized something that I have known for years but something made sense to me as I drove away from her house and that was: being patient with someone is not only for another's own good but for your good too. I found myself frustrated with myself that I was frustrated with her. If you get mad at others, frustrated at others, or loose your patience with others, is that really solving any problem? I know in the heat of the moment it is hard to think and react in a receptive manner, but I know it will be great for myself and others to try working on matters such as these. People feed off other people often, and as a result, negative energy and stressful situations spread like wildfire. Try to break the cycle and spread patience and positivity.

Day 112

What a phenomenal story. This police officer helped this young man and his family out substantially. I know I have heard many people say police officers give out tickets to meet their quota, (I am even guilty of saying that at one time or another) but this goes to show not to place judgement or assume a certain group of people are the same. There are good people out there who do not fit those negative social and somewhat false implications. 

http://icoolbuzz.com/cop-cameras-werent-rolling-unbelievable.html

Day 111

Today is day 111 and what better post to write today than about the power of the universe. Do you ever make a wish or say a prayer at 11:11 or 1:11. Do you believe in it? I personally think what you put in the universe is what you get in return. Looking back on my 27 years living, many of the things I have wished and hoped for eventually happened. In addition, many of the things I wished and hoped for that did not happen, ended up not happening for a reason, which was a blessing in disguise. All in all, if you send out good vibes and energy; if you are the best person you can be; if you radiate love, honesty, and ethical practices, then you will get that in return. It might be a journey and there will be some negativity and distractions down the road, but stay devoted to the good person you are and good things will come.

Day 110

Last week, a few of my friends and I were walking to dinner and we saw a man walking a very cute dog. We walked over to him and started giving love and attention to the dog. We asked the man why he chose that specific breed and where did he get his dog from. He told us that the dog's previous owner was sick and in the hospital, so he took the dog for him, because if no one took the dog, the dog would have went to the pound. 

I did not get details on how well the man knew the dog's original owner, but whether it was a personal friendship, an acquaintance, a word of mouth dog referral, or at the right place at the right time, it is a great ending to potentially sad story.

Day 109

My friend, who is in Vegas at a pool, messaged me this story: I see this guy with down syndrome with his mom playing with a beach ball. The mom gets out and he on his own starts messing around with the ball. After an hour, this group of guys come into the pool and start to play with him. It has become a game, they are on either side of the pool throwing it back and forth. The boy is in the middle of the two groups on either side. They are throwing to him in the middle before passing to the other side. It was cool to watch and see people not judging and to include him in the Vegas fun. 

Great story. She knows how much I love hearing stories like this and then sharing them will all of you.

Day 108

It is important to smile through the tears. Sometimes life is not all wonderful, but it is what you make of it that will make you stronger. Laugh with the ones who laugh at you. Do not take everyone and everything too seriously. If people are poking fun at you, just laugh with them and call it a day. Most importantly, love the ones who love you back. Do not take your loved ones for granted. Life is precious, unpredictable, and unique so surround yourself with positivity, support, love, affection, and compassion.

Day 107

One of my closest family friends had something nice happen to them. Her husband and herself decided to stop at one of their favorite restaurants, Stacked, for an early dinner after driving home from the one of many doctors appointments. The husband was telling the bartender about his appointments and how he was not happy with the diagnosis and that he was going to have surgery later in the week, but hopefully after that, he will not need any additional treatment. The bartender said: save room for dessert, it is on me. However, not only was the dessert on him, but their dinner and drinks were too. 

They were both very touched with such a warm and kind gesture. Especially in their time of need and distress, it was refreshing to know that good people are out there and do care about others. It is the little things that can lift people's spirits. 

Day 106

This is wonderful! I always think about different ways I could help out the homeless, besides just giving them extra change, and I really like this one. This makes the homeless feel important because the man was dressed well, and it satisfies their hunger because he was feeding them full meals. The homeless were very receptive to this and it would be great to see this occur again. 

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4994573

Day 105

What a great article illustrating that no one is better than anyone and when you have the chance to help a stranger, take it! There is a reason why your two paths have crossed. Possibly it is a sign or test- Pass your test. Help someone. Do the right thing. The impact human beings have on one another is priceless. 

http://m.tickld.com/x/even-robert-downey-jr-is-humanand-heres-why

Day 104

I think it is hard to find a balance with being honest and being vulnerable. I have always struggled with this. I find that I have a push pull because I always speak my mind and tell people how I feel about them, but then it puts me in a vulnerable state, which sometimes, well most of the time, makes me uncomfortable. I always preach to give someone your all, show someone you care about them, and love them endlessly, but it is easier said than done sometimes when you have been hurt. I still believe that good people do exist and want the same thing from life as I want from life; however, every time I let my wall come down, something happens where I feel obligated to put it back up. But time heals all wounds and closure is a girl's best friend. 

Do not let the fear of being hurt stop you from playing your ball game. This is your life, your story, your ball game-go out there and play a great, honest, and epic game.

Day 103

http://dogtorbill.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/she-wasnt-being-rude/

What an amazing read. I firmly believe money is not everything and I think this article goes to show that. This Doctor could have not performed the surgery for her dog because she did not have the money to pay for it, but he chose to help another human being and her pet. 

Life is not only about having money, making money, earning money, etc. There is far more to life than money. But when you do have money, life is about allocating funds to help others, and this Doctor was a great example of that.

Day 102

http://www.lifebuzz.com/father-son-temper/

Very touching video. Loved that it was in Greek. The message was powerful..be patient with the ones you love. Accept people for who they are. Love unconditionally.

Day 101

http://elitedaily.com/news/world/dying-dad-sees-11-year-old-aisle/

Very touching and sweet story. I know I am looking forward to the day my father walks me down the aisle, so if that moment was taken away from me, I would be devastated. 

Even though her father will not be there to walk her down the aisle when she gets married, she will always have videos, pictures, and memories of this special day that so many people helped put together for this little girl.

Day 100

Today is Day 100!! I cannot believe I have wrote 100 posts already- I love writing, expressing myself, and sharing great stories, so I could understand how it feels like yesterday that I started this journey of mine.

With that said, I just wanted to remind everyone to give everything you do 100%. Do not walk into something knowing you cannot dedicate 100%. Do not commit to something if you cannot give 100%. Do everything you love and enjoy with 100%. Give school 100%. Give your job/career 100%. If you follow your heart and really pursue what you really want and love, giving 100% will not feel overwhelming; it will feel natural and expected. So try today and always to give 100% in your personal and professional endeavors.

Thank you to all my loyal and active followers for your love and support. I have received numerous amounts of positive feedback on my blog and it really makes my day when I hear a great story that someone witnessed or engaged in. Your eyes, heart, and horizons are more open because of it. When you look for greatness, you will witness greatness. When you aim for greatness, you will achieve greatness. Keep the stories coming. We are all in this together- trying to inspire people to make the world a better place.

Day 99

One of my friends texted me: I was catching up on your blog. It's really cool that you're taking the time out to showcase generosity in others. We all need a little inspiration at times. 

Thank you for this text. You know who you are. I hope I am inspiring you all to always pay it forward and challenge societal norms; in return, you are constantly inspiring me with your unconditional support and appreciation.

Day 98

My mom was going to dinner and on her way into the restaurant, she spotted a bottle cap under a car tire. She moved it, because if the car ran over it, it might have given the owner of the car a flat tire. 

It is the little things you do, especially when no one is watching, that could help someone's day run smoothly.

Day 97

My mom and I were driving to Calabasas, California and as we were waiting for the light off the freeway, we saw a man holding a sign that said: Random Acts of Kindness. We rolled down our window and he walked over to us. We gave him money and he was so appreciative that we even gave him the time of day. I complemented his sign and he was thrilled about that. He chatted with us for a few minutes and thanked us again.

Day 96

The other day, I posted a blog entry about this man who goes by the name Slomo. Yesterday, my friends and I went to Pacific Beach, which is a specific area in San Diego, California. I told my friends, I wonder if we will see Slomo here. Moments later, I saw a huge group of people taking a picture with him. I instantly thought (if you know me this rings a lot of truth) that I definitely wanted a picture with him too. I went up to him and we took a picture. I introduced myself and told him I admire his life story. We had a brief conversation from there and I told him how I wrote an entry about his story the other day in my blog. He said to me: so you are the intelligent one of the group. He was a very sweet, humble, and nice man. It made my day that we ran into him.

Day 95

About a month ago, I was at Costco with one of my friends and I saw a Costco membership laying on the floor. I picked it up and returned it to the front. 

I know this story is simplistic and a lot of people do this, but if you see something that does not belong to you, return it.

Day 94

I was at Costco a while ago, just strolling along, when I found an American Express credit card on the floor. I picked it up and went to the front right away to return it. The Costco employee was very appreciative for my good deed and I know I did the right thing. There are many people out there who would have done the same exact thing I did; however, some might not have, and because of that, it gives people a reason to loose faith in humanity. Make that difference in the world. Let people know good humanity still does exist.

Day 93

My friend told me about something he witnessed on a subway in New York. A little girl and her mom entered a relatively busy subway. Most chivalrous men stand up and offer their seat to children, women, and the elderly. A man stood up quickly and offered his seat to the little girl. The little girl gladly accepted the seat, while the mom stood right in front of her. The man sitting next to the little girl was wearing a beanie, listening to music, with his headphones on. The little girl tapped the man and said "I'm bored, I want to play". The man took off his headphones and put a game on his iPhone so she could play it. She played the game for 15 minutes. 

My friend took a picture after watching the whole scenario play out. Thank you for sharing this story with me. 

I thought this story was precious. Appearance wise, this man did not fit the typical "child friendly" role, but that goes to show never to judge a book by its cover. He was sweet, patient, and selfless with the little girl. And to all those chivalrous men out there- never change.

Day 92

My mom and I took our neighbor out to lunch yesterday. She does not have any family, so we fill in. She made a comment that stuck with me and I wanted to share with all of you: "If people were just more caring of others, the world would be a better place. I don't understand how people these days are so self consumed. It doesn't take much to show a little concern in someone else". 

I couldn't agree more with her. I have an old soul, I have known this for years. She is a very smart and wise lady and I am glad to know her.

Day 91

This is a great story about a man in San Diego, California. The message is powerful and I recommend watching the whole video. 

To summarize, one of the important messages, which is also something I have known and experienced all my life, was that money does not buy happiness. In addition, always follow your heart. This man is happy because he is doing what makes him happy and not conforming to societal norms. Do not settle for less than what you want out of life. It is your life- find your inner happiness and follow that. From experience, I can say it is hard at times to find inner happiness. I have struggled with it for years, but through traveling and leaving my familiar stomping grounds, I have realized more and more what I want out of life. You have to learn to be okay with yourself, your choices, your decisions, your behaviors, your appearance, your whole being. No one can make you happy except yourself. Do what makes you happy and as stated in the film, do what you want to do. 

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/opinion/slomo.html?referrer=