Get Inspired Series: Do What Makes You HAPPY!

Have you ever been so stressed out, you feel just run down and tired? I have been there, I am here at the moment. Things in my life have been stressing me out lately. I cannot put my finger on it, but something has been stressing me out.

If you feel the same, I think it is time for us all to give ourselves some time to be happy. Do something that makes you happy, whatever it maybe... DO IT! I am doing that right now by writing this blog entry for you. Writing is one of the many things that makes me happy.

Life is stressful, that means it does not have to be stressful all the time. Your allowed to give yourself a little break, and do the things you enjoy. It gives you a time to unwind from your stressful day, and makes you happier.  I am not just talking about the whole coming home after a long day, and just grabbing a snack or dinner and watching television until you go to bed. Doing something that really makes you happy. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” - Confucius. 

I personally believe if you give yourself time to relax, and do the things you enjoy it re-energizes you. You know how sometimes (everyday) you have to charge your cell phone and your laptop, I have a feeling we should do that for ourselves. We should try to do it everyday too, but knowing how busy we are, we should try at least twice or three times a week to do things that make ourselves happy. Just to replenish ourselves.  

I believe it we start with ourselves, and make ourselves happy, we can make others happier. Not trying to sound selfish or anything, but change in the world, starts with you. If your more likely to be happier, you will treat others with respect, and that goes for them as well.

- Unknown

I am not sure what makes you guys happy, but here a few things that make me happy. I enjoy doing to get my mind of stressful things that are in my life.

Writing: Writing is something that can help me through things. If I don't feel comfortable talking to anyone about it, I will write about it. I will write out the feelings I cannot exactly put my finger on in a journal (if running does not help me figure out what's really going on). It helps me figure out little bit better, and help me figure out where I should go from there on. So in a way you can say it is sorta a therapy for me.

I also enjoy writing for an audience, that is why I enjoy working on the school's paper, and also writing in this blog. I like sharing things about what is going on in the world, or in my community. Introducing people in profiles that are doing amazing things, telling someone about a new coffee shop that is opening, or whatever else you can imagine being in the news. But mainly informing people about the world, or people around them. Giving the audience a chance for themselves to decide about how they feel about that new show, album, or book I reviewed. Informing people about what is happening in the next election, about the candidates who their voting on, so they know who their voting for, and what the candidates stand for.

Sometimes I find myself writing little stories too. Short tidbits of what could be stories, but they do not have much of a plot line or characters. But just a little funny thought in my head, I just write the little scene out to practice my creative writing. I am use to writing for news articles, or academically for school—which does not give me a chance to be creative with my writing. I can be a little creative in those writing to catch the readers attention, and to form the article or assignment into an interesting read. Just writing in general clams me down. Gives me a chance to release some stress.

“You’re always going to write and draw inspiration from things that you’re feeling, things that you’ve felt.” - Harry Styles

Reading: I really enjoy a good story, no matter what form it comes in: a book, a television series, or a movie. I have a bunch of books laying around my apartment that I need to start, or finish. How many books am I reading currently at the moment (not counting school)? Three or four... I lost count. Because I have a bunch of book piles laying around with various books. Within these book piles there are books I am actually reading, and forgetting about. I will come back and read them and finish the story. I still have an idea what is happening in the story when I pick up where I left off.

Reading is something for me where I can leave the stress of the real world, and go adventures with different characters. Going on these adventures with these characters in a book makes me deal with the characters' stresses and problems, and I can forget about mine for a little while. I can be in a space station, in the wild wild west, or somewhere in a made up universe running around with the plot line I happen to be in. While reading the story I make a up a little movie in my head, I can put anyone in the roles of the different characters and create my own version of the story in my head while I am reading.

“My father always said: 'Never trust anyone whose TV is bigger than their book shelf.'” - Emilia Clarke

Going on Adventures/Running: I personally feel like both of these categories go together. Because I feel like a walk, hike, or a run is an adventure in it's own right. Did I mention, I love going on adventures? If I haven't, I do! If I am feeling stressed out, I will either go on a walk, hike, or run to clear my head, and to get some needed fresh air. Sometimes the wheels in your own head get you a little bit crazy, this is one way to figure out what is making them turn, or to put them on mute for a little bit.

 

I am fortunate enough to live in a city that has an amazing bike path system, and have many walking trails, and also many places one can go on a walk/hike/run. These trails, and parks are used by people on daily basis. Gives one a chance to get out, and take a walk, run, or a bike ride to get away from everything. I also venture off to be in my own little quiet spots where I can listen to myself think things out, and come to some inner peace. If possible to do my own little meditation thing I do to clam down. Or just to take in the nature, or the beautiful day, to hear the birds sing me their little songs.

“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” - Amelia Earhart

Hanging out with my Friends and/or Family: If you do not want to be alone, go hangout with your friends and/or family. If you need to talk something out they are their for you. Maybe their going through the same thing your going through, they're the shoulder to lean on. There are times where I just call up or go out to eat with my Mom or Dad. Not only to catch up with them, but just to talk with them about things.

 

Take time out to get a coffee with a friend or family member, it can be a weekly or monthly thing. Catch up on things you have missed, or just talk to them about things going on in your life that is stressing you out. It is good to have those connections. We all are humans, and we need our support system, just like they need us. They're your net, they will catch you when you are falling. They will also be there for you when you fall.

“You need a really solid foundation of friends and family to keep you where you need to be.” - Lilly Singh

 
If anything, take some time out for yourself to make yourself happy. You will be better of in the long run. Find your inner peace, and you will find peace with the world you live in.

Disney Trading Pins

One thing that brings back memories from World Disney World would be looking at the collection of pins I have around home, and my dad's house of pins we brought from various trips at Walt Disney World. Pins from the original Millennium Celebration, and of the old Disney Institute Resort (or maybe those are just the t-shirts we amazingly still have from there) we would used to stay in, that is now Saratoga Springs Resort.

I have continued that collection while I did both my Disney College Programs in 2010, and in 2012. I would buy some pins here and there on my days off. I used to keep up with the pins, because on both programs I would be one of the many cast members who traded pins with guests. It was fun meeting different guests through out my program because of pins. I would learn about what their favorite rides where, what their favorite park was, where they are from, and etc. These guest would learn things about me too. Is that the main point of pin trading, is to bring people together? OF COURSE!

I am unsure if this is true or not, but I remember someone telling me that Disney started doing this because they do pin trading also at the Olympic games. So they borrowed the idea, and used it during the Millennium Celebration at Walt Disney World, and surprisingly Walt Disney World was the first place to do it (again, I am unsure about this). It didn't start until 1999. I remember it being a new thing when on one of my couple of trips with my family around that time. I still have my first pin and lanyard, I believe it is the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration logo pin.

A starter pin that I believe that every guest received when 
they checked in 1999-2000. Again, not to sure about 
that one. Feel free to correct me...

I am personally not surprised that it turned into what it has, okay I was taken aback when in 2010 during one of my first training shifts where I got my pin trading lanyard. Now, I am personally not surprised that it turned into a big thing. Because I learned quickly in 2010 that pin trading is a big thing. There is a little pin trading station outside in the middle of Epcot behind Spaceship Earth, where people can look at a book full of Disney pins, and also buy pins too. Well in 2010, you could, now I am not sure. They had that also in 2012, but that was six years ago, I am not sure what it is now. But I personally, hope that it is still there.

But one thing I absolutely loved about pin trading still being a thing was that cast members could trade pins. As a cast member you could check out a lanyard and some pins they had all set for you. You had to (as of 2010, and 2012) had to have a certain number of pins on your lanyard, like 12 or 16. I don't remember. I know that certain locations that people work were really big on pin trading, so every cast member had to have one. But, it was always a choice to the cast member if they want to trade pins or not.

I remember during the 2010 program, not much of my coworkers had pins. But by the end of the program, the majority of them had pins. It was something everyone enjoyed doing with guests, it also was fun conversations during breaks about pins we had, and also on the bus rides to and from housing.

Compared to when it started in 1999 (only a few pins available) to now in 2018 their are a hundreds and hundreds of pins to choose from. Pins showcasing Disney's history of old things like the orange bird (that used to be big when Magic Kingdom opened in the 70's), old Disney rides, and other old Disney favorites. Also there are pins showcasing new things to Disney I remember getting a Star Wars pin (the Rebel Alliance logo, which I constantly got -- in both programs), I had some flag pins from the different countries around the World Showcase in Epcot, and lot of pins from the newer Disney movies that where coming out. 

I always enjoyed asking people what their favorite pins where. The nice thing about pin trading is that I got to deal with people who where "professionals" at it, to the kids who where just starting out on their first pin trading experience. I am not sure who had the most magical moment, the kid who did their first pin trade, or I. It was special for me to be apart of one of their many memories from that vacation they had at Walt Disney World, more importantly their first pin trading experience. 

Also trading pins with guests made me learn about things, and the pins. Like that Star War's Rebel Alliance pin I constantly been getting in both programs. I was not sure where it was from. It was just a logo pin. I was not sure if it was actually a Disney one at first, but it did have that little Mickey black stopper on the back. So I asked around to guests and my fellow cast members alike what it was. I eventually learned that it was from Star Wars, and I learned that Star Wars was apart of Disney in 2012 (in a non-pin trading event). Also sometimes not knowing what things where, made it a little difficult to trade. Because I had that Rebel Alliance pin for quite a while, and it seemed like every Star Wars fan I encountered had it. Because they did not want to trade it. 

 To your left: the Star Wars starter pack, is what I call it. 

On your right: Figment, the purple dragon that is a "figment

of your imagination" at Epcot, who stars in the Journey into Imagination 

with Figment ride.

I remember one time where I was working, and someone was just looking for a Figment pin, any pin with Figment the purple dragon on it. Sadly at the time, I did not have an Figment pin, but I knew one of my friends who was working Impressions de France in the France Pavilion had one. I am not sure if he was working that day or not. But I told them to make their way over there and hopefully he was around with the Figment pin they where looking for. I remember my manager was impressed with my guest interaction. 

I highly recommend if you are headed over to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, or another Disney property you should pin trade, or get into the pins. There is a lot of cast members, and other guests who are willing to make memories with you and talk about pins with you. It is something that brings us all together, and build friendships off of. 

Also, if you are looking forward to working in either the Disney College Program, Disney Professional Internship, the Disney Cultural Exchange Program, or the Disney Cultural Representative Program you should consider doing pin trading. It is something gets you more interactions with the guests. You also get to learn things from people who are all over the world. It also adds to more memories on your program. It helps if your having a bad day, or feeling really homesick, doing a pin trade can help cheer you up. You will have a kid who did their first ever pin trade with you. You will be apart of their many Walt Disney World memories when they look back also. In the future they may also would share that memories with their kids, and their kids may want to get involved in pin trading.