The Happiness Project: Morgan Kennedy Miller Day 4

If you are a regular blog follower and reader you have read many times about my passion and love for dance and heard about one very special lady, Mrs. Kathy Baker. For the past 4 years and some of my middle school dance career I danced under the direction of Mrs. Baker. The things that Mrs. Baker has taught me are things I hope to carry on with me for the rest of my life. I learned what it truly meant to be a team player, how hard you really have to work for it to be hard work, responsibility is important because you will not always have someone to take care of you, and promptness is key. On any given day I am usually about 10-15 minutes early to any event.. lol So below I share with you Mrs. Bakers answers to my Happiness project questionnaire

 

1.  My name is Mary Katherine Baker, but my friends and family call me Kathy.  I share my mom's first name as two Mary's in one house while I was growing up would have been confusing.

2.  I love being the  wife of Brian, mom of Christy and Steven, and Grammy  of Madisyn, Chloe, and our future grandson (Reese, Knox, Nash, or Bennett- name not decided yet).  I love being retired and playing tennis, attending women's bible study group, baking desserts, and playing with my new puppy whom Is training to become a service dog.  Puppy Braxton makes me laugh every  day.  I was fortunate to have a career that I was very passionate about- teaching dance to phenomenal young women.  Nothing better than assisting a group of young women to bond, form goals, and work to meet their challenges and goals.

3.  I love music so much that I have a lot of favorite songs.  Currently I have been jelling to All Of Me by John Legend,  along with Happy, and Timber.  I love just about anything from Journey or Bon Jovi, but Barry White's Your My First, My Last, My Everything,  always gets me.

4.  Besides my God, parents or husband, I have been so influenced by Ernest Oliver Hebson.  I was fortunate to have him teach me from 7th-12th grade.  He took 70 7th-10th grade kids who knew very little about music and developed an award winning band  program of over 300 kids 

by the time I graduated.  He was demanding, had high expectations for us, and never let us doubt that we couldn't be the best. I think a lot of my teaching style came from him.   His HS band has had the opportunity to march in the Macy Day Parade, Orange Parade, Rose Parade, Governor's and Presidential inauguration parades as well as several international invitations.  While he taught us to work hard to be the best,  he just expected us to do our best and to be responsible to each other.

5.  Talk is cheap!

      If you want a friend , be a friend first!

     Act enthusiastic and you'll be enthusiastic. 

      I realize you have heard all of these, and they are pretty basic, but I really do believe them.  

      Ralph Emerson is a little more poetic with "Nothing great was ever achieved without  enthusiasm."

6.   Spending time with my family makes me happy. I also love watching a student develop their potential, especially when they didn't realize that they could make their accomplishment.

7.  We are not made to go through life by ourselves.  Trust in God to lead you and be sure to make sincere relationships.  I would also recommend that young adults realize that the world does not revolve completely around them.  Get out and do something for others. We benefit from helping others.

    Good luck with your 20 before 20!  Be sure to keep in touch as I love hearing about your adventures!  Don't forget , I'll be expecting an invitation to your inauguration when you win your first election.  You are just the woman to do it, even if your it (goal) changes.  Love you girl!

Mrs. B

Wherever life takes me I pray this amazing lady always is a part of it! Happy hump day everyone hope you are having an amazing day and doing big things!

Happiness Project: Morgan Kennedy Miller Day 1

   So today is the first post for The Happiness Project. I share with you my first response back from a former art teacher of mine. Ms. Sapp was more than just an art teacher, she was an inspiration to me when it came to creativity and being yourself. I took art with Ms. Sapp my 7th and 8th grade years. Her class is where I made my replica Jackie O painting I still have to this day even with her terrible eyes. Ms. Sapp's class taught me how to work outside my comfort zone and showed me my love for John Mayer. (lol) I am ever so thankful for the impression she left on me and hope it is something I carry with me forever. Ms. Sapp's responses to my questions alone make me so happy and remind me why I have thought she is one of the coolest people I know! Here is her response:

 

Your Name: Ryn Sapp

A little bit about you:  Only child of 2 amazing parents, graduate of FSU, on my 2^nd career ( I had to do my first job in order to be good at my 2^nd one!), high school teacher, sports junkie, part-time artist, gypsy, sci-fi nerd

 

Your favorite Song?: “Baby, You’re the World to Me” by David Gray

 

Your favorite Quote?: “Be the change you wish to see in the world” – Mother Theresa (I have a pair of Toms that has this  saying on it!)

 

Who has been an inspiration to you and why?: My mom, who taught me that working hard is its own reward and Pam (Roberts) Brewer, who taught me to never do anything half way…to put your whole entire heart into doing what you love!

 

What makes you happy?: speaking of what makes you happy…finding new music, painting on a rainy day, FSU football (more specifically, singing the fight song and doing the “tomahawk chop’ with 80,000 of my closest friends at a night game when it’s cold!!), tailgating, road trips (full tank of gas, open road, windows down, music blaring), flea markets and yard sales, exploring a new city, having a student contact me and tell me something I did for them or taught them was important or valuable to them!!

 

What is something(s) you would share with the younger generation you wish you would have been told?:  What you get a degree in or what you think you want to do in college ISN’T necessarily what you’ll make a career out of.  It’s OK to take time to figure out what really makes you happy.  Making money is great and you need it to survive, but it’s way more important to be happy.  Nothing is worse than going to a job you hate, but not much beats going to a job you love and find meaningful.

 

Anything else you would like to add: advice for life…1) TRAVEL!  2) If you love someone, tell them. You never know when you might not have the opportunity to tell them one last time.  3) Do one thing that makes you happy every day, even if it’s a small thing. 4) Don’t let your mistakes in life consume you. Learn from them and don’t make the mistake again.  5) Sing in the car.  Loud.  Don’t be embarrassed if someone sees you.

 

****Thanks for asking me to do this, Morgan.  I am honored that you did.  You are precious and I am so proud of the amazing, altruistic and enterprising young woman you’ve become!!! 

 

 

Along with being one of the coolest art teachers you will ever find in her spare time Ms. Sapp creates some pretty cool masterpieces that you can buy. I am super excited cause I just received one for my birthday and look forward to buying some more for my new apartment. I highly recommend you go check out all her great pieces on her facebook and Instagram and get yours today! I connected the link to her facebook to all my pictures! Well happy hump day and hope you have a great Wednesday.

 

 

 

The Happiness Project: Morgan Kennedy Miller

 Lately  I have been reading the book, "The Happiness Project," by Gretchen Rubin. The book is all about the wife and mother of two deciding one day to find what makes her happiness. The book has inspired me to try my own happiness on a bit different scale. On my bucket list of 20 Before 20, I have things like create a work of art, find a hobby, and exercise more. I feel like these are all going to tie into things that make me happy. I don't want to count on just these couple actions though, so I will be doing guest post with other persons whether it be fellow bloggers or inspirational people to me in my everyday life.
  My motto lately has been that, "We only get so many go rounds," and I have decided I don't want to waste any of mine. I am excited to see what comes of all of this and hope that it will inspire of you to do the same and figure out what makes you happy!
  Hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday. Get excited for the happiness project post to come!
Here are a couple things that are making me happy today:

1.) Oceans by Hillsong united: this song is on replay in my car and I cant get enough of it!

2.) Glory is Yours by Elevation Worship

3.) I was given another day on this wonderful earth
4.) My journaling
5.) Chick-fil-a sweet tea. It's a weakness I must answer to everyday..lol