Finding Happiness

Finding
Happiness
Written, Designed, Photographed, & Illustrated by Hannah Potts

Finding
Happiness
Written, Designed, Photographed, & Illustrated by Hannah Potts
Printed by www.blurb.com

@2020 All Rights Reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.
The opinions expressed in this book are those of the author only and not those of
York College of Pennsylvania.
This book is an experimental class project for purely educational design
purposes.
Designed by Hannah Potts
Printed by www.blurb.com
This book is set in Arno Pro, a serif type family created by Robert Slimbach at
Adobe intended for professional use. The name refers to the river that runs
through Florence, a center of the Italian Renaissance. Arno is an old-style
serif font, drawing inspiration from a variety of 15th and 16th century typefaces.
Headings, titling, and page numbers are set in Bebas Neue, a sans serif font
family developed by designer Ryoichi Tsunekawa of Dharma Type. The typeface
is described as “staying true to the style and grace of Bebas with its familiar
clean lines, elegant shapes, a blend of technical straightforwardness and simple
warmth, which makes it uniformly proper for web, print, commerce and art”.

Preface
This
book is about how to create a little bit of happiness
on even the unhappiest of days. Inspired after a rough year
of life and a friend that seemed to always smile even when
she wanted to cry, this book has been a journey of selfdiscovery,
self-reflection, and has helped me deepen my
relationships, both with friends and with my God. It is all
about finding a little thing to make you smile every day.,
to not let anxiety or anger or sadness to overwhelm you.
It is about how I couldn’t control what happened in my
life, and so I controlled how I felt about life. This book
took three months to create, but was based off over a year’s
worth of frustration and chaos. All the photos and illustrated
lettering were taken or created by me. The bible
verses throughout this book relate to the topics at hand
and are also things I wish I had been able to find during
my year of struggle. They are here for you to provide
comfort and a little more insight into who I am as a person,
and what my faith entails. I may be a Christian, but I still
cuss like a sailor. You’ve been warned that because of the
language used in this book it’s probably rated PG-13.
With Love,
Hannah Potts

Finding
Happiness
Printed by www.blurb.com

This book is dedicated to my sister, Sara, for always being ready to fight for what
she believes and deserves, and Rebecca Carter and my friends for accepting me
despite my flaws and for being the awesomely honest and raw people they are.
You all make me feel loved. Thank You.

CONTENts
Introduction.......................................................1
Chapter 1: Nature..............................................7
Chapter 2: Places...........................................23
Chapter 3: Phrases........................................39
Chapter 4: People............................................61
Reflection.........................................................79
Acknowledgements......................................85

1 | Introduction
“The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5

Introduction
Has
life ever gotten you down? Failed exams, payments
overdue, rough day at work, family health problems, fights
with friends or SOs (significant others), and everything
else just like the last that is neither fun nor bearable?
The world seems dark and dreary and hopeless? It’s times
like these when we all just need a little bit of rightness to
occur. A little ray of sunshine to make our smile seem a
little less forced. When it comes to these dark days I try
to remember 3 things. 1: The sun is always there even if
you can’t see it. 2: You’re allowed to ask for help when
life gets rough. Whether it’s from a friend or from a god.
3: Sometimes, you got to be the one to love yourself and
make your world a happier place. Because it’s no one’s
job to do that for you.

Finding Happiness sounds incredibly cheesy. But personally,
I think purposefully going out to seek the things in
life that make you happy is necessary. Sometimes we just
have a bad day, and would give anything for one sincere
smile to light our features. For a deep and hearty laugh
to sprout from our lips and grow into an uncontrollable
boisterous noise. Sometimes, all we want is for happiness
to find us so that we cannot feel so sad. But guess
what, buttercup? Life doesn’t always work out the way
we want, and I’m sure all of you already know that.
Life starts out hard, so when shit hits the fan, how do
you get through that?
In August of 2018, my sister got into a car accident.
Her car was totaled and she suffered from a mild concussion.
That, while rough, was honestly manageable. But then, the
seizures started. If none of you have ever seen or heard
of an Absence Seizure, consider yourself lucky. The first
time it happened to my sister I was utterly terrified and
had no idea what was going on. A generic scientific
explanation of these Absence Seizures is as follows:
“An absence seizure causes a short period of “blanking
out” or staring into space. Like other kinds of seizures,
they are caused by brief abnormal electrical activity in
a person’s brain.”¹
Introduction | 4

This explanation quite frankly does not do the type
of Absence Seizures my sister was experiencing justice.
My sister, when she had one, would stare off into space.
Her face would go slack, her mouth would slowly gape
sometimes, like a fish out of water. Then, her whole body
would just relax, I guess, and if she was holding anything
she would drop it. Bags, cups, anything and everything,
would fall to the ground. She almost lost a pricey leather
jacket I had bought her when she had an episode in a
mall. And then, as she was coming out of it, she would
just mumble. Incoherent sometimes. Complete sentences
at other times. But what was the worst part of it all.
The minute she came out of it, she had no recollection
or memory of it happening. These seizures are essentially
as if her brain just turned off or tried to reboot. These
abnormalities then turned, at about New Year’s 2019, to
a true foaming-at-the-mouth seizure.
My family and I were absolutely mortified. My 21-yearold,
healthy, average sister was having seizures? And she
lived half-way across the country and we couldn’t even
be there for her at the hospital.
And as if the world wanted to crush my soul, and keep me
forever wondering what was next. Two weeks after heartbreakingly
and abruptly ending a relationship, my grandpa
died suddenly, within five hours of catching pneumonia.
And I found out via a text from my own father the morning
of an exam. Talk about perfect fucking timing, am I right?
5 | Introduction

So, there I am, my sophomore year of college, with the
world falling apart around me, and through all the forced
smiles and laughter, desperately wanting them to be sincere.
And so, when it seemed like these small fleeting moments
of peace or happiness would not come to me, I said
“Fuck It” and went out and took the happiness for myself.
“Sometimes,
you got to be the one
to love yourself
and make your world
a happier place.
Because it’s no one’s
job to do that for you.”
Introduction | 6

7 | Chapter ONE
“You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants

for people to use, to bring rteerth, and wine to gladden the human heart.”
Psalm 104:14

Chapter 1: nature

Step One:
Find something that
can make you smile.
Then proceed to find
more of said thing
or things.
I don’t know about you, but I think nature’s fucking
beautiful. The trees go from green to orange, to red or
yellow in the fall, butterflies flap around like the majestic
beings they are in the spring, and the life of the natural
world is free from the stresses of things like health problems,
or exams, or whether or not anyone in class saw
you do that really embarrassing thing you didn’t even
try to do. Nature doesn’t have our worries and that’s
what makes it so beautiful and peaceful to be in.
Because it is already at peace.
Nature | 10

I am a Christian. I say this not with the intention of
“converting” anyone to Christianity or to hold conservative
debates (I’m a democrat anyways so do with that info
what you will), but I say that so you can begin to understand
me and my point of view a little more. And by point
of view I don’t mean a political point of view, I simply
mean the way I look at the world. There is no mention
of anything political in this book because that is not
what’s important. But I am a Christian and I believe in
Creation, and Creation, for any who may be unaware, is
the essential antithesis to the Big Bang Theory. Every
single thing in existence from particles of dust, to grass
and bugs, to humans and animals, to space and the never
ending beyond that is space was created with specific
purposes, designs, and placement in the universe,
known and unknown. In scientific terms, it’s known as
creation theory. With this belief of creation, I see nature
a little differently than some other people might. I look at
the world with both appreciation for its grandeur and
beauty, and in awe and wonder at the fact that it was
designed with so much purpose. I look at the world and
simply bask in the glory of my God’s creation. It isn’t a
guaranteed way to make me smile or laugh, but I’ve
found that taking a moment or two to simply be while
surrounded by things I find beautiful, is a good way to
feel the peace that nature has.
Even if you don’t have a particular belief in creation,
big bang, or other, you still can go out and feel the sun
warm your face, feel the air pierce your lungs, or feel the
wind freeze your bones in the dead of winter.
11 | Chapter one

The largest aspect of humanity is our ability to feel: feel
and empathize. Sometimes we don’t need to empathize
with or for others, sometimes we literally just need to
take care of ourselves. So, figure out what makes you happy.
Is it rain? Is it cold weather? Is it warmth? Is it summer?
Is it the beach? The mountains, the dessert, another
country, green things, yellow things, animals, nature,
buildings, straight things, curvy things, roads of neverending
indecision, highways, colors? Figure it out, know it,
then go and look for it and take your happiness for yourself.
For me, as long as it’s not raining, the earth’s creatures
are normally all out and about and anything with fur,
well almost anything with fur, can make me smile.
But birds singing in the trees, to chirping crickets hiding
in the shadows, or squirrels scurrying through crunchy
fallen leaves: nothing is cuter than animals in their natural
habitat living their own little animal lives. Walking outside
as a fall breeze sweeps by and rustles dry leaves that
are barely clinging on to the trees is an incredibly satisfying
view, sound, and smell to me. Taking deep breaths
in the winter causes the air to invade my lungs and tastes
crisp and sharp. Inhaling the scent of summer, that’s thicker,
muggier, but bright and warm. The earth is such a versatile
force of nature and if we go around ignoring the beauty
around us, not to get political or anything, we’re going
to kill it faster.
Nature | 12

13 | Chapter one

Nature | 14

15 | Chapter one

Nature | 16

One of my favorite verses from the bible about Creation
and the wisdom that is seen in nature comes from the
book of Job. If you’ve never heard of the story of Job,
he was a man that was firm in his faith that, even when
shaken through family deaths, loss of property and financial
stability, when he was out on the streets, homeless
and hungry, he had faith in what his God could do and
that his God would provide. When a man named Zophar
questions Job’s belief and unshakable faith in a God that
“has let bad things happen”, this is Job’s reply:
“…ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds
in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth,
and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform
you…In his hand is the life of every creature and the
breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10
And in companion with this comes the words of Matthew
from the New Testament:
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor
gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26
My God is a God that is loving. He is caring. He is a Creator
that nurtures the earth and all its occupants with unconditional
love, including humans. Whether you believe in
the God of the bible or not, know this: He loves and cares
for you and wants to provide you with a sense of peace,
even as life is hard and seems unendingly torturous,
He will be there to love and provide for you. Life for
believers, and non-believers alike, is not always easy,
is not always prosperous, is not always full of sunshine
17| Chapter one

and rainbows. God does not promise us an easy life
when we choose to follow him. He does, however,
promise us a life where, as long as we put our faith in
Him, we will never be forsaken, forgotten, or left alone.
So even as I’m struggling through classes, relationships,
and family drama, I choose to look at the world around
me and know my God will provide. And whether you’re a
believer or not, I hope you know that just as the animals
and the trees are cared for in their beauty, so too are you.
“Sometimes we don’t
need to empathize
with or for others,
sometimes we
literally just need
to take care of
ourselves.”
Nature | 18

19 | Chapter one

Nature | 20

21 | Chapter one

Nature | 22

23 | Chapter two
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never

leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8

Chapter 2: Places

Step Two:
Stop when you can
and take in
the world
around you.
See and Be.
Have you noticed how crazy and hectic the world
is sometimes? How crazy and hectic our own lives get?
When was the last time you walked past a flower shop
and went in to smell a flower? Hell, when was the last
time that you just got to go for a walk? There isn’t always
time to drop everything you’re doing and go on a hike
in the middle of nowhere, and that’s fine. That’s normal.
But you should at least learn to appreciate the things
around you. It’s not always going to be trees or animals,
because you’re not always going to be in a forest. The thing
you should make a habit of doing, however, is stopping
wherever you are, for at least one solid minute, and find
something to admire, and add it to the list of things that
make you happy.
Places | 26

I don’t know about you, but I grew up in your standard
white American suburbia. We lived right off what could
be called the “Main Drag” and were both five minutes
from Main Street, USA as well as five minutes to the developed
shopping areas and restaurants. We even had a
Chick-fil-A added to our area in 2015. So that was lit,
but it wasn’t much to look at. My mom knew that too,
having been raised in that same area. So, we travelled.
To cities and new states and sometimes to new countries
and through all of it, I learned to fall in love with
the smallest of things around me.
As an artist and a designer, I’ve always had an eye for the
prettier things in life. I love straight lines and simple designs
and white space as well as the detailed realism of architecture
of the Neoclassicism period. And with a father
that’s a history nerd, I’ve always had a fascination for
things that were old, and sometimes, dead. But through
all of this, I’ve learned to look for the little moments of
beauty in life, even if the area I’m in isn’t that beautiful.
Cities may seem busy and cluttered and too industrial to
be seen as beautiful, but there is something about cities
that contains this certain tension that isn’t seen in nature.
Everything is moving, everything is making noise, and
everywhere you look there is someone there. Walls hide
the lives of those inside them, and the telephone poles
and wires carry messages and power to and from the homes
and businesses that surround you. Cars are always driving,
people are always walking, eyes are always seeing, and
27 | Chapter Two

noses are always taking in the next scent, whether pleasant
or unpleasant. It’s this never-ending sound and
movement that causes its own peace in the chaos.
You can stand in any city, any place where people live,
whether its small-town main street or your local mall,
and there will be some sort of life present. If you were
to go to one of these places and stand still for even one
minute, your eyes will not stay still as they’ll be too busy
absorbing all the commotion around you. Maybe you’ll
see two kids running around their mom’s car, not ready
to sit down quite yet. Maybe it’s a driver in their car,
jamming out to music you can’t hear. Maybe it’s someone
that’s walking past you and smiles at you, simply
because that’s what they do.
Every day, we take advantage of the world around us.
We don’t admire how the bricks look exceptionally red
in certain sunlight. We are oblivious to the people on
the bus right next to us that’s mouthing the words to
their favorite song they may be listening to. We ignore
the wave from a child in the car next to us as we ride
down the highway. We are all so stuck in our own worlds,
our own heads in this century, in centuries past, and
will probably be exactly the same in the future that is to
come, that we miss the smallest of moments of joy that
occur every day.
Places | 28

29 | Chapter Two

Places | 30

31| Chapter Two

Places | 32

The world is a beautiful place, but sometimes these beautiful
moments that we find for ourselves are ruined by
other people. People who are stuck in their own worlds.
People stuck in their own agony, pride, and jealousy. But
we, as a people, can become the difference for others
through a few simple ways. Galatians 6:9-10 tells us to
“not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” And, “as we
have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially
to those who belong to the family…” Whether you are
a believer or not, we are called to be good to one other.
In Luke 6:31, we are called to “do unto others as you
would have them do unto you.”
The world can be beautiful and it can be cruel. Whether or
not you let these cruelties keep you down or not all
depends on the attitude you have for the world around
you. So, look for every little moment of happiness that
you can. Be kind to others and keep your head up so you
can see the glory of this earth all around you.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if
there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Philippians 4:8
33 | Chapter Two

“I’ve learned to
look for the
little moments
of beauty in life,
even if the area
I’m in isn’t that
beautiful.”
Places | 34

35 | Chapter Two

Places | 36

37 | Chapter Two

Places | 38

39 | Chapter Three
“death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits.”Proverbs 18:21

Chapter 3: Phrases

Step Three:
Words are
powerful.
Listen
and you will
find so many
good ones.
Have you ever heard a sentence, a phrase, a word that
just tickled your fancy? Slang, lingo, or idiom that
was just too good to let go? Something that made you
snicker or smile, minutes, hours, days, or weeks after
you first heard it? I honestly think those are some of
the best words in existence. Because they stick with
you, in the good way. I know I certainly have a plethora
of these words, and decided to grace this book and
honor your eyes with the things that have beheld my
ears, in just a few months.
phrases | 42

43 | Chapter Three

“Sh’yeah, dude. It looks great!”
These were the exact words my Web Design Professor
used in reaction to a student’s design in my junior year
of college. It is best used in moments of excitement or
affirmation. A suitable replacement to the term “Hell
Yeah” or “Yeah, Sure”. My friends and I have adapted
this into our vocabulary, and it is part of our regularly
scheduled programming.
“Hey you want to hit the Caffe?”
“Sh’yeah!”
“Want to get Starbucks later?”
“Uh- sh’yeah, sh’yeah.”
“Hannah, will you ever shut up and stop saying sh’yeah?”
“Sh’no.”
It is both fun to say and fun to hear. It’s versatile and adds
a little spunk and individuality to every conversation
you hold. Should be used often. Due to it sounding like
the word itself just stepped off of a SoCal beach and
agreed to come eat with friends at the local Pad Thai
place, you’ll be seen as an all-around chill guy when this
contraction is used.
9/10. Will use again.
Phrases | 44

“I’m just going to start saying gibberish. Turkey,
mouth and a mouth. Chip, trip, my dog Skip. Rip it
and Dip it, Richard. Names, things. Words, words,
and more things.”
In this five minute TEDx Talk, a man by the name of
Will Stephen breaks down the format of Ted Talks in
the most hilarious and ridiculous ways. He places random
numbers on screen. Words and images that have no
correlation, yet have a “bigger” meaning. He’s wearing
mustard yellow pants, and a navy button-up. He also
has glasses. They’re just frames. And throughout all of
the nonsensical ways within which he speaks, you gain
a feel for the flow of Ted Talks. You realize he’s right.
12/10. Very Encouraging, and good to watch before
giving a speech of presentation.
How to sound smart in your TEDx Talk | Will Stephen |
TEDxNewYork. ²
45 | Chapter Three

phrases | 46

47 | Chapter three

“I’m thinking something for breakfast.”
“Eh, I don’t know. I’m thinking just a lunch item.”
We were in our campus Starbucks. Home to the best
(and most expensive) food on campus. It’s 12:05 on the
spot and me and two other girls, Julia and Kayleigh, are
debating on what to get. I already know my drink order:
It’s a Trenta Black Iced Tea with nine pumps of sweetener.
Yes, nine. I then finally choose said lunch item. The Ham
and Swiss Panini. I order my two items. The total comes
to $10.35. I cry a little bit on the inside, but cough up
the cash anyway. It’s all for the Starbies.
Julia orders, Kayleigh orders. We wait, together, for our
things. I get my tea and my sandwich at the same time.
It’s hot so I wait, plus Kayleigh and Julia both have nothing.
I wait until their items are ready. Only, that’s when the
unthinkable happens.
My sandwich falls out of the bottom of my bag.
The BOTTOM!
“My sandwich!” I say. I’m actually crying now. Well, tearing
up at least. I stare at it in distress for a second. The 12
other kids around me start laughing, but hide their humor
for my sanity. I pick it up and go to the barista. I know her.
Her name is Jess; we’re in the same major.
She laughs out loud and makes me a new one.
By the time my sandwich is remade, new and fresh,
Kayleigh finished her banana bread and Julie got her
Peppermint Hot Chocolate. Jess calls my name saying
that my sandwich is ready. She hands it to me.
It’s double bagged.
10/10. A solid phrase, a wild story.
Phrases | 48

“And then he said, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna have hella eggs on
my beans.’”
There is a species of bug in Africa that have a lifespan of 14
days and literally their only job in life is to hatch, mate, lay
eggs, and die. They are colloquially known as bean beetles.
They are obviously, food sources for other insects and
animals in the food web of life, however, they become
a nuisance to humans when they get into the beans.
Because of their short life span, when even just two beetles
get into a bag of beans, it will probably take only one
month before the whole bag is ruined with hollowed
out beans where the larvae grew.
I’m trying not to gross you out, but it is hella nasty.
And I had to actually touch them.
The experiment itself is crazy. You start with a container
full of beetles crawling all over the beans they literally
all hatched from the day before. Then, you have to use
tweezers to claim these fast-moving litter buggers (pun
intended) while not injuring or killing them because
then they won’t mate and have babies on the beans!
You also have to be able to differentiate the difference
between male and female genders on these bugs when
they are no bigger than a booger. You heard me, a booger.
That nasty green glop you pulled from your nose when
you were seven, or 57 (I have seen people do it, man).
Imagine that little booger, now image it’s alive and crawling
faster than some people can walk.
You will never see people, boogers, or bugs the same again.
They were disgusting and then it just got worse because
they started flying! And I wasn’t allowed to kill them
because of – like – test subject/animal anti-cruelty laws
or something along those guidelines. But they we’re trying
to escape the petri dishes, they we’re trying to escape
the container they were literally hatched in. Some are
playing dead, some are actually dead, and we’re having
to organize them to see which beans the females prefer
to lay their eggs on.
It turns out they really aren’t a fan of Chickpeas.
Who would’ve guessed.
But, a senior I knew once upon a time had taken the
same biology class with these beetle bean monstrosities
and he said the “hella eggs” quote that a professor in my
Lettering Arts Class likes to say on occasion.
3/10. It’s a crazy funny story but I absolutely despised
the experiment. Never want to experience it again.
49 | Chapter three

phrases | 50

51 | Chapter three

“Ooooh, yeah. That’ll give you some Heartburn.”
This is not something I ever expected to hear in a classroom,
let alone in a class about Web Design and coding.
But, what was I to expect from the dude that coined
“Sh’yeah”. So, imagine this: you’re sitting there, at your
Macintosh computer (that is literally from the early
2010's) and working away on your project. You designed
a website for some artists you like, now the real fun
begins...You code!
You set up your HTML5 boilerplate template. Your plugging
things in, making <divs>, classes=””, ids, and headings
(h1-h6). Everything looks ok, just ugly. That’s where
the CSS comes in. You have you header, your navbar,
your #ids and .Classes all plugged into place. But, when
you refresh the html page you have open in Google.
Nothing happens and it still looks like shit!
What did you do wrong? What went awry?
You call the Professor over, eyes still scanning your work.
You look for every squiggly bracket pair {}, every little
period. and octothorpe # that you’ve used. Tim, (the
professor) is looking right along with it. And there,
among the ashes of what you thought were the ruins
of your project is the word “jsutify”. You realize you
misspelled justify in every single div you have. You feel
like an idiot and don’t want to admit defeat to Tim.
But you do, and he laughs and cringes, knowing the pain
and sharing in your shame. “Yeah. That’ll give you
some heartburn.”
Me and Julia are in that class. “Just a lunch item” Julia.
We both snicker and write down what he just said to
you. I proceed to put it in this book.
I am a genius.
7/10. I also felt my classmate’s pain over their code mishap.
Never actually want this said to me.
phrases | 52

“Don’t you think it’s kinda nipply out?”
Julia and Kayleigh and I are on our way to Starbucks,
as per usual. We walk through the center of campus to
see a group of frat boys at a table in the middle of the
outdoor quad. Some are clothed. Some are shirtless.
There is a dunk tank with an incredibly dry dude sitting
atop it. They want us to pay five bucks for a few chances
to throw the ball to dunk him. I don’t know why they
think we have cash. It’s the middle of October and
therefore cold. We keep walking, but all I can think of
were the two girls I knew in high school that remind me of
Julia and Kayleigh. They used to say “it’s kinda nipply out”
whenever it was cold enough to get the girls pointy.
I repeated it without thinking as we passed these shirtless
group of Frat bros. Julia and Kayleigh start laughing
and encourage me to tell the guys.
They seem to not realize I am not actually brave enough
to say it to people I don’t know. We get our drinks and
make our way back to class. We begin to pass the boys again.
They ask us again to try to dunk a new dude sitting shirtless
and cold above the water. Kayleigh delivers the line.
They start laughing. Just then someone from the baseball
team pays five bucks and dunks the dude on the first try.
They go crazy in excitement over their now soaked bro.
Talk about nipply weather.
4/10.
I don’t really use it, but it was a memorable experience.
53 | chapter three

phrases | 54

55 | Chapter Three

“Haha, Fuck You!”
Yelled my roommate Lillia to her fan as its steady flow of
air kept knocking some photos down off her wall. Once she
taped them into place, she exclaimed her shout of victory.
Apparently scotch tape can defeat any windy evil and the
fact that it was 12 o’clock at night and we were both hopped
up on sugar and caffiene totally had nothing to do with
the crazed laughter that followed such a stupid statement.
When you read this, I hope you read it with vigor and
conviction. It is the only right way. One should also emphasize
the statement with a finger gun for each hand. This is a
phrase full of power, full of success. This is what you say
when its two in the morning and the college kids that are
your dorm neighbors won’t stop moaning. When you
pound on their wall to get them to shut up and they just
shout back some lame remark, this is the be-all-end-all
of defeats. There is no comeback to this. This is what
differentiates the winners from the lame-o’s.
This is what makes us Champions.
12/10. Strength and Style all in one.
Phrases | 56

“Sh’yeah, jankify the hell out of it.”
We’re in Web Design, again. The professor just finished
going around to everyone and making sure all their
designs and coding looks good. He’s sitting with the
last student he has to do in his rounds before he takes
individualized questions. She’s designing a web page for
the Beatles. She’s trying to do something with angles,
and shapes and doesn’t know how to get it to work.
She claims every time she tries it gets janky. He says,
“What’s wrong with janky?” So, they keep working, and
eventually they get it right. He proclaims his jankification
statement. I look to Julia, we add yet another
statement to our long list of things this professor has said.
At the end of class, we show him the ever-growing list.
He laughs and shakes his head. “I don’t even remember
half the things I say,” he claims. We tell him it’s ok.
Because, at least we will.
8/10. I now want to jankify everything.
57 | chapter three

phrases | 58

Ok, so all of these are really stupid, and seemingly ridiculous
and probably makes you think I live a weird life.
I don’t. It’s a relatively normal life, I’d say. It is, however,
a very artistic one in which I have learned to be wholly
and unapologetically myself. So I say weird things, and I
dress fun and stylish, and outgoing, and I’ve learned to
love the weird little things in life. If you ever hear something
that is different, or makes you laugh even when it’s
not actually funny, those are phrases you should keep
for the future. Maybe not incorporate them into your
vocabulary, but if you do? Think about how interesting
your words now are! You will remember the happiness a
certain sentence or word can bring you if you just repeat it.
Just a lunch item? I said that in a starbucks, now anytime
me and the friend that first heard me say “Just a lunch item”
repeat it in laughter whenever we’re in a Starbucks together.
It was weird, and probably doesn’t follow proper grammar
laws, but it made us laugh and made our time together
just a little more authentic and sweet. So, go out and
meet new people, do new things, and learn to love the
things we say that make us different and authentic.
In Proverbs 16:24 it says, “Kind words are like honey–
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Any and all
words, whether funny or serious, as long as they are said in
kindness, they are healthy for us and can help us smile more.
They are sweet like honey and dripping in golden splendor.
59 | chapter three

“…learn to
love the
things we say
that make us
different and
authentic.”
Proverbs is a book of the bible that is home to many
good words about how powerful our words can be.
In Proverbs 18:20, King Solomon, the author of the book
of Proverbs and King of the Israelites says, “Words satisfy
the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words
on a person’s lips bring satisfaction.”
The right words don’t always come easily to us in life,
but having a kind heart and being the most authentic
you can be, it allows for our words to come out naturally
nice. The tongue is a powerful instrument, I mean,
how often has someone or someones said something
cruel about you? How horrible did that make you feel?
“Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue
crushes the spirit” Proverbs 15:4. So, let us let our words
be dripping with honey for the soul and be healthy for
the body. Let us encourage one another, complement
one another, laugh with one another–not at the expense
of others–but simply in the presence of others. The world
is cruel enough as it is, so let us vow not to make it worse
in anger and bitterness, but to look to the world around
us to find happiness, and to let that happiness soak into
every being of ourselves and have it reflect out into the
world through our words.
Phrases | 60

61 | Chapter Four
“You are altogether beautiful, my darling,

And there is no blemish in you.” Solomon 4:7

Chapter 4: People

Step Four:
Good People
Hang with
Good People.
Make Friends
with the people
that are good
for you.
Have you ever felt a love for someone so thoroughly that it could overwhelm
you? A love so powerful that the phrase “I would die for them”, while
not true, is definitely effective in showing how you feel? Well, I don’t know
about you, but I love quickly and easily. And not just romantically either.
Friends and family, a stranger that I had a deep conversation with for like 30
minutes, I can say I love them all. I show love freely and wide spread. Being
kind is a way for me to show that to strangers, but with friends? Just being
kind ain’t gonna cut it. So, when you love someone (or someones) as much
as I do, seeing the face of one of the persons I love is guaranteed make me
smile. The people I love make me happy. Plain and simple. So here are as
many as I could convince to have a picture taken of them for you to see just
why they make me so happy!
people | 64

Lillia
Lillia is my bestest of best friends and also my roommate
(time stamp: 2019-2020 school year). She is a black belt
in Kenpo Karate. She will kick your ass, but not until
threatened. She is kind and patient and is the literal glue
that holds me together. She is usually the one that finds
anything I may have left anywhere. She often finds my
keys when I misplace them. More often than not I lose
things in my room and she tells me to look at the blue
things on my bed. I find my turquoise speaker, charger,
and towel hiding in my bedspread she sighs exasperated
and tells me that if my room wasn’t color coated I would
be able to find things easier. I just smile and agree. The next
week I buy another new thing that matches everything else.
She looks at me, defeated. She truly has the patience of
an angel. Just getting to see her face makes me smile.
We’re almost like sisters now. My actual sister has already
started filling out the adoption papers. We don’t care
that that’s not how it works.
65 | chapter four

Jack
I’ve never met a person that likes to ruin the photos
I take of him more. The above photo is one of many
where he makes a face when he senses the lense is
focused on him. He is a kind kid with a servant’s heart.
A talented musician and singer and a man that has the
innate ability to piss me off. We have a habit of building
off each other till we’re both laughing and giving each
other the middle finger. It’s our new symbol of friendship
apparently. He knows I would never actually mean
it in a mean way. In fact, anyone that flicks it at me in
anger just confuses me as it is used more as a symbol
of exasperated joy. Him and I have our own form of humor,
and our typical greeting to one another is usually “nerd”.
He is one nerd I don’t plan on living without. Him and
Lillia are family now. Welcome to the Potts household.
people | 66

natalie
Natalie is another addition to the Potts Family. All
approved by my older sister. She and I are travel buddies
that go on lots of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship events
together. We’ve gone to InterVarsity’s Chapter Camp
and Urban Plunge together. We travelled around Philadelphia
for two days straight for our Fall Break together
and crashed at my sister’s place. We’ve shared a futon
together and the first time we had a deep conversation
we knew each other for a total of one day and it was the
strongest groundwork I think I’ve ever laid in such a
short amount of time. She is such a kind-hearted and
loving person who’s always willing to learn new things
and help people out if it’s within her ability. I see her
only on Thursdays and Sundays for the most part, so I
always cherish the opportunities we get to talk.
67 | Chapter Four

faith
Faith is someone I see even less than Natalie, but she is
someone that just radiates sunshine. I haven’t spent
nearly as much time with her as I have with Nat, or Jack,
or Lillia, but she is literally sweeter than sugar. Talented
in Lacrosse and Nursing she is down to earth and loving.
Also an InterVarsity leader with me, she is always supportive
and ready for the new ideas and plans. Her and
I share similar difficulties in life and love to bond over
breakfast foods and hot chocolate. We struggle to find
balance in our lives and yet we both keep smiling, even
in our insecurities. A current roommate to Natalie, I
know that where one is, the other will eventually follow,
so I always enjoy getting to hang at her apartment to see
such awesome ladies.
people | 68

sawyer
Sawyer is someone I would have never thought I would
become friends with, just because he is so smart I never
thought I would be able to keep up in a conversation
with him. The truth is, however, that Sawyer is able to
talk to everyone, whether he realizes it or not. He is a
genius and a philosophical wizard. He is also an artist,
and though he seems to hate most of the work he completes
(a third of which I own), him and I have been
able to bond over our art, our faith, and our struggles in life.
We live in two different worlds sometimes, but the
differences between us just strengthens our friendship.
Add Natalie into the mix and the three of us have an
unbreakable bond that has formed through InterVarsity
mission trips and camps. He is an honest, and hardworking
dude, and I’m grateful I get to call him a dear friend.
69 | chapter four

robby
Robbie is one of the chillest and most accepting people
I’ve met in a long time. Able to make even more friends
than I do (which is utterly impressive seeing as how I
literally talk to too many people), his smile is always relaxed
and always genuine. He is someone that I don’t know
as well as I wish I did sometimes, but he is committed
to his faith and being a follower of Jesus, even if he
doesn’t understand the plan God laid out for him.
He brings a new perspective to InterVarsity Leadership
and is an effective hype man to the activities we do here
on campus. He is an engineering major that is talented
in music as well and is always ready to explore the newest
things in life. Always grateful when I get to see him as he
can make me smile in almost any situation. He also has
some pretty great style and a funky little man bun.
Go off my dude.
people | 70

rebecca
Rebecca transferred from a Maryland community college
to York College at the start of her junior year and the first
time we met we barely exchanged names. Her face, though,
was so memorable that when she walked into my
Illustration class at the start of the Fall 2019 semester
I made her sit next to me knowing that we’d be such
great friends. She is a Fine Artist and the kindest being
in existence. She also comes to InterVarsity and is the
reason I was brave enough to write this book. So often,
as a Christian, I feel ostracized or am afraid that I’ll
be judged for being a Christian that I tend to be silent
about my faith. She showed me that the biggest thing we
can do is be confident in ourselves, in our work, and in
our actions. God’s love is ever present and ever working
through us so long as we let it. Even though she’s never
met my family, I’ve met hers and have been accepted for
who I am with open arms and lots of laughter. Glad I’ve
met her. Glad to call her my friend.
71 | Chapter four

jake
Jacob is one of those people that’s so damn talented, yet
humble, that you can’t hate him. No matter how good he
is. He has the brightest of smiles and a gentle soul while
also being fashionable in the musician/lumberjack style
that he can always pull off. As long as I’ve known him
he’s had long crazy curly hair. He has a fascination with
weird animals that exist in other countries, for example:
the Chinese Water Deer, Laotian Rock Rat, Waguma
Cows, Dik Diks, the Quoka, etc. His love for non-native
animals extends to him comparing his persona to that
of a red panda. Though, I find that a partially incorrect
comparison seeing as how red pandas don’t have nearly
long enough fur to compare to his glorious mane. But, I
digress. In the end, Jake is a caring, humble, charismatic,
accident prone man, with a love for jazz, weird creatures,
and weirder stories that are normally about himself. He is
someone that I always enjoy getting to see around
campus, especially when he lets me yell, “Yacobe!”
despite the fact that is not how you pronounce his name.
Thanks, Jacob.
people | 72

Kayleigh & Julia
These ladies are wild. Both graphic design majors with
me and both on a track to graduate at a different time
than the rest of our class due to coming into the major
as not a freshman. Together, the three of us, like clockwork,
would go to the Starbucks on our campus at 12:00
during our studio class, and order our drinks and our snacks.
Sometimes just a lunch item. Julie is also in Web 1 with me,
so she gets to spend a lot of time hearing me talk and is
gracious enough to laugh at the things I say. Passing by
these two on the way to classes also makes me smile because
I always seem to have the weirdest of interactions
that just make the day better.
73 | chapter four

Rayne, Jena, Sydney, & Mia
These girls are my rock and my E-Board of the club
AIGA of which I am the president (time stamp: 2019-
2020 school year). Jena is in all my classes and is the
nicest person, a bomb designer, and an incredibly
organized person. Sydney reminds me of me and is my
unofficial sister here at York. A good designer, funny as
fuck, cute and kind, and chill to no end. She’s my Web
Designer and Social Media expert and keeps us relevant.
Rayne is my treasurer and is a big Bob Ross fan as well
as just a cute lil’ nugget that I want to protect till no end.
May her smile brighten your day as it can mine.
And last but not least: Mia. The shortest, spunkiest VP
I have the pleasure of knowing. She’s quick witted and
has a strong work ethic that makes her great to keep me
on track as well as getting shit done. Without all four of
these ladies, I know our AIGA student chapter wouldn’t be
as successful. Here’s to our all lady E-Board and having
women lead the way for our graphic designers and
artists here at YCP.
people | 74

sara
My beloved sister who’s probably going to kill me for
not putting her first. ( Just kidding, I’ll only be slightly
maimed, lol.) An Art History nerd and Grad student
that works her heart out and can eat her body weight
in pizza and still not gain weight. (I hate those people.)
I don’t get to see her often, though she lives in Philly
now, instead of Utah like she used to. She is my biggest
supporter and I am so proud of everything she does
in life because she is the epitome of a Boss Ass Bitch
and is the one that taught me to stand up for my beliefs
and my rights and wants. Feminism runs through both
our bloods and she is the reason I’m writing this book
instead of building a bridge or something. She’s the one
who encouraged me to form my own path, not to listen
to my mother’s path for me. May God Bless this girl to
no end. Stay awesome, sis, and know you’re loved.
75 | chapter four

Molly (a little Floof)
This pooch right here is my pride and joy. The peanut to
my butter. The jelly to my time. The most precious of
little blind pupper floofs. My fuzz but of a dog, Molly,
has been with me since elementary school. At the age
of 12-going on 13, she is the bestest little beastie to ever
beast. A Cocker Spaniel runt that thinks she’s a Rottweiler
guard dog. Bless this hot fluffy mess till the end of all days.
I love her with all my heart, and I think it’s obvious why
she makes me so happy.
people | 76

Hannah (myself)
It’s not cheating to say that I can make myself happy.
It’s not all the time, but I’ve found the best way to find
happiness is to at least be happy with yourself. I’m a 5’
10” girl who weighs 190+ pounds (not like anyone ever
believes me when I say that), I wear a size 16 pant and a
size 9-10 shoe. I’m large, and I’ve been large since I was
born (coming out a month early at seven some pounds).
I’m also a loud child, I can’t even whisper properly.
I’m easily excitable and love to do things and love to go
places and love to meet people. All of these things combined
kept me from being a child that could hide easily
and so I had to learn to love myself, my body, and own
my personality in order to make it in this world. So, yeah,
I can make myself happy. Even if it’s getting over the fact
that sometimes I have to buy things in the “Plus Size”
section (and don’t get me started on the idiocy of having
a whole other section for the majority of the population
that’s a size 14 and up). But I eat food, and I still
live a healthy lifestyle, and I still have friends (see the
first two people in this chapter for my closest friends),
and no- I’m not always happy. Life’s rough, I know that.
I’ve had people taken away from me through cancer,
77 | chapter four

old age, health problems, and accidents. But, the rough
patches are when I choose to dig in deep and really hold
on to my values and my habits and my loved ones and
find happiness. It’s hard sometimes, to force myself out
of the hollow of self-pity or despair. But I do, because
the shitty things in life don’t mean life’s eternally going
to be shit. So, lift your head! Look at the world around you!
See and look at the world around you. For whether your
religious or not, the earth itself is a beautiful thing and
there’s plenty of things to find that can make you smile.
And I hope that someday, you can look in the mirror and
find that one of the things that makes you smile, is yourself.
You may not have as many faces as I do. But I’m the
epitome of an extrovert (more often than not) so, it’s no
surprise that I have such a widespread group of people
I can call friends and best friends. Even if it’s just one
person that makes you smile, that’s ok! Maybe you need
to challenge yourself to add a person or two to that list,
but feel no shame in that aspect! Everyone gives and
receives love differently and you may need to adapt with
each person, but all I know is that I express my love
via giving and touch and a lot of sassy comments. I am
wholly unafraid to be my weird self around each and
every single person in this chapter, and that’s something
that I’m proud of. So, I hope in your journey to find
happiness, to feel love, and to give love, that you have
a person or two who you can unabashedly be yourself
with. Unconditional love is the most freeing thing in all
of existence, and just like my God shows it to me, I try
to show it to as many people as I possibly can.
Cause it’s love that makes the world go round.
“the shitty
things in
life don’t
mean life’s
eternally
going to be
shit.”
people | 78

79 | reflection
“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every

situation…I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:13

REflection
At the end of my sophomore year of college, after following
these steps, my life wasn’t perfect. This isn’t a self-help
book on how to cure depression. This book isn’t a
guaranteed way to make every day happy. Realistically,
it’s obvious that you can’t be happy every day. This book is
how I tried to find a little happiness in everyday things.
Whether it’s a tree’s shadow, a bottle cap in the ground,
a person or people walking, something someone said,
or people I get to see. On the really bad days, I sometimes
didn’t look, and on the good days, I’m already so
happy, every little thing I see can make my smile larger.
Some of the things in this book won’t make you smile,
and that’s ok. Some of the things that make you smile
aren’t in this book, and that’s ok too.

I hope, as you have read through the book, that you have
found inspiration to look for the things that make you smile,
even when life is rough. I have the honor of having lived
through a rough patch in life. The August of 2018 to the
May of 2019 was rough with a side of extra rough that I
never asked for nor would ever want. I came through that
year though with a new perspective on life in the fact that,
bad times really make the good times so much more
obvious, but I didn’t have to wait to find those good times.
There are little snippets of good things and happy moments
all around us all the time. It simply takes pulling our
heads out of our own asses and misery to see it.
I know other people have it harder than I have, but nobody’s
life is perfect, and if anyone says theirs is, they’re
lying or trying to sell you something. We all have to live
our lives, and we all get to decide whether we’re going
to let the misery overtake us, or if we’re going to look it
in the eye and say, “Fuck you for thinking you control me,”
and learn to make your life your own. This goes for my
people struggling with depression too. I know it’s a literal
illness, and I know that sometimes you just can’t get out
of your own head because chemicals aren’t being produced
right. But know you are loved and that the world
still loves you even if you can’t feel it at the moment.
refelction | 82

For all and everyone reading this book, I would like to
tell you one final and major point: this book is written
with the love I felt from the people around me. My sophomore
year of college was rough. There will be times in
my future that may be more turbulent than anything I’ve
experienced in the past. But through the writing and composing
of this book, I have learned that continuing in
these moments of finding, allows you to develop a habit
that occurs every day. I am loved by my family, by my
friends, and by the God that created me. The bible verses
throughout this book are ones I wish I would have taken
the time to read and understand when I was struggling.
Even though I’m a Christian, and even though I believe
in an unconditionally loving and forgiving God, my
whole life I have spent time running from Him. I am a
control freak, a perfectionist, and someone that so often
looks to and chases after people for affirmation and
comfort. But whether you believe in Him or not, there
is a God so powerful and complete that is just waiting to
give you, and me, love. All we have to do is ask.
The trials of life last year, and this book, have allowed
me to ask for more help, and more forgiveness from the
King of Kings that is God the Father. I have spent more
time in his word. I have spent more time praying to him.
I have spent more time talking about him to people that
83 | reflection

may not be believers and to people that may not even
know about Christianity. I have spent more time forgiving
the pain people have caused me. Most importantly, I
have tried spending more time loving people.
I love them not to get brownie points in heaven, and
I love them not to convert them. I love them, because
even in the ugly moments in my life my God has loved
me wholeheartedly, and everyone deserves to feel the
warmth from moments like that. Sometimes I fail at
being loving, after all, I’m only human. But, I am here,
being unabashedly vulnerable and unabashedly myself.
I am here to love, to laugh, to smile, and to fight through
every struggle that is thrown my way.
We are all only human, but maybe with a little love,
communication, and vulnerability, we can all be only
human, together.
reflection | 84

85 | Acknowledgements
“Be strong. Be brave.

Be fearless. You are never alone.”Joshua 1:9

Acknowledgements
87 | Acknowledgements

I would like to thank everyone that participated in this
book. The ones who allowed me to take their pictures
and talk about them. My sister for being the most inspirational
person I’ve had the opportunity to interact with
on a regular basis. To Rebecca Carter for being brave
enough to be a kind and loving spirit who is audaciously
herself, and for loving me despite my flaws. To my roommate
Lillia McGhee who is the most creative and lovable
person in existence. Thank you for letting me rant and
complain to you at all times. Thank you for caring for me
and wanting to know about me on every level. Thank you
for living with me too, I know I’m not the cleanest person
in the world. To my parents who I didn’t mention in this
book at all, but for being supportive of every aspect of
my life and for being there, even in the consequences of
my poor choices. You guys aren’t perfect, but who is?
Finally, thank you to my InterVarsity family, for encouraging
me to be brazenly sincere in my faith and supporting
me as a wrote this book and to be vulnerable in it.
Thank you to my Publication Design class, Fall 2019,
here at York College for always pushing me to do my
hardest. To Professor Troy Patterson for assigning this
project. I still think you’re crazy for making us write
and design a book in three months, but without this
opportunity, I don’t know if I would have been able to
discover as many wonderful things as I did.
Thank You.
acknowledgements | 88

Works Cited
Bible Verses: BibleGateway https://www.biblegateway.com/ (accessed Nov 21, 2019).
1: Shafer, E. K. M. D. P. O. Absence Seizures https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-seizures/
absence-seizures (accessed Nov 21, 2019).
2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S0FDjFBj8o (accessed Nov 21, 2019).

1: The sun is always there even if
you can’t see it. 2: You’re allowed to
ask for help when life gets rough.
Whether it’s from a friend or from a
god. 3: Sometimes, you got to be the
one to love yourself and make your
world a happier place. Because it’s
no one’s job to do that for you.