28 things to do before i'm 29.

via solar-sisters.

1. take a ceramics class.
2. go to a barre class.
3. take tennis lessons.
4. get a passport.
5. watch all the best picture winners.
6. take a trip via train.
7. stay at a dude ranch, do dude ranch things.
8. make pickles.
9. get acupuncture.
10. visit havasupai.
11. read a book.
12. cross at least one hike off my hiking list.
13. go snow shoeing.
14. surprise someone.
15. help someone in need.
16. run barefoot (preferably on the beach).
17. play matchmaker.
18. go on a completely spontaneous trip.
19. bake a cake for a loved-one.
20. fall asleep on a grassy plain.
21. cook a five-course meal.
22. travel the world through food.
23. learn the art of graffiti.
24. understand the difference between jazz and good jazz.
25. study mormon pioneer women.
26. read the last conference talk of all the prophets.
27. have more technology-free days.
28. throw a dance party.

most of these should look familiar to you if you've followed along for the past four years (24 things, 25 things, 26 things, and 27 things). it's becoming increasingly difficult to come up with things to do and i'm getting up there!

but i guess the most important, number one thing i want to do this year, isn't on the list. it isn't really something i can check off. it's something that has been really hard for me in the past, and maybe is really hard for me currently. but that thing is be happy in the moment. my sister keeps a running list every year of "moments of happiness". things like "this person said something nice to me" or "me and some friends ate out and saw a movie and it was really fun". just simple but, i think, really significant! and the greatest idea.

so here's to another year.

and here's to making this year the happiest.

the key to true joy.

last night my dad was boppin' around with a picture and an old book of poems. when my mom asked what he was doing he responded: 

"i'm doing an activity with courtney." 

??? 

this guy! 

he then proceeds to tell me to "listen to this poem while looking at this picture."

between the dark and the daylight,

when the night is beginning to lower,

comes a pause in the day's occupations,

that is known as the children's hour.

i hear in the chamber above me

the patter of little feet,

the sound of a door that is opened,

and voices soft and sweet.

from my study i see in the lamplight,

descending the broad hall stair,

grave alice, with big brown eyes,

and edith with golden hair.

a whisper, and then a silence:

yet i know by their merry eyes

they are plotting and planning together

to take me by surprise.

a sudden rush from the stairway,

a sudden raid from the hall!

by three doors left unguarded

they enter my castle wall!

they climb up into my turret

o'er the arms and back of my chair;

if i try to escape, they surround me;

they seem to be everywhere.

they almost devour me with kisses,

their arms about me entwine,

till i think of the bishop of bingen

in his mouse-tower on the rhine!

do you think, o blue-eyed banditti,

because you have scaled the wall,

such an old mustache as i am

is not a match for you all!

i have you fast in my fortress,

and will not let you depart,

but put you down into the dungeon

in the round-tower of my heart.

and there will i keep you forever,

yes, forever and a day,

till the walls shall crumble to ruin,

and moulder in dust away!

- henry wadsworth longfellow

after the "activity" my grandma mentioned she wished it was like that always. my dad said "it is! in our memories." which in turn brought to my mind this quote from jesus the christ:  

an important element in this splendid elucidation of the truly blessed state is the implied distinction between pleasure and happiness. mere pleasure is at best but fleeting; happiness is abiding, for in the recollection thereof is joy renewed. true happiness is lived over and over again in memory, always with a renewal of the original good; a moment of unholy pleasure may leave a barbed sting, which, like a thorn in the flesh, is an ever-present source of anguish. happiness is not akin with levity, nor is it one with light-minded mirth. It springs from the deeper fountains of the soul, and is not infrequently accompanied by tears. have you never been so happy that you have had to weep? i have.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"god organizes us into families so that we can grow up in happiness and safety, and so that we can learn to love others selflessly - the key to true joy." ain't that the truth?

what happy people do differently.

i just finished reading up on what happy people do differently. if you read this blog, you know that happiness is a favorite subject of mine. i really find it fascinating. it must be the psychologist in me. 

here's a little taste of the article in psychology today, my favorite bits:

- (happiness) is the product of mental arithmetic, when you compute your expectations, your ideals, your acceptance of what you can't change—and countless other factors. that is, happiness is a state of mind, and as such, can be intentional and strategic.

- happy people, it seems, engage in a wide range of counter intuitive habits that seem, well, downright unhappy ... truly happy people seem to have an intuitive grasp of the fact that sustained happiness is not just about doing things that you like. it also requires growth and adventuring beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone. happy people, are, simply put, curious.

- a blind eye to life's vicissitudes; this is not to say that we should take a laissez-faire attitude to all our responsibilities; paying attention to detail is helpful. but too much focus on minutiae can be exhausting and paralyzing. the happiest among us (cheerfully) accept that striving for perfection—and a perfectly smooth interaction with everyone at all times—is a loser's bet.

- the happiest people are the ones who are present when things go right for others—and whose own wins are regularly celebrated by their friends as well ... in life, it seems, there are an abundance of florence nightingales waiting to show their heroism. what's precious and scarce are those people who can truly share in others' joy and gains without envy. so while it might be kind to send flowers to your friend when she's in the hospital for surgery, you'll both derive more satisfaction out of the bouquet you send her when she finishes medical school or gets engaged.

- happy, flourishing people don't hide from negative emotions. they acknowledge that life is full of disappointments and confront them head on, often using feelings of anger effectively to stick up for themselves or those of guilt as motivation to change their own behavior. this nimble mental shifting between pleasure and pain, the ability to modify behavior to match a situation's demands, is known as psychological flexibility. the ability to tolerate the discomfort that comes from switching mind-sets depending on whom we're with and what we're doing allows us to get optimal results in every situation.

- pleasure and purpose work together. purpose is what drives us to take risks and make changes—even in the face of hardship and when sacrificing short-term happiness. 

- if you want to envision a happy person's stance, imagine one foot rooted in the present with mindful appreciation of what one has—and the other foot reaching toward the future for yet-to-be-uncovered sources of meaning.

if you liked all that ^^^ make sure you read the article in it's entirety.

welcome wednesday.

watch this ^^^ while listening to this.

and have a happy wednesday.

(i wish i had these moves)

currently loving.

a long, long time ago i used to do these little love lists every month on my blog. the great thing about them was the act of looking for good, for "lovable details"; and whenever they came around the moment was sweetened by my looking for it. it's a happy way to live.

- cocoa latteeeeee!!!!

- how gentle god's command

- the sleep time app
it brings me joy in the morning to wake up and see my sleeping habits in graph form.

- my boss
i haven't told you much about my dear boss, but i've been wanting to document these things he does: 1) the most trouble i've ever gotten in at work was when i wore a red cardigan on a byu game day, 2) i once made the mistake of telling him that i voted for obama. he didn't react much at the time, but the next monday he called me into his office and said "have you repented?" i assumed that it was because i wore red the previous week so i answered yes. he then pointed to another gentleman sitting in his office. the man looked at me and said "you know, i served my mission with mitt romney, he is a really good guy." jared just smiled at me and said "we just wanted you to know that." 3) he's called me "c" since the day i got here.

- jimmy fallon as mitt romney

- working in the temple
this is actually a kind of love-hate relationship. during and directly after i love it, but come thursday and friday night ... sometimes in the mornings though i feel this way.

- calling mitt romney "mittens"

- going to my parents house JUST to watch all the movies i have taped on their dvr
last night was a gem, mystic river.

- taking fall photos

baby yellow leaf. and my feet.

 
baby orange pumpkin, adorable new dress. and my feet.

- barb
barb is my new desk neighbor at work. when people ask me how i like sitting in my new area the first thing i say is "i sit by barbara burdick." they usually know what i'm talking about. the best things about her are: 1) she voted for obama, 2) her birmingham, alabama accent 3) the first week i started working on this floor she took wednesday, thursday, and friday off because her dog died on wednesday, thursday they mourned, and friday they went out and got a new puppy, 4) she tells jokes like this everyday:
this elderly man and woman were in bed late at night and a burglar came in. the wife woke up to the man standing in their bedroom and she quickly woke up her husband. the robber then explained that now he had to kill both of them because they both saw him. but before killing them he asked their names. the wife said "my name is elizabeth." the burglar got a disappointed look on his face and said "great! now i can't kill you! my mother's name was elizabeth." he then asked what the husband's name was: "my name is ronald, but everyone calls me elizabeth."
5) she has helped me to realize something about myself, i sneeze everyday around 11am, 6) she used to be a country singer and can be heard singing maroon 5 just about everyday, 7) she tried to set me up with her nephew by posting my picture on his facebook wall and writing beneath it "this is courtney wightman, the girl i want you to go out with"; she hasn't heard from him since.

until next time!
keepin an eye out for lovable details.

my morning walk.

for my morning break i decided that i would take a little walk over to harmons to get the perfect salad dressing for my strawberry spinach lunch salad. 

it wasn't very crowded out, certainly no where near the lunch time crowd. 

i waiting for the light to change next to a dancing man. 

on my way back i got a 44 ouncer (but don't worry it was mostly ice) from the little pharmacy on the corner of state and south temple. 

i passed a new greek food cart called "moms". the gentleman at the cart greeted me and i told him his food smelled good. he thanked me and we chatted briefly about how it was a chilly morning. 

it was pretty crisp, that good fall crisp. i heard it snowed somewhere today ... 

when i crossed the street i saw a group of tourists rushing to catch the salt lake city open air tour bus.

and finally, as i walked back into my building the sun glistened on the temple fountain. 

and i was just happy and in love with my city and my life.

how to be happy 101.

via patterson maker.

i was talking to a friend the other day about goal setting, telling her about how my little lists of things to do brings happiness and a sense of accomplishment and confidence to my life. it might have started when i saw this video in college and i wished that i would feel accomplished that day (which has been a goal of mine each day since), or probably it could have been on my mission, or possibly after my mission, since i was dying to do things that gave me a sense of worth. whenever it began, i love setting goals, working to accomplish them, and feeling the sweet success that immediately follows. 

i establish specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-targeted goals, and in return feel personally developed; like i've grown and become better. 

you know those things in our lives that we can't control (there are actually a lot of those things)? maybe you don't have the career you wanted in life. maybe you went to college, eager and zealous, ready to be a school counselor and help the youth of the world cope with their lives and maybe instead you work at a desk scheduling someone's meetings. or maybe you thought since you lived in marriage-ville usa for 4 years that you would have found someone for yourself by now. or maybe you really thought you would be living in new york city instead of the place you grew up. i think at times this makes one feel that they are doing something wrong, that god is unaware of them, that their life is a shambles; all those bad sad feelings. it's really hard to just come to terms with the fact that sometimes, things don't work out. 

here's my theory:  setting goals and reaching them make up for some of those life plans that never come to pass. for me, goals are little aspects of my life that i can fully and completely control. my goals provide a sense of direction and purpose. when i accomplish a goal like "learn the art of ceramics", i feel like i have given something to the world, and to myself. regardless of my dating status. regardless of my job status. regardless of worldly circumstances. i accomplished that goal solely, by and for myself. i like to think that who ever said to "take life by the horns" meant this sort of thing:  take charge, set goals, reach them, make a difference, choose happiness, peace, love, and rock & roll, amen.

no really, here's a great quote:

"i am so thoroughly convinced that if we don't set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. when one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, she will then be able to make a great difference in the results she attains in this life."

- m. russell ballard

here's what i think you should do, i think you should make a list of things to do. maybe it will start out as things you have been procrastinating for months. maybe it will just be simple at first: "get in shape", "read a book". but once you delve into it, the possibilities are endless!

how to set goals (according to courtney):

1. start by writing your goals down. if you don't write them down, they are just passing thoughts.

2. if you're having a hard time coming up with a good list, ask your family/friends. i'm sure they'll have advice for you.

3. talk about your goals, or in my case, blog about them. this adds an accountability factor. your friends will ask how you're doing, and even if they don't, still tell them about how you're doing. there needs to be some reporting.

4. ask yourself what have i done today to accomplish my goals?

5. include easy goals that can be achieved short-term, and hard goals that can be achieved long-term.

6. i like to throw one or two in that seem nearly impossible, then i feel really great if i accomplish it.

7. make them personal, things that don't depend on someone else, just you. YOU are responsible for achieving your goals, no one else.

8. give yourself a date of completion. 

9. i make three goal lists: a list of new years eve goals - these are often super personal/spiritual goals that i don't share with many people. i also make a list of birthday goals (25 things to do before i turn 26) - these are funner! and crazier. and then, obviously i have long-term life goals - "bucket list" items like "buy ridiculously expensive shoes" or "go to greece" or "get more schooling". 

10. try to focus on topics that are career or education minded, financial or family minded, physical or attitude minded. 

11. here are some great links for you to look at:  personal goal setting from mindtools.com, a really great blogger talking about how goal setting changed his life, creating your ideal life with goal setting from lululemon (with a video and worksheet!), and finally ... there's an app for that.

12. be committed. just do it. you go girl.

disney rap.

you know when you forget about things you love and then when you remember them again you still love them and they make you so happy?

this makes me so happy.

choose happiness.

via frenchbydesign.

sometimes i need these reminders.

monday wearings.

one of the many reasons i like to frequent my parent's home is my sister's closet. 

paige gets sick of clothes pretty quickly and stops wearing certain pieces. by the time she leaves for school it is out with the old and in with the new. basically her closet is almost always full {both in salt lake and in provo}. i benefit greatly from this little quirk. 

this morning i found a dainty, edith salzman cashmere sweater circa 1950. i'm pretty sure paige found it at misc, who told her it was a zcmi original. 

anyway, it pairs perfectly with my yellow anthropologie dress and is making me very happy today.

it's 45 degrees and warm for salt lake.

i wish i could be outside doing this.

{via.}

i am a very happy girl.

this morning i woke up at 5:30am and travelled 5 blocks to planet fitness and cycled my way through the morning news. bliss.

yesterday i got off work and walked outside to dark gloominess, but was quickly consoled by the 700,000 lights that greeted me as i walked to my car. bliss.

then i went to the temple and still got home by 6pm. bliss.

i had the BEST idea for the BEST gift for the BEST girl. bliss.

oh, and i spent the night with my christmas tree.

isn't she BEAUTIFUL?

this is my happy face.

bliss.

hb mb.

upon coming into work this morning:

{ten points if you can guess what my background is behind the chat.}

guys, have you been to the google home page today?

if not, go no further, because this design deserves it's very own post.

do you see what this is?

it is homage to the wonderfully talented mary blair, who turns 100 years old today.

hb mb.

i love ya.

i am happy.

{image.}

the temperature in my office is PERFECT for this blistery {blizzard and blustery, one word}.

not too cold, not too hot, just right.

and it just makes me happy.