ANIA

The “I Am Happy Project,” brainchild of Edwin Edebiri of Corning, California, is inviting people worldwide to participate in a “10 Days of Happiness” campaign which will run from February 1st through the 10th.

This initiative designed to help individuals develop sustainable Happiness while making the world a better place*

Participants are encouraged to join the Global Happiness Conference Call at 4 pm pacific or 7pm eastern to focus on one of the project’s manifesto “Ten Ways to Be Happy TM” for each day of the ten-day period:

Day 1: Item # 10 Create a goal or dream list and work diligently towards them.

Day 2: Item # 9 Be active and make healthy choices.

Day 3: Item # 8 Learn to manage your time and your money.

Day 4: Item # 7 Create a list of all the things that make you unhappy and find a solution or ways to eliminate them.

Day 5: Item # 6 Create a list of all the things you are thankful for or that make you happy.

Day 6: Item # 5 Make time for the 3 F’s: Faith, Family & Friends.

Day 7: Item # 4 Donate your money according to your pocket, even if it is a dime.

Day 8: Item # 3 Volunteer your time one on one or to a group.

Day 9: Item # 2 Smile more and learn to laugh at yourself.

Day 10: Item # 1 Decide to be happy and make it your top priority.

There will be different speakers feature in each day. Participate in as many days as possible and catch up the recording for the days you miss after the period. Details at http://iamhappyproject.org

It’s just another one of my hair color phases, don’t worry. Will normalize after a few shampoos, ha ha.

DO…

learn an instrument. Preferably the ukelele.

learn 3 languages. French, Russian, and Italian.

read books that exceed 150 pages.

attend more acting workshops.

renew passport and leave the country for once. Canada, Greece or New Zealand to start.

put funds into a savings account AND actually leave it there.

fill my personal space with more plants and flowers.

walk the walk and talk the talk. put into practice the Fruits Of The Spirit.

find a way to let go and not hold anymore grudges i.e. forgive, forgive, forgive.

DON’T…

continue to make heart-based decisions. Trust my instincts and don’t ignore the truth of a matter.

eat massive amounts of sugary items anymore. at 3am.

take things so personal. many people are thoughtless and sarcastic because they don’t know how to communicate or are simply miserable.

ever stop looking at the world through childlike eyes. always be filled with wonder and genuine interest in the things&people around me.

let other people’s assumptions or opinions define me.

stop liking and loving the person I see in the mirror. If I don’t, why should other people?

What a mess,
what a mess..
what a mess on my dress.
And she wears it in shame
her name and the shame are one and the same.
Daily she swallows the blame..

The deed was done,
she is what the world hates
and the damage of her awful blunder
will now seal her fate.

All is lost, she is lost

it has cost her everything.

She wants to make it right,

she tried to make it right,

then when she thought it was right, it was wrong.

You are her torch.
His embrace made everything fade away
and He,
knew all the right things to say.
But then You were with her,
and she was with Him,
and He was unsure.

I want to see your face,
but I want to know my place,
I know
I know
A stalemate.

They all suffer silently

together, and apart

We take what we think we know to the grave.

No one wins,

so no one quarrels…

This mess on my dress, is my deepest sorrow.

Update: Below is a frame grab from the short film that I did back in September, where I play the role of ‘Rachel’- one of the main character’s love interests. Look out for me on the big screen in early 2012 *

In the Pipeline: Studying a script for another short film project “The Dating Game” by KN2S Productions. This time, a comedy:) I’m really excited about the character I’m taking on … she is so opposite of who I am and what I’m like, but coincidentally in real life people mistake me for her personality type. I’m gona have alot of fun with this one. Stay tuned!

Apparently according to a New York Times article, severe stress makes women age prematurely because stress causes the DNA in our cells to shrink until they can no longer replicate. So when we’re stressed, we look ‘worn-down’. Women, not men, were classified specifically mind you. The stress of every little thing we experience in our possible 60-70 years of living shows up on our faces starting between the ages 18-24 I would imagine. Probably between ages 16-20 if you don’t use sunscreen/moisturizer.

For me, the face is the window to the soul. People tell me all the time, “Your face says it all”. I cannot and could not ever hide what was going on with me to my mom or friends or family, my face gave me away every time. My beauty school teacher told my class a great story one day about a woman who saw her for a facial. She was amazed how this woman in her late 40s/early 50s had not one imperfection or wrinkle. It wasn’t Botox, it wasn’t magical creams. Apparently she was married to a man in the military who she rarely saw throughout the years. They had no children. Lived a very quiet life. According to my teacher, the woman said and I quote, ” I’ve never really had to use my face.”

Brilliant.

And I get it now moreso after knowing the facts. I people watch constantly, I see the faces and guess what could be ailing a person. Sometimes you don’t even have to know the person to know that they’re hating their life right now. I see myself even, in the highs and lows of life. Think about it…when you’re down in the dumps or on Cloud 9, everything, including stress, is amplified. I recall being stressed and feeling like I don’t look good in my outfit or my hair isn’t doing what I want or my makeup isn’t going on right or feeling inadequate in every way, and this was probably all just an illusion of none other than the sneaky culprit, stress.

Stress is truly a silent killer. We literally have to make a conscious effort not to stress many of the things we choose to let bother us. Take joy in the little things and choose not to worry about things you can’t control. The secret to my sanity is hope. I eat it for breakfast. And in tougher times, for lunch and dinner too. Someone once told me “Failing is when you stop trying”. So I remain optimistic.

I believe each person has a lit candle inside of them. It dims sometimes in trials and tribulations, but the key is not letting it go out.

My finances – “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything..” Fight Club

My relationships with people – “Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained! Is this not why you are here!..” Gladiator

My relationship with men – “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her..” Julia Roberts in Notting Hill

My cat – “A liger..it’s pretty much my favorite animal. It’s like a lion and a tiger mixed – bred for its skills in magic.” Napoleon Dynamite

My looks – “Are you nervous? Am I making you nervous? Well gooood. Cuz that’s the general idea. You scare the shit outta people, and then they don’t see how scared you are..” Gia

My future – “I want the fairy tale..” Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman

My general daily thought – “No one puts Baby in the corner..” Dirty Dancing

Current circumstance – “Houston, we have a problem..” Apollo 13

Me @ The South Florida International Auto Show w/ my dream car

Miami Beach Convention Center

I’ve ordered a cappuccino two days in a row. ( Tidbit: A cappuccino is expresso mixed with steamed milk and foam, whereas a latte is expresso mixed with milk alone.)

I always ask for extra whip cream, and even a dash of cinnamon to give it that extra fun something. If I were a coffee item, I would be a cappuccino. This coffee choice speaks volumes about me. It goes with my personality, it’s not even necessarily that I’m crazy about it’s taste per se. But I can never finish it all for some reason.. I always leave a quarter inch without fail.

I would like to believe that’s how people see me or think of me: they always get the right amount and don’t want to finish with me. The right amount of compassion, the right amount of wits, the right amount of talk, the right amount sweetness, the right amount of spunk. Not come on too strong, but not too weak. Depending on where you order, the cappuccino has a lovely look/presentation to it… you know one when you see one, and it looks as if it was made with grace.

On the other hand, to some, even with its decadence of sorts in looks, the taste may not be to one’s liking. In the end, it’s about taste and results. Is it rich in taste and long lasting, or is it all fluff, a regular coffee in a nice outfit? I think that’s what every person wants to find out in general about people. Are you really a genuine coffee or are you just a fancy version of chocolate milk?

So maybe I prefer the fluff. The fog. The dream. The fairy tale, the romanticism. Not cold, harsh reality. I need truth and bad news with a sprinkle of glitter. I need somewhat of a lie, maybe.