As y’all know, I try to keep things as positive as possible on this little blog. I figure there are enough sources of negative energy in the world – why add to the list.

This leads me to something I’ve been meaning to address for a while…

You see, contrary to popular belief, I was not born with the happy gene. I think a lot of people who read my blog assume that positivity and happiness are my middle names. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, I’m a very emotional person. And not just in the sense that I cry about everything (although that is true). I’m emotional in that every emotion that washes over me sometimes does so in full force. What keeps this emotional rollercoaster in check is my ability to get over things pretty easily. My mom says I’m like my dad in that I don’t hold on to my emotions…easy come, easy go. Thank you, dad!

I strongly believe that I create and control my own happiness – with my thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes, with my intentions and actions, with the people I allow to enter my life, with the places I let myself go, etc. And this is something I’m constantly working on. Some days are harder than others, but at the very least, I try to end each day with a happy thought, a smile, a prayer, etc.

And while much of this process is internally driven, a lot of what helps me stay the course comes from the outside. In fact, I have four sources that I turn to on a regular basis as little reminders…

The first one is my mom. She’s always forwarding inspirational/spiritual quotes, messages, pictures, etc. Here’s a recent example – “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt. Love it!

The second source is Purpose Fairy. Surprise surprise! Haha. If you’ve been reading myinnershakti for a while, you know how much I love this website. It’s a constant source of inspiration for me.

The third source comes from Goodreads. When I first signed up, I opted to receive daily Goodreads quotes via email. And that email is something I look forward to every morning, and here is a perfect example of why this is – “Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.” – Betty Smith, the author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

The fourth and final source is one that some might find a little strange but something that I absolutely love. Every morning I receive emails from “The Universe.” Let me explain. A good friend of mine told me about a website called Totally Unique Thoughts because she thought it was right up my alley. She was right. After looking around a little bit, I came across a link for something called Notes from the Universe. I didn’t get it at first but figured that the option to unsubscribe was only a click away. Well, I don’t think I’m ever going to unsubscribe because the daily personalized messages have, in a really strange way, become part of my permanent routine. I’m not sure if every subscriber receives the same message (probably), but there are lots of days where I feel like the note was written for me. Here are a few of my favorite examples…

• Do you ever sometimes wonder, Parita, if you shouldn’t just come down to earth and settle for a bit less?
  Right! Earth’s an illusion, and so are all your dreams of doing, being, and having! So settle for less of what, smoke and mirrors?!
  You’re really on lately,
  The Universe
• You do understand, Parita, that you’re now adventuring in the jungles of time and space by special invitation, right?
  Mine? Hardly.
  Actually, it was the express wish of every single one of the umpteen billion people now sharing the planet with you, plus those who came before you, and those on the verge of arriving.
  Basically, they thought their little emerald home wouldn’t be the same otherwise.
  I agreed,
  The Universe
• You were built to believe, designed to receive, and born to go where no one ever has.
  Dream. Dream really BIG now, Parita.
  Behold, a light… The Universe
• Of course, Parita, you probably could have done something else entirely with your life; something easier or more common, and have been even more successful than you are today.
  But then, you wouldn’t become as successful as you are about to be.
  Remember, you wanted it all?
  The Universe

I totally understand that my inspirational reminders may not be for everyone, but hey, they work for me! And I hope you find something that works for you too because if you’re anything like me, every day is not full of rainbows and flowers and puppies. And little reminders, in whatever form, point out that we’re all works in progress and keep us on track. After all, happiness is a journey!

What are your sources of inspiration?