365 Days of Happy - Day 212

Okay so, I had this article bookmarked on my computer for a few years now. I remember that I first read it before I studied in Ireland, I think in Sam Martino's journalism class, and upon a closer look, this article was written in 1996! To this day it still makes me laugh.

No Need To Be Sheepish About Paranormal Events
By Dave Barry

Call me paranoid, but my first reaction, upon learning about the dead sheep being found in treetops in New Zealand, was that something unusual was going on.

I found out about this thanks to alert reader Steven Moe, who sent me an article from The Press of Christchurch, New Zealand, concerning 'the discovery of several dead sheep high in the trees of Tunnicliffe Forest.'

Right away I said to myself, 'Hmm.'

I base this statement on the well-known fact that sheep are not tree-dwelling animals. Zoologically, sheep are classified in the same family as cows: Animals That Stand Around And Poop.

On very rare occasions, a single sheep or cow will climb a tree in an effort to escape a fierce natural predator such as a wolf or (around lunchtime) Luciano Pavarotti.

But The Press article states that 'four or five decomposing sheep were high in the branches.' That is too many sheep to be explained by natural causes.

Which leads us to the obvious explanation; namely, supernatural causes.

I realize that many of you laugh at stories of the paranormal. 'Ha ha,' you say.

But the truth is that the world is full of strange phenomena that cannot be explained by the laws of logic or science. Dennis Rodman is only one example.

There are many other documented cases of baffling supernatural occurrences. Consider these examples:

-- Early in the morning of Oct. 8, 1991, Mrs. Florence A. Snegg of Uvula, Mich., was having an extremely vivid dream in which her son, Russell, was involved in a terrible automobile accident. Suddenly she was awakened by the ringing of her telephone. On the line was a Missouri state trooper, calling long distance to remind Mrs. Snegg that she never had children.

-- On the afternoon of March 13, 1993, Winchester B. Fleen of Toad Sphincter, Ark., was abducted by hostile, large-brained beings who drilled holes in his head, probed him with giant needles, pumped chemicals into his body, took samples of his organs and removed most of his bodily fluids before they found out that he did not have health insurance, at which point they released him back into the hospital waiting room.

-- On the morning of July 3, 1994, 7-year-old Jason Toastwanker fell off his tricycle, hit his head and was knocked out. When he regained consciousness, he spoke to his parents IN FLUENT GERMAN. This did not surprise them, because they were Germans and this happened in Germany. What surprised them was that, before the accident, he had cleaned up his room WITHOUT BEING ASKED.

-- On Feb. 12 of this year, Thelma Crumpet-Scone of New York City purchased a Whopper at Burger King; when she started to eat it, she bit her own finger, causing a painful red mark for several minutes. Incredibly, she decided that this was TOTALLY HER FAULT, and she DID NOT SUE ANYBODY.

Impossible, you say? Perhaps so, but all of these incidents, along with hundreds more that have not occurred to me yet, have been thoroughly documented by the Institute for Documenting Things Thoroughly.

The lesson is this: Before you say something is 'impossible,' you would be wise to remember the old saying: 'Truth is stranger than fiction, especially when 'truth' is being defined by the O.J. Simpson defense team.'

And thus when you consider the New Zealand tree-sheep article, the question you must ask yourself is: 'How can I, keeping an open mind, best explain what happened?'

The answer is: 'Read the rest of the article, you moron.'

It turns out that the sheep had fallen from a helicopter. The pilot had been transporting - I am not making up this quote - 'some ewes that had died from sleepy sickness,' and the wire that was holding the sheep under the helicopter broke.

Incredibly, the pilot had been warned about this the night before in a telephone call from a Missouri state trooper.

No, I made that last part up. But the rest of the story is true, which raises the following alarming questions for those who live in, or plan to visit, New Zealand.

-- Is it a common practice there to transport deceased sheep via helicopter?

-- If one of these sheep were to land on you, would you get 'sleepy sickness?'

-- What about Mad Cow Disease?

For the record, tree sheep are not the only bizarre phenomenon to occur lately in New Zealand.

I have here a document, sent in by alert reader Gretl Collins, stating that a researcher in New Zealand has discovered a new, improved method for growing tomatoes hydroponically. ('Hydroponically' comes from the Greek words 'hydro,' meaning 'a,' and 'ponically,' meaning 'way of growing tomatoes.')  
According to the document, the researcher has found that he gets excellent results when he grows the tomatoes in: brassieres. I am not making this up.

This leads to still MORE questions, including:

-- Does this give new meaning to the expression 'Get a load of those tomatoes'?

-- Would it be tasteless to make a joke here about growing zucchini in athletic supporters?

-- What about Mad Tomato Disease?

There's probably nothing to worry about, but until we get some answers, I think everybody should panic for a while and then get some sleep. I myself am suddenly feeling VERY sleepy, so I'm just going to put my head down and ...

Moo.

Song of the Day

This song reminds me of Ireland so much.

Flogging Molly - If I Ever Leave This World Behind

365 Days of Happy - Day 211

I found this video on UpWorthy and thought it was really intriguing. The video itself is only 4 and a half minutes long, worth it to take some time out of your day and watch it.

'By the time he's done brushing his teeth, this kid will be dead. Okay, this is a non-fiction short film and this kid doesn't actually die in real life. But he will someday, just like the rest of us. And I think there's a strange beauty in that.' - Adam Albright-Hanna

I like how there are many moments where this man looks at himself in the mirror and reflects on his life. On how far he's come, on where his life is headed. I think we've all had those reflective moments, where you just stare at yourself in the mirror and think, is this really me? Am I happy?

Song of the Day - Covers

This song was originally sung by Phil Phillips, but it was the first song I ever heard by Cat Power.

Cat Power - Sea of Love

365 Days of Happy - Day 210

Here are some more of my favorite quotes, taken from my Something to Think About Pinterest board...

Song of the Day - Music Video Mondays

I'm a huge fan of Taylor Swift and I love that in many of her music videos, it features herself as a different character. Mine featured herself falling in love with a waiter, Love Story featured herself as a modern Juliet, You Belong With Me featured herself as a nerdy girl who loves the boy next door...and his girlfriend, a mean cheerleader with a brown wig. Let's all give a round of applause for Miss Swift for being so darn perfect and creative.

Her music video for Ours features herself as a grown-up with a real office job...a real boring office job. She's got it down to a T (ha! see what I did there?) - from the modest blouse and pencil skirt, to the stale elevator ride, to wearing tennis shoes and changing into dress shoes at her desk. When I was in NYC, I would always see women, either in the subway or on the street, wearing really nice work outfits...and tennis shoes. And I never really understood that, because why wouldn't you just wear comfortable flats instead of sneakers? That's what I would do anyway. Of course, I live in flats, though. 

And I'm not going to lie -- the ending of this video made me tear up. Why do you do this to me, Taylor?!

Taylor Swift - Ours

365 Days of Happy - Day 209

Life is funny. A couple of months ago, I was offered the opportunity to be the Public Relations chair for Panhellenic Council at UW-Whitewater. I went back and forth about my decision. I didn't really know a lot of women on PHC. But if I got the position, I would be going through recruitment with my little sister. It was a tough decision for me! Did I want it? Will I be too busy for it? Will I get to do a lot of social media marketing?

And as you might know, I currently have the PR position, and oh. my. goodness. I absolutely love it. Funny, right? We're promoting recruitment, of course, since it's about a month away.

'You get out what you put into it,' is a quote that describes many positions in sorority life. I'm not the best press release writer, but boy can I manage a social media site like it's nobody's business. I've never had to write a newsletter, but I'm pretty darn crafty. I made the Go Greek letters in our recruitment colors - coral and navy - which you can see below in the pictures.

Crafts and social media? Sounds like a good promotional piece to me! I took pictures of these lovely disaffiliated women and plastered them all over our new Facebook page (I created it!), and got about a gazillion 'likes' and comments, which of course made my whole entire week (social media nerd status). Here are some of my favorite photos I took today.

365 Days of Happy - Day 208

As student manager of the UWW Career social media, I find a lot of articles and advice about everything career-related stuff. From interview tips and what (not) to wear, to how you can score a 'green' job;' from how to network if you're an introvert to buying gadgets to make your office life easier; from why sitting at your desk is dangerous, to how to work a career fair like you're Tyra Banks on the runway.

I'm so fortunate I have this internship. Not only do I LOVE what I get to do every day - which is working on social media marketing/management - but I get to learn about everything that has to do with scoring a great career!
I find a lot of interesting articles, and this one is from Career Builder, a website I search often to find good articles. It inspired me to write a blog post here about my experience with the types of jobs I've had.

4 Jobs Everyone Should Have
By Rachel Farrell

Before I started working in the 'real world,' I had several part-time jobs. I babysat. I worked in a fast-food restaurant. I worked in retail. I worked as a waitress at a bar in my hometown. And each time I came home complaining after a hard day's work, my mom would tell me that someday, I would realize the value in the job I had.
Fast-forward some years later, and only now do I realize the meaning of her words. Every job I had taught me something, not just about work ethic, but also about life. Here are four jobs that can teach you valuable life lessons:

1. Server
Everyone's been to a restaurant with bad service. You have a slow, inattentive server. Your food comes out the wrong way. And as a result, you tip the bare minimum - or nothing at all.

But have you ever stopped to think that it's not always the server's fault? (I mean, sometimes it is, but not always). He or she could have given the cook your correct order - but the cook messed up. A colleague could have called in sick, leaving your server with all the tables in the restaurant. Yet the server takes the blame.

What you'll learn: A job in food service teaches you empathy. Not only for the server, but for people in general. After all - not everything is as it seems. Think about that the next time you want to leave a next-to-nothing tip.

[If I ever have children, when they get to the right age, I will make them - no, I will strongly suggest - that they get a job as a waitress or bartender. Maybe not as their first job, but as a job they start in high school. That way they will have that experience and skills to take with them to college, so they can waitress on the side or during the summers. 
I don't think that's mean, because I think everyone should experience waitressing or serving someone at least once in their life. Waitressing changed the way I experience going out to eat. Immensely. I've also learned to tip more than what you would normally tip. Servers live on their tips. Sure, they get $2 an hour, but that really isn't much.]

The next three tips include retail clerk, customer service and manual labor. I haven't had any of these jobs, so I'm not going to copy them, but you can view the article here.

Like I said, this article got me thinking about all the jobs I've had and what I've learned from them. Enjoy.

Squire's Dog Haus at Racine County Fair
This was my first ever job. And let me tell you right away - I hated it. My sister Cary's friend owned this portable hot dog truck, and Cary got my sister Beth and I a job working in it. It was fine because I worked with my older sister, and it was only for two or three weeks, but MAN we came home smelling like grease and corn dogs every night. We also had to wear our hair in hair nets under baseball caps AND tennis shoes (three things I despise...I know, I'm a brat). I worked there the summer when I was 14 or 15, and it's been so long that I don't even remember which fair it was at, or if it was even called Squire's Dog Haus. I must have blocked out those memories.

I did get to learn how to deep fry corn dogs and things like that. I also took a citric acid shot with one of the guys who Beth and I worked with. He was Beth's age, and she kind of knew him, so it wasn't weird. I mean, it was weird taking a shot of citric acid, my god were we immature and stupid. But now I can look back and laugh at it ha ha ha.

What I've learned: Never take a shot of any kind of acid, no matter how cute the boy is who wants to do it with you.

Note: this is NOT the guy who I did a citric acid shot with, but it could very well be Mr. Squire himself. This is EXACTLY how the inside of the dog haus looked like, even down to the names and prices of the food we sold.

Pharmacy Station
I got this job the summer when I was 15. My mom had connections - she knew many of the employees and the pharmacists. We actually went camping that summer in August with one of the pharmacist's families. And one night while camping, the pharmacist, Kathy, asked me if I wanted a job at the Pharmacy, and before I knew it, I was working there before I started school!

I love working at the pharmacy. That's probably why I've kept this job for going on 7 years! I was there when the Pharmacy was located where McDonald's is now, I was there when we did the big move - from Jefferson St to Pine St (which was only a little more than half a mile away), I was there when Kathy's sons won a championship little league game and traveled to Indianapolis for the final round, and I was there when a woman and man tried to steal some needles for their illegal drugs. It's been a good time!

But in all honesty, my favorite part about working at the Pharmacy is the people I get to work with. I don't want to play favorites (okay yes I do ;)) but my favorite person I work with is Judy. She is my favorite because she is also a Delta Zeta, and she also attended UW-Whitewater. She's maybe about 60 years old, but works long hours about four days a week and she's in good shape, too! When I first met her about 7 years ago, I heard someone say, 'Judy is so nice. She wouldn't hurt a fly!' Imagine the nicest, most adorable and most caring woman ever. This is Judy.

What I've learned: If you don't have insurance and end up with a serious injury, illness, or disorder, your prescriptions will be very, very expensive. 
You also do not need a license to count pills out and fill the bottle with them and put the label on the bottle. This is called teching and I've been doing it since I was 17. If you want to make more money doing it, then yes, you should get a pharmacy technician degree.
Also, if you don't know the answer to a question a customer is asking, always ask a pharmacist. The pharmacist knows everything (and I'm not saying that sarcastically).
Take care of your health now, because when you're old and sick, you do not want to be taking 17 different kinds of pills like some Pharmacy customers do.

Browns Lake Golf Course
My sister Cary also got me this job, now that I think of it. I was looking for another summer job because I wasn't working a lot of hours at the Pharmacy that summer, I think when I was 19 or 20, so Cary talked to her friend who owned the Browns Lake Golf Course, I went in for an interview, and I was hired!.... as the person who works inside making hamburgers, french fries, getting people beer, and cleaning the building. So, not a cart girl, as I was hoping.

Nope - instead of driving around a golf course all day, I worked inside a stale building making fried food and serving people beer all day. I was told that cart girls had to earn their position, which meant that the cart girls had been working there for a few years. But I soon figured out that 'earning' the cart girl position meant you had to be pretty enough. Which obviously I wasn't.

But it was whatever. I only worked one day a week and quit as soon as I could. I appreciate Cary getting me that job. She worked at a golf course when she was my age and she loved it. I just had a different experience. And as I'm writing all my jobs out I'm realizing that I'm such a brat and should just shut up now.

What I've learned: There are SO MANY different types of beers! I remember being amazed by that. There's Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Bud Light Platinum, and that's only one brand!
I also learned that golf may be the only sport (if you can really call it a sport) where you can drink while playing. And you may even be better if you have one or two beers in you!

I might've enjoyed my job more if this was my view.

Huron Street Pub & Grill
This was the first waitressing job I've ever had. I've always wanted to be a waitress and I've always wanted to work on Mackinac Island, so getting this job was a dream come true, it seemed like. This was last summer, when I was 21. The summer before, I met Ian when I was on vacation on Mackinac with my family, who worked at the Pub and got me this job.

I don't have anything good to say about this job, to be honest. I mean, I learned a lot about waitressing. I learned how to carry drinks on a tray. I learned that you will get someone's food order wrong at least once (but then you'll get to eat the mistake). I learned that I absolutely hate working past 10 pm and I couldn't tell a fuzzy navel from a Tequila sunrise. I learned that Mackinac Island loves their whitefish (I think we had like 5 different whitefish items on the menu).

What I've really learned: 'If you don't like your job, quit. Find something better.' I'm sure we've all heard variations of this quote, and it's been pounded into our Gen Y brains, for we're the generation of not taking anyone's shit and following our dreams and all that crap. It's a long story, but basically my manager - whose name was Chicken, good lord - gave us poor waitresses so much shit and said so many racial and sexual slurs that I quit because of him. The manager at my second job on Mackinac was much better. So, I've learned that a good manager is like a unicorn.

After searching for some pictures of the Pub, I also found some what NOT to do's on none other than TripAdvisor. Every restaurant on Mackinac is sort of competing to be #1 on TripAdvisor for restaurants on Mackinac. The Pub was never high up on the list, and I wonder if it had to do with Tony's quick, spiteful responses to negative comments? Here is just one recent response:
'Sorry to hear that you didn't have a good experience at our restaurant. I am more sorry with the way that you treated my server. Kristi has been with us for 3 seasons and is one of the best we have. She went to get the manager because she was tired of dealing with your rude attitude ... You left, and I am grateful for that.'

Seabiscuit Cafe
It was a miracle that I got this job. I did have another job lined up, otherwise I wouldn't have quit the Pub to walk around aimlessly looking for a job in the middle of the summer. But - that job fell through, and I am okay with it, because it led me to Seabiscuit Cafe, where one day in July I asked the manager if they were hiring and about three days later I was moving my stuff from my old apartment to the apartment above Seabiscuit. Win!

I learned a lot of things at Seabiscuit Cafe. Whenever I talk about waitressing on Mackinac, I'm talking about my experiences at Seabiscuit. 

What I've learned: Waitressing is freaking hard! And so is carrying huge table-sized trays full of heavy dishes full of food! I don't remember a lot from working at the Pub, mostly because I blocked out all the memories of when Chicken was around, which was always, but I'm sure I got overwhelmed there too. But at Seabiscuit, I got so overwhelmed sometimes I just wanted to cry. Or sit down, put my feet up, and stuff my face with french fries and lemonade. I learned that if you're calm, the customers will be calm. If you're happy, your customers will be happy. If you kill the 50 year old boaters with kindness, they will still be jerks, and that's okay because they are boaters and being jerks is what they do best.

I'm not going to write about my job with Career & Leadership Development because I see that as a 'real' job. And for the Edge, well, you all know how I feel about working there :)

365 Days of Happy - Day 207

I don't think anyone should make fun of me for being a cat lady anymore. I'm going to outlive every single one of you!!

This infographic was made by designer Gemma Busquets. According to her research, 'cats create purr vibrations within a range 20-140 Hz, known to be medically therapeutic for many illnesses.'

Song of the Day - Friday Favorites

I seriously cannot stop listening to this song. It's perfect.

Lana Del Rey - Queen of Disaster

Fun With GIFs

Since I started my new job at Edge of Town, it's come with its fair share of emotions, such as these...

How I feel when a family comes tromping in like they own the places... and we close in 15 minutes:

How I feel when the locals start talking to me about any of the following: farming, flying planes, the weather, their life:

How I feel when a family comes into the restaurant with 5 children:

How I feel on any Sunday morning:

How I feel when a big group of customers with a large tab leaves me a very small tip:

How I feel when I haven't had my morning coffee:

How I feel when I can finally go home:

But honestly, I do really love my job at the Edge :)

365 Days of Happy - Day 206

I found these amazing pictures on Imgur. All of these photo manipulations are by Erik Johansson. I thought I was kind of creative. Nope, not at all.

Song of the Day - TBT

I heard this song on Pandora and instantly thought of the movie Elf, when Buddy and Jovi go on their date, so of course I had to include it in my blog. Elf is one of my favorite movies, even though I still can't get over how Zooey Deschanel has blonde hair in the film...

Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young

365 Days of Happy - Day 205

Yes, another article about introversion. I know I go a bit overboard with these, but I guess I just want the world to understand that introverts aren't sad, lonely, unimaginative hermits (well, most of the time). I found this article on the Huffington Post. My comments are in the brackets.

6 Things You Thought Wrong About Introverts
By Carolyn Gregoire

If common stereotypes have anything to say on the matter, it's that introverts are socially awkward loners who abhor large crowds and don't like people very much. An introvert may not be a particularly friendly or happy person, but hey, at least they're smarter and more creative than the average extrovert.

Despite compromising an estimated one-third of the general population, introversion may be one of the most frequently misunderstood personality traits. Much of the problem stems from the lack of a simple distinction between introversion and extroversion -- the difference is far more complex than being shy versus outgoing, according to Sophia Dembling, author of the Introvert's Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World. The introversion/extroversion distinction has its roots in Jungian psychology, which views extroverts as being more naturally oriented towards the outside world, and introverts more focused on their own inner world.

If you're an introvert, you might be used to feeling misunderstood (many introvert children are criticized for not speaking up at school and grown ups being told to 'come out of their shells'). And if you're an extrovert, there's a good chance that you have at least a few misconceptions about those mysterious quiet types in your life. Scroll through the list below for six of the most common false assumptions about introverts -- and why they're wrong.

[If I had a dime for every time I heard from a teacher, a relative, a neighbor or one of my parent's friends, 'Don't worry about Kelsey -- she just needs time to come out of her shell' or 'Well how about that -- Kelsey is coming out of her shell!' I would be the richest hermit in the history of rich hermits.]

1. All introverts are shy -- and all shy people are introverts.
Shyness is so often confused with introversion that the two words are frequently used interchangeable -- but in fact, they're remarkably different traits. As Susan Cain pointed out in a Psychology Today blog, Bill Gates is introverted but not shy: he's quiet and bookish, but isn't bothered by what other people think of him.

Whereas introversion, as Dembling explains, is commonly defined as recharging and gaining energy through alone time, shyness has more to do with discomfort and anxiety in situations involving social interaction. Many introverts aren't shy; they may feel confident and at ease around other people, but simply require more alone time to balance out the energy they expend in social situations.

'The number one misconception about introversion is that it's about shyness,' says Dembling. 'The best distinction I've ever heard comes from a neuroscientist who studies shyness. He said, 'Shyness is a behavior -- it's being fearful in a social situation. Whereas introversion is a motivation. It's how much you want and need to be in those interactions.''

[Personally, I feel like I have introversion on steroids. I'm incredibly introverted, I'm pretty shy, I get anxiety over the smallest things, I have a quiet voice and I'm pretty bookish and nerdy. Let's face it, I'm just a super hermit.]

2. Introverts don't like to be around people.
Although introverts do generally need -- and enjoy -- more solitude than their extroverted counterparts, the idea that introverts are antisocial or don't want the company of others is completely false. They just tend to enjoy social interaction in a different way than extroverts do.

'There are a lot of negative labels placed on introverts -- socially anxious, don't like people, judgmental (because we sit quietly),' says Dembling. 'Introverts may prefer one-on-one interaction. We might enjoy large parties but want to sit and watch the action from the sidelines. Extroverts may interpret this as not wanting to have fun, but this observation is fun for an introvert.'

'I like to say that we may like people more than extroverts because we take the time to get to know them... it's just a completely different style,' says Dembling.

[When I started my interest in journalism, I knew I wanted to write about people and about their stories. I believe everyone has a story to tell -- good or bad -- and I want to be the one who gets their story out into the public. I'm drawn to people with interesting lives. One of my favorite books is Life of Pi for this very reason!]

3. Introverts don't make good leaders or public speakers.
Many introverts enjoy and excel in roles that involve leading others, speaking publicly, and being in the spotlight. Bill Gates, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi and countless other leaders through history have been classified as introverts. According to USA Today, roughly four in ten top executives test as introverts.

'The good news... is that in some sense we are all born to sell and equipped to lead,' writes author Daniel Pink in a Washington Post blog. 'And that means a hidden but urgent challenge for organizations of every kind is to shatter the stereotype of who's an effective leader.'

And when it comes to public speaking, introverts aren't the shrinking violets they're often thought to be, and they might actually have the upper hand over extroverts. Because introverts focus on preparing projects and thinking things through thoroughly before acting, they can be excellent speakers, says Dembling. Susan Cain's charismatically delivered TED talk on the power of introverts, for instance, was one of the fastest TED videos ever to reach one million views.

[Unfortunately for me, I am and will probably always be a terrible public speaker. I'm okay with that, because I refuse to take any more public speaking classes, mostly because the one I did take last year, Comm 110 was a total bust waste-of-my-time. I did not enjoy that class one bit. I do, however, think I'm a pretty good leader. In the unconventional sense, though. I'm a behind the scenes kind of leader.]

4. Introverts have more negative personalities.
Because they actually like being alone, introverts are sometimes stereotyped as having more depressive or negative-slanting personalities. This misconception likely stems from the fact that extroverts -- who gain their energy from social interaction -- might feel sad when they don't spend enough time with people, Dembling says.

Most introverts don't connect solitude with loneliness, unless it becomes excessive. That being said, although introverts do not innately have more depressive personalities, they do tend to spend more time thinking and analyzing -- and if this turns to ruminating, it could potentially lead to depression.

[Unfortunately for me, again, I do have depression and anxiety and super anxiety in social situations, so can I just get a damn medal or something for being the stereotypical introvert already or something??]

5. Introverts are more intellectual or creative than extroverts.
Many of the most celebrated artists and thinkers throughout history -- including Albert Einstein, Marcel Proust, and Charles Darwin -- were thought to be quiet types. Introverts are sometimes touted as being 'more intelligent, more reflective, more independent, more level-headed, more refined, and more sensitive,' as Jonathan Rauch writes in an Atlantic article, 'Caring For Your Introvert.'

But before any quiet types climb atop an intellectual high horse, it's important to note that being an introvert doesn't innately make you a loftier, or more innovative, thinker. Extroverts are, of course, often incredibly intelligent and creative; there's just a good chance that their best ideas happen while they're in a more reflective, or introverted, mindset.

'Creativity occurs in an introverted space... but that doesn't mean we've cornered the market on it,' says Dembling. 'Without both introverts and extroverts, things wouldn't get done. We've got one person thinking it through and one person going out and slaying the dragon.'

[While I'd love to be characterized as more creative and intelligent, I know that's not true. I get that people think that, though. Many creative thoughts are thought of when a person is in an introverted state of mind. I mean, how many of you come up with your most brilliant ideas in the shower? Or driving to work? Or right before you go to sleep, when you're most relaxed? I know I do!]

6. It's easy to tell whether someone is introverted or extroverted.
Many introverts could easily go out to a cocktail party and talk up everyone in the room -- and they may even enjoy themselves doing it. But at the end of the day, they'll look forward to restoring their energy by coming home and reading in bed with a cup of tea. Given our culture's bias towards extroverted personality traits, many introverts have become accustomed to being the wolf in sheep's clothing -- behaving like an extrovert in social situations, and perhaps acting more outspoken and gregarious than they feel on the inside. Or they may enjoy the social interaction and attention, but later crave alone time to recover.

'Most introverts are very good at behaving like extroverts,' says Dembling. 'A lot of us are out there behaving like extroverts... but then we have to shut it down. I call it my 'dog and pony show.' The longer I'm out there putting on the show, the longer I need to recuperate. Introverts really do like people and we do like socializing. We just like it in different ways than extroverts.'

[I totally feel like I'm putting on a dog and pony show when I'm being forced to participate in class activities, projects, and things. Well, most of the time. Sometimes I do actually enjoy the interaction and company of other people communication in a group. I also like how, for introverts, restoring our energy always comes with a cup of tea. My theory on distinguishing if someone is an introvert or extrovert is to look at what they drink in the morning. Coffee? Extrovert, of course. Tea? Introvert, clearly. Red Bull? Crazy.]

Song of the Day

Daniel Merriweather - Getting Out

365 Days of Happy - Day 204

I don't remember where I found this, maybe on the Huffington Post or Fast Company, but I've had it bookmarked on my computer for a while now. Read the short blurb about what Brand Spirit is all about below and then check out my favorite pictures.

'Brand Spirit: Every day for 100 days, I will paint one branded object white, removing all visual branding, reducing the object to its purest form. I can purchase each object for less than $10, it can be something I own, something another person gives me, or something I find.'