Off to the Races!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!    Celebrating holidays has always been a fan of mine.  I love to hear how other people celebrate the fun.  Mine this year was filled with sombreros, good food, and best friends  Hope yours was also a blast!

What an eventful weekend this was.  Did you know that Charlotte hosts a Chihuahua race every Cinco de Mayo weekend?  I still am amazed by all of the things that go on in Charlotte that I haven't experienced.  It's now my goal to do everything this city has to offer! 

Last year, we missed it but we were sure to make it this year. It took place in the middle of the EpiCentre and was an all-day event.  There were dogs, sombreros, and margaritas everywhere!

My sister decided to enter her dog, Graham, into the races, and boy did he do well!  No one expected him to do very well (it was loud and crowded--easy conditions to distract dogs), but he ended up coming in 3rd place!

If you have never had a chance to experience a taste of Charlotte and it's culture, you definitely should! 

Happiness.

"I think eventually we learn to define happiness for ourselves on our own terms in spite of the pain other people have caused us."
-One Tree Hill

I don't think there could be a more appropriate quote for my life this week.  I used to hate people that would brag about their perfect happy lives.  I mean, how could everything be so perfect?  Clearly something had to be wrong with their lives.

But over time, I've come to realize that everything probably isn't perfect in their lives.  It's all a matter of perspective.  It's all a matter of how you define happiness.  Happiness isn't defined by other people.  Society tells us over and over that to be happy you have to have a lot of money, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect wardrobe.   For me, happiness is about how you feel about yourself and how you make others feel.  

A few months ago, I was not at a place in my life where I could make other people happy, because I wasn't "good" with myself.  Sure, I was my same upbeat self, but at the end of the day, something was just "off."  Over the last few months, I have undergone some drastic changes in my life.  Some for the good, others for not the best, but I can finally say I am in a place in my life where I am truly happy.  I have a job that I love where I can impact and influence kids in a positive way, I have a group of supportive and uplifting friends, and most importantly, I have the best family I could ask for.  I feel good about myself and the decisions I've made to get to where I am now.

So is my life perfect? Absolutely not.  Are there still things I wish I could change?  Of course.  But I'm finally defining happiness for myself.  And I am happy.  

How do you define happiness?