when it rains, you shine

This just in: Mother Nature hates us.

Fortunately bearing the crappy weather isn’t as bad when you have some cute rainy day attire.

rainy day wear

1 . 2 . 3

 Now I just have to win the lottery so I can afford this stuff. Until then, my $5 windbreaker from Walmart will have to suffice.

Accessorize your iphone with the cocoppa app

Accessorize your iphone with the cocoppa app

I’m a sucker for anything that involves graphic design, making things look pretty, and allows me to procrastinate.

Naturally, I was really excited when I stumbled upon CoCoppa: an app for your iPhone that offers free wallpapers and allows you to customize your app buttons.

I tried to write up a tutorial post of my own, but it ended up being a a jumble of word vomit that made as much sense as Tom Cruise and Cher (truth: it happened).

Instead, you can click on over // here // for a really great, thorough post on how to use the CoCoppa app!

Happy accessorizing :)

top 5 regrets of the dying

…great title for a guaranteed “feel good” post, right? Happy Monday, folks.

Despite the morbid undertones of this post title, I hope it inspires you to take the steps to not have these regrets at the end of your life.

Recently I watched this video from Ted Talk on “the game that can give you 10 extra years of your life”. The speaker, Jane McGonigal, opens up about her struggles with suicide and depression. During her speech, McGonigal mentions the top 5 regrets of the dying:

I wish I hadn’t worked so hard
I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
I wish I had let myself be happier
I wish I’d had the courage to express my true self

I wish I lived a life true to my dreams, instead of what others expected of me.

Interesting.

She goes on to talk about post-traumatic growth (not to be confused with post-traumatic stress), and how, in some cases, suffering trauma enables individuals to drastically transform their quality of life. She outlines 5 characteristics of people who have experienced post-traumatic growth:

My priorities have changed. I’m not afraid to do what makes me happy
I feel closer to my friends and family
I understand myself better. I know who I really am now
I have a new sense of meaning and purpose in my life.
I’m able to focus on my goals and dreams.

Notice any parallels between the top 5 regrets of the dying and those who have experienced post-traumatic growth?

Jane says that we don’t necessarily need to experience trauma in order to achieve these benefits. Instead, we can develop four kinds of strength or resilience that contribute to post-traumatic growth.

Want to know what they are?

You’ll have to watch the video to find out.