How to Live a Happy Life, by Mati Oeltjenbruns

 

I have like super exciting news, and I mean SUPER EXCITING.

I’m starting this new series on the blog where I feature people who have inspired me throughout my life, whether I know them personally or not. I’m not really sure how this came to me. I was literally showering one night and was like OMG featuring people who have inspired me is such a great idea. If they’ve inspired me, they’re likely to inspire you as well! How perfect, right? Let’s just say my creative side is in full force.

Naturally I start to write a list of all those who have inspired me. Can I get a drumroll, please…..

The first person on this list is one of my lifelong best friends, Matalin Oeltjenbruns!!

Mati was one of my top choices because well she’s just a badass. A badass who helped me think more positively about myself and my life. Not to mention that she’s a total sweetheart like all the time. She gives off such a good vibe, which makes people attract to her. She’s like little ball of sunshine! And who doesn’t want to be around someone like that!?

Let’s get to know Mati:

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Tell us about yourself, Mati!!

I’m 21 years old and live in Burnsville, Minnesota. I currently work for a cleaning service (doesn’t sound so glamorous but I enjoy cleaning) (sometimes). I’m an aunt of 12 wonderful little kiddos (soon to be 13, I just found out!) I have 3 sisters and 1 brother, and lucky me they all found the coolest people in the world to marry, so I guess you could tack on 1 more in the sister column and 3 more in the brother. As you can guess family gatherings require enough food to feed a whole neighborhood and then some. I also have an incredible boyfriend who brings so much adventure and fun to my life. I am so grateful to have him. I will be attending school again next fall for acupuncture and oriental medicine. Natural medicine has been my passion for a long time. After taking a break from school, I am so excited to start back up.


How do you manage to keep such a positive attitude throughout every aspect of your life?

Well it isn’t always easy. I do believe that a positive attitude will get you much farther than anything else in life. I always try and focus on the good things. Whether it’s a person or a situation, you are in that moment and stuck with that person so you might as well look at the good things, because life is about feeling good and having fun. I have been really focusing lately on not letting others affect me or my mood. I have to remind myself often that just because someone is upset or in a bad mood does not mean it needs to rub off on me. Ignoring crabby people is my favorite hobby.

“Ignoring crabby people is my favorite hobby.” LOL, how perfect is that saying!?


What was the main reason that made you become such a positive person?

I can’t really name one thing that made me change my outlook on life so drastically. It was more of what I was going through at the time. I had just broken up with someone I cared a lot about and I can honestly say I was heartbroken. I hated the college I was going to and didn’t really make too many good friends (but I did make a few and I love ya’ll). I had to move back home and that made me feel like a failure. I was so lost, I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted anymore. I wanted so badly to figure out what I was doing with my life, but the more I searched for it the farther away it went. So I started reading a book called “The Magic”. It basically gives you something to do everyday to show gratitude in some way, shape, or form. That is when I slowly got into becoming a much more positive and happy person. I found my love for natural healing and a few really amazing friends who helped me through a lot of this (you being one of them :)). What I had realized while reading this book is that if you change your thoughts, you change your world. I had been thinking so negatively about my whole situation that the words I was thinking were truly keeping me where I was. Stuck, unloveable, dumb, annoying just to name a few. So I started ignoring those feelings, and started finding the good in where I was in that moment. That lead things to fall into place for me real quick.


What are things that make you truly, truly happy?

Well, now that I’m thinking of it, none of these are things. They’re people, places, and feelings. Like any song, Mariah Carey and Shania Twain reminds me of cleaning the house, and sitting in my older sister’s room while they got ready because they were “so cool” haha. Or “The Farm” where I camped with my whole family all the time, and have some of the happiest memories. My family, of course, they are my everything. My old friends, who are still here today after everything we have been through, you guys are the realest. My new friends, who have given me some crazy ass stories to share, haha. My boyfriend, who makes me so excited about my future and has motivated me in ways he will probably never understand. He is one awesome dude. Music festivals, which you (Aubrianna) introduced me to, and I will forever be grateful. You just can’t top the feeling of being at a music fest!


How do you relax and unwind? Give us your tips!

My favorite thing to do is spend time alone, and I think that is something everyone should learn to love. It’s my time when I can just do me. I sit on sound cloud for hours just finding new music, meditate, or do yoga. I’m also very passionate about taking care of my body – face masks, hair masks, oil pulling, you name it. Find time everyday to do something you love or that brings you happiness, because you are more important than anything else on your list of to dos.


What is the single best advice you could give to someone who is struggling in life right now?

To anyone that’s struggling with life right now, I only have one thing to tell you, LOVE YOURSELF! It is the greatest thing you could ever learn to do. Stand in the mirror naked and tell yourself everything you love about yourself. I know it sounds weird, but you’ve got to get comfortable in your own skin. Stop caring what others think. Write down 10 things your grateful for every morning. It could be for your new fuzzy rug that you got, it doesn’t matter. Before you go to bed write down 10 good things that happened during your day. Maybe you had some really good strawberries or you finally jumped 12 buses on your unicycle! Even if you do any of these only the slightest bit, still stick to it, I promise you things will start to change. Be happy, life is fun and you are very important.


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“If you change your thoughts, you change your world.”

Isn’t she brilliant? I’ve learned so much from her, and she truly is so incredibly inspiring! She inspires you to want to be happy, and to live a happy life. And I hope all of my readers get the opportunity to have a Mati in their life.

Thank you for reading the very first post that is apart of my new series!! And thank you to Mati for taking time out of her day to answer my questions so thoroughly, and with all of her heart.

xx, Aubrianna

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