Embrace Your Inner Cog!

Hello! How have you been lately? What's your favorite part of the day so far? Let me know in the comments! Personally, I've been going through ups and downs but lately my heart has been on its journey to being where it will be happiest, and sometimes that's just all a girl really needs to keep trekking on.

And that's a little bit of what I wanted to write about today. I know the title sounds pretty goofy, but sometimes there can be a lot weighing a person down--even the happiest people go through experiences that make life become tedious, difficult, and mundane for a period in time.

I remember at high school graduation, one of the speakers told us that although people often tell us that we are unique, amazing individuals, we must also remember that we are essentially cogs in a machine.

Cogs in a machine? What? Why would anyone want to think of him/herself as something like that? I get what you're thinking; initially, it sounds somewhat depressing to think of oneself as a cog in a machine, probably most likely because it's a bit on the dehumanizing side. It's not very exciting and, well, it's boring. People aren't really boring.  

However, it is essential to embrace your role in the greater purpose. You may feel like an insignificant cog, but without one single cog--even if it's the tiniest one that goes missing--the machine cannot function properly.

One piece gone, and it stops working.
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I sometimes struggle with this concept. There are certain days when life is completely hopeless. Have you ever been in one of those sad moods--without really knowing what's made you sad in the first place? It's on these days when I lose sight of my role in life. I lose sight of my purpose. I feel like a boring little cog, that just spins on and on without seeing much of a point to it. Have you ever felt anything like that?

Well, even though it gets difficult, I try to pray, that God will remind me of my place. I guess you could say that a cog isn't on the same level as the operator, but the operator still cares about each part of the machine. And when the "machine" is the world, my purpose doesn't sound so bad anymore.

So if you're a student, do your absolute best to study hard. If you like playing an instrument or a sport, practice every day. If you're a son or daughter, tell your family you love them. If you have a job, do your best to be kind to the people around you and to do your work well. If you have a dog, take him/her out for a walk. If you like to cook, share a meal with your neighbors. And when you're doing all of this, smile and know that you are living the life that was perfectly handcrafted for you!

It sounds awfully cheesy, but yeah--EMBRACE YOUR INNER COG! Start by having a good rest of your day. :)

Take care,
-Riley XO

P.S. The photo of the cogs that I found reminded me of this song. (Because the cogs are golden.) I find that it puts me in good spirits and relates quite a bit to this post so I hope you like it too!

The Versatile Blogger Award!

Hello there everybody! I hope you're having a wonderful week. I am glad that some of you contacted me saying that you found St. Thomas Aquinas's "A Student's Prayer" helpful and inspiring, especially during a hectic time in the semester. Today, I am so excited to tell you that Alexandra L from Tiger Lilly nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award.

Thanks, Alexandra!

I am a fan of Alexandra's blog and she is another teenager who writes inspirational posts, so if you would like to hear from someone with a similar mission but has a different perspective, please stop by there sometime and you might enjoy it as well.

I would also like to take some time today to thank you guys for reading my blog--this wouldn't be here running if it weren't for your readership and wonderful comments! I started Smiles No Matter because I wanted to start blogging for others, and try to bring happiness to others in a small but significant way. I feel blessed when I read your feedback and am always trying to improve the site. If there is anything specific you would like to see here that might help you or another person in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me at smilesnomatter@gmail.com or by leaving a comment! Thank you for your support, and I feel so privileged to be able to continue writing for you guys.  

These blog awards are fun because it's just one way for me to give you an insight as to who I am. Here are seven facts about myself:

1. I stink at coming up with "fun facts" about myself. In college when there are smaller groups, for some reason when we go around in a circle introducing ourselves we are supposed to include our major, origin, grade, and "fun fact." But when it comes to my turn, I can never think of a fact that's as cool as "I have titanium knees" or even "I've fallen down two flights of stairs." There are a lot of facts about me, but I can't think of any "fun" ones. So I guess in a way, this nomination is a brainstorm of sorts for me to find some facts that I can use for these introductions.
2. Some people at my school cannot figure out if I'm Hawaiian or not. There are a lot of Asians in Hawaii, and since I'm Asian, people tend to guess that I am Hawaiian (there is a significant percentage of Hawaiians on my campus). However, I spend a lot of time with a group of Hawaiians, and I enunciate my letters fairly articulately, so even the Hawaiians can't distinguish between me (a Coloradan) and one of their own.
3. I do not have a best friend. Rather, I have four ladies in my life that I love with all my heart. We've been best friends since middle school and are keeping the relationship strong through college--probably through life, too. Whenever I thank God for what I'm grateful for, they are always at the top of my list. 
4. Lindsey Stirling is my hero. I mean, nobody can top this:



5. I am a pseudo-journaler (and I also enjoy coining my own words). I used to write in a prayer journal every day in middle school, but it wasn't until the beginning of this year that I found a really good system that helps keep my life organized and also gives me some time to reflect every day. My cousin purchased a stylish little planner from Barnes & Noble for my Christmas present, and I decided for my New Year's Resolution that I would use it, especially since before this year I was somewhat disorganized and didn't have a solid system for keeping track of dates or what I did throughout the week. Since I would forget what I did during the week, I began to think that I had a boring life. Now that I bullet-point my activities or special moments of the day in this weekly calendar, however, I have time to reflect every night on what I am grateful for. The planner also helps me keep track of dates and activities for the future, so it is my life. It's not actual journaling, per se, but it is pretty similar. Hence, pseudo-journaling.
6. For any of you familiar with the Enneagram, I am a 3.
7. I actually don't think that a lot of things are funny. When I laugh, it's mostly because I'm happy that someone else is having a good time. But my type of humor calls for either very dry, sarcastic wit or ridiculously cheesy puns.

Do you guys think those facts are worthy of being used in a "fun fact" introduction? Let me know in the comments!


Here are my nominees:
Hyperbole and a Half
Keys2Change
Sweetly Unspoken - I just wanted to give Enoma some special recognition because her comments within Smiles No Matter have been absolutely wonderful, and I have also read some good content on her blog.

To accept the award, all you have to do is follow these rules:

1. Display the Versatile Blogger Award on your page.
2. Tag the blogger who nominated you.
3. Nominate deserving bloggers.
4. Let your nominees know you've nominated them.
5. Post 7 interesting things about yourself.

The three blogs above are great, so you should check them out if you ever have time!

And that's all for today, everybody!

I'll be posting another tidbit for inspiration on Thursday at 6:00 am Pacific Daylight time, so please subscribe by email, Pinterest, or Bloglovin' so that you won't miss any updates. Another way to connect with me is through Twitter.

Thank you so much for reading, and have a great day!

Take care,
-Riley XO

Submerged in Happiness Day Two: Music

Music. What kind of music do you listen to? Why do you love it? Well, there are many reasons, but here is a nerdy science video explaining a little bit about the neurology that's going on while we listen to music from AsapSCIENCE:

With technology, music is becoming even more prevalent than it has ever been--pretty much an established fact. I was thinking about this a little last night, and I am wondering how certain types of music can affect people's psyche.

If we are submerged in music that is dark, does it affect our personalities, and how?

In other words, is there a difference between people who listen to this type of music:

And this type of music?

(Sorry to shock you with the contrast, haha.)

I personally listen to the former type (plus some Christian rock and a little bit of Alternative), so the latter kind of freaks me out a bit, but I do know several people who constantly have it playing through their earbuds.

These friends are certainly still wonderful people, who are talented, and show kindness to others (which at the end of the day is a good chunk of what's important, right?), but I have noticed a different dynamic between us personality-wise.

Here's a question that I want to pose today: Does type of music affect our personalities, or is it our personalities that affect the kind of music we listen to?

Should we take caution in what we're putting into our minds music-wise, especially now that we can have it playing constantly through our computers, phones, and iPods?

web-savvy-marketing.com

K-LOVE, a radio station I listen to in the car, poses a 30-Day Challenge in which they encourage others to listen only to Christian music for a month, and see how their lives transform. People have given testimonials where they explain how their perspectives on life and relationships are changed due to the uplifting music that this genre provides.

Anyway, I just wanted to encourage a little bit of discussion today as a part of our mini-series called Submerged in Happiness.

What type of music do you listen to, and how does it affect you?

Please comment and subscribe!
-Riley XO

Blessings by Laura Story

Hello friends! I usually post on Tuesdays, but as I was driving home this song played on the radio and it was a wonderful little blessing that I wanted to share with you:

I'm still mulling over the words.

See you again tomorrow!
-Riley XO