Tag: cookies

you are the author of your life, so what’s next?

I’ve recently been thinking about writing short stories, and I also recently wrote about eating cookies to make your day better, and I combined those thoughts for the perspective of how you are the author of your own life.

Imagine your life as a story — which it is, except no one is writing it all down. Humans have used stories to remember history for as long as there has been history. You summarize your day into stories based on expectations and your worldview, some of it subconsciously, but it happens.

Now consider your day, maybe it’s a less-than-pleasant day. You wouldn’t think of it in short story form, but for the sake of this exercise, let’s try it:

Burford was late to work due to bad drivers and a traffic jam, and his boss gave him a glare as he walked in, so he wondered if that will affect his reputation and future raises. His boss doesn’t seem to recognize his value to the company. He did his daily work the best he could, but got sleepy in the afternoon because he didn’t get enough sleep last night. His lunch was boring. Leaving work, he was frustrated because there’s so much to do and there’s simply not enough time for it all. He sighed as he got into his old car that he would like to replace but can’t afford to. He was glad that work was through, but not excited about the rest of the evening.

It hasn’t been a great day for poor Burford. But what happens next? Does he let the rest of the day be “blah” or frustrating? Or does he change the script? What happens next hasn’t been written yet. There might be some required activities to do later, but what can he do to make his day better?

So many of us get into a routine with our daily habits and just let life happen to us. But you are the author of your life. What can you do to make your day better? Eat cookies. Drink sweet tea. Get outside to walk or play a sport. Listen to your favorite songs. Read something funny. (You could subscribe to this blog if you haven’t already). 🙂 Sit down to do absolutely nothing for a few minutes to clear your mind and relax. Text a friend who is funny and/or encouraging. Listen to a podcast about self-improvement. Pray. Whatever it is, there are options you can do to make your day better. And wherever you are right now, you get to write the rest of today’s chapter. What will happen?

Being outdoors in nature helps. Studies have shown that even just a couple of breaks in nature per week affects your mood the whole week. Take some time to be alone with your thoughts and be present where you are, with no distractions. Ignore your phone for 30 minutes.

using cookies to make your day better

We all occasionally have days that are meh, blah, or downright bad. That’s just part of life. But there are things we can do to make our day better. Consider this:

If you are having a bad day, have a couple cookies and I bet your day will instantly get better. ~ Chris Lowry

You might think, “Well, duh, of course a cookie makes things better.” Everyone knows that! But when you’re having a bad day, do you actually do something to make your day better? Sometimes we get so busy and/or so stressed that we just go along with it and don’t take a few minutes to improve our day. It doesn’t have to be cookies (although they are effective, as my research has proven*). It could be a text message to a friend who will likely respond with encouragement or humor. It could be listening to your favorite songs instead of whatever happens to be on the radio. It could be turning off the news. Lying down and stretching out, maybe taking a nap. Dancing, reading, writing, walking outside, brewing some sweet tea, etc. Whatever works might vary for you, but think of ways you can improve your day. And even if it’s not a bad day, why not make it a little more awesome?

* I ate cookies.

it’s time to save the world again

explosion - Licorne shot, French Polynesia, 1970, 1

cookieAccording to the Mayans, the world is about to end.  I reckon I better get busy saving it.  (Yeah, I procrastinated.  Besides, last-minute heroics are much more dramatic.)  If we’re all here on the 22nd, then I was successful.  In appreciation, I’ll accept homemade chocolate-chip cookies.  Other forms of gifts may be considered.  Now, I have a job to do…

100 years of Oreos

Nom nom nom

This week the Oreo cookie turned 100 years old.  What a great invention it was!  Can you imagine how the inventor felt when he first created it?  And when he first dipped it in milk?

Here’s a “fact” about Oreos you may not know.  There are 3 rows of Oreos per package because there are actually just 3 servings per package.  That makes it easy to limit yourself to one serving per serving.  🙂

That may not pass intellectual muster, but here’s a true fact.  Sales of Oreos in 2011 were over $2 billion.  That’s a LOT of cookies!  On a semi-related note, Kraft Foods, who owns the Oreo brand, also sells Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, which is turning 75 this year.

I wonder what the next great food-related invention will be…  We tend to take great food for granted, but there are times in history when there was no such thing as chocolate-chip cookies, or Oreos, or Cheetos, or cheese dip.  (I can’t imagine life without cheese dip!)  There has to be some next great food out there just waiting to be discovered.