Bliss

A COWBOY SQUIRREL RIDING A GIANT ACORN.JUSTTHINK ABOUT THAT.

BEING PRETENTIOUS

BUT FOR REAL...

GETTING PERSONAL

HIGGINS & HARLOW

CREDIT

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Bliss/blis/

noun

�Perfect happiness; great joy.�Something providing such happiness.

synonyms

felicity - beatitude - blessedness - happiness

Merriam-Webster defines “bliss” as

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I see bliss as a moment, and not just a feeling. Bliss is that moment where I don’t think about anything at all, I’m just sitting and feeling that moment of happiness. Bliss is more ethereal; an experience. But I’d say that my most sincere joy and pleasure comes from enhancing the glory and kingdom of God. I think of personal happiness, and everything that goes with that, as more temporary.

My happiness and pleasure comes from knowing and growing in my knowledge of the Al

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Bliss is in that time when I’m just not thinking about anything else at all;

I’m sitting there quietly and feeling that moment of happiness.

Lord. And I think others see joy [in Christians] by seeing that we know Christ, and are reflecting His love. The things that make me really joyous are more long term, and produce long term effects. I was on a mission trip to Melilla [Spain], and I was on a prayer walk through

the city. I was walking and praying and praising the Lord for everything and everyone that came to mind as I walked. And as I was walking, I caught eyes with this woman on the street. She was an older woman, and I had never seen her before.

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I had no idea who she was, and I don’t think she knew who I was. But we caught eyes, and she looked so happy to see me. I can’t even describe the look on her face, but it was so kind and happy. And I immediately prayed for her and her family and everyone she came in contact with. But praying for her was more like praising the Lord than just praying.

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I feel like bliss is when I’m able to sing as loud as I can and no one will hear. Or maybe it’s more like I’m not caring whether or not people hear me. I guess I feel most happy whenever I feel like social norms can be disregarded, like singing loudly, or having tangled hair, or not caring what your clothes look like. And you can just be comfortable being who you are in that moment. And in the moments that you can just sit and enjoy time, without any places to be, or deadlines, or Ka

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pressure. So, being able to enjoy the breezes on hot days, curling up in your bed when there are clean sheets, sitting in nature, or that first jump into the swimming pool at summertime.

And it’s in the little things too, like lattes, laughing really loudly with friends, my family’s cabin in Colorado, and milkshakes. Milkshakes! Underline it, capitalize it, say it again. Milkshakes. If I had all the time in the world I would fill it with more things like that. It’s interesting to think of what really makes us happy versus what we fill up our time with instead.

Bliss also comes from companionship, like friendship and relationships. I think that also comes from other people’s happiness. Like

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I feel like bliss is when I’m able to sing as loud as I can and no one will hear. Or maybe it’s more like I’m not caring

whether or not people hear me.

out of the blue told me how much he appreciated me as a big sister and a role model, and that he loved me just as much as I loved him. And that was the most amazing thing to hear. That made me so happy to hear.

when you hear from someone that they feel the same way about you. It’s hearing that your relationship means just as much to them as it does to you. I was talking to my younger brother the other day, and he just

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I would say bliss is utter joy, the creme de la creme of happiness. The idea of it is almost inconceivable to some degree. It’s a sense of being totally at peace in all aspects of life: mentally, physically, spiritually, and relationally.

Bliss can come from the little things. I have to find these moments of happiness throughout the day. Like getting up for an eight a.m. class and having those ten extra minutes for a cup of coffee. Putting on a great song when I’m stuck in traffic. Spontaneous ho

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baking, and a group of friends hanging out together. Coffee dates, and working with my hands. That’s happiness. I find happiness in anything that can make you laugh, or put that big ole stupid grin on your face.

Give me a cup of coffee and a good amount of time...

I can conquer the world.

And it’s going to sound super pretentious, but thinking, and discovering, and finding something new makes me so happy. Trying to understand the way the things around us, like our bodies, or the universe, look and work. I love learning all the time. And doing all of this over a cup of coffee.

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Give me a cup of coffee and a good amount of time, and I can conquer the world.

I’d say the time I was most happy was when I was traveling through Europe. I loved trying new foods, learning new languages, discovering the cities, and spending time with people. All the coffee and gelato under the sun! The new things are what bring me the most happiness; discovering them, trying them. New adventures, and then a long deep, thought provoking conversation. All the things I don’t have time for right now. But maybe someday I will.

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BLISS IS IN THAT TIME WHEN I’M JUST NOT THINKING ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE AT ALL; I’M SITTING THERE QUIETLY AND FEELING THAT MOMENT OF HAPPINESS.

letterpress pinterest single-origin coffee pickled aesthetic.

Banjo pop-up hoodie, wolf bushwick street art Austin meh truffaut next level. Pinterest trust fund synth seitan sartorial. Wolf food truck mcsweeney’s thundercats, meggings williamsburg fingerstache chillwave. Twee butcher vice typewriter, ably haven’t heard of them, photo booth single-origin coffee mustache selvage deep v sartorial irony williamsburg fixie tonx selfies. Organic ethical retro DIY, typewriter small batch letterpress pour-over butcher neutra

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This might sound a little weird at first, but to me, bliss can be summed up in two words: tangled hair. Every time in my life that I’ve been most happy, my hair has been unbelievably untamed. Camping, road trips with the windows down, days at the beach. Times that you’re just so happy that social conventions, like how you look, just don’t matter anymore.


Taking time out of our busy lives to be happy.

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When I started out making this book, I didn’t realize how profoundly the research portion of it would affect me. Reading quotes from famous authors, talking to lots of different people about their interpretations, and visually exploring the idea of happiness made me analyze what my own definition is.

It was so interesting that, when asked the same questions, I received answers from the people I interviewed that were surprisingly different, and yet similar. Everyone I talked to mentioned being in relationships or community with other people, being outside,

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and taking time out of our busy lives to be happy. And not one mentioned sitting inside alone and watching Netflix. (Which makes me want to kick myself, and get up and fill my time with things that will actually make me happy, not the cheap and lazy substitutions behind laptop and TV screens.) I want to fill my life with more meaningful and memorable experiences.

I think I’ll do just that.

Deuces.

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Bliss is an unmatched happiness. For me it’s that moment in worship, whether that’s in church or in my own personal time, when we come to realization that an awesome God loves us more than we can ever imagine! The feeling is like an overwhelming flood: refreshing, humbling, and rejuvenating.

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Bliss is an unmatched happiness.

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Through this exploration of happiness and what it truly means to find Bliss, my life has forever been impacted. This brand of Bliss was created to solely promote and encourage pure joy in all things. We hope that through the products we put out there and our blog app that you can find and endorse bliss in all that you do.

God Bless, Y’all!

ALEXIS LYNN ELLIS Swell Photographer alexislynnphoto.com

SARAH AYER Splendid Photographer sarahayerphotography.com

HOPE HELLBERG Fantastic Fibers Fanatic hopehellberg.com

to ...TO...

Alexandra Olivier, Ryan Brady Rish, Kailee Roark, Rhonda Arntsen, Merrick Henry, Creative Approach, Chris Mayers & God.

AS WELL AS

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www.goblissyourself.com

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