God will open a window

I secretly made a card for a sad coworker. It was nice to do something for her. It said "When a door closes, God will open a window."

Doing something considerate or kind for someone else boosts happiness in that person, as well as creates a true happiness within ourselves. Thats all for today.

Sadness to Calm

It is ok not to always be happy.
What isnt ok is dropping roots in your unhappiness because it's "easier"...

Sure laying in bed all day because you're sad sounds great... You dont do anything but roll over and tuck the covers tighter over your head. Maybe get up for a snack, just to return to the waiting arms of your rumpled bedsheets. It's quite easy to not shower and eat ice cream from the carton with a serving spoon. It's easy to sit slouched on the sofa with said ice cream in one hand and the tv remote in the other.

It's very easy to become a victim to your sadness...

Today was one of those days. Lots of fighting tears, muscling through frustration, worry, and all manner of negativity... I honestly wanted to give up on the day and bury myself in the bed, but due to responsibilities, i chose not to... I kept trying to count and recount the good in today. Trying to highlight the positivity within this day. It took me, literally, all day to come back to a bit of balance.

I think that happiness, today, was more a place of calm within the storm. That calm took the form of tasks at work, driving in the car, focusing on the beautiful sunny sky... I think something important to remember on days like this, is there is always a choice.

There is always a choice.

Each day, each time the sun rises, each time you wake up, there are always choices.

Today I choose to find a way to return to a sense of calm...

Sunshine, on my shoulder

I slept in today instead of going to church. It was really nice to be woken up by the sun streaming in through the blinds again. I dont often get to experience that anymore due to the time change. Now that beautiful sunshine moment doesnt happen until around 10ish... But what that does do is make it even better, because it is a rare indulgence. I look forward to sleeping in just so I can wake up to the sun smiling on me =)

Blanket update

This is just a little update on my crochet blanket. Hopefully it'll be done some time this millennium lol =)

On contentment.

Im making a blanket. So far its about 6 feet wide and maybe 2 feet wide :D Ive lost count of how long ive been working on it. It's a multicolored wave pattern. It makes me smile when i take it out to work on it...

the wave blanket thus far :)

Im noticing that ive been writing about simple pleasures alot... not that that's a bad thing, but i want to highlight other ways to enhance one's personal happiness level... hmmm...

I feel content when im crocheting or doing something creative. Contentment is defined as "the state of being contented; satisfaction; ease of mind." I think this is the underlying feeling behind why simple pleasures are so nice. At least for me, I can slip into whatever im enjoying at the moment and kind of float mentally in it. For instance, crocheting and singing along to Musiq. I dont have to focus so sharply on either task, so my mind is eased and my body is relaxed.

Another definition I found for contentment is "a state of mind in which one's desires are confined to his lot whatever it may be." This one is a little deeper. It speaks to appreciation of what one has. It speaks to not becoming overwhelmed by desires for more. It is so much more than satisfaction or ease of mind... I imagine how different my outlook would be if, everyday, I chose to confine my desires to what i have.

Nicole Beland writes about the Buddhist Noble Truths in her book 'Girl Seeks Bliss: Zen and the Art of Modern Life Maintenance'. The second Noble Truth is: Suffering is caused by unnecessary craving.

She says, "To some extent, that includes the small stuff - vanilla chai lattes, prada shoes, a smaller laptop, a pair of jeans that make your butt look perfect. We think, If only I had that right now, I'd be happy. Which we are, for a few minutes here and there. But superficial acquisitions don't provide deep satisfaction, or prevent us from feeling sad, lonely, lost, or frustrated."

Craving things is taxing on all of our energies. Physical, mental, financial...

Developing contentment in our lives can bring more happiness. Wanting less is smiling more. Identifying the things that are truly valuable will shine light on other ways to enhance personal happiness :)

Ihop

Today was sunny =)

A great day to start off spring! Woo!

It was a very restful Sabbath.

Lunch at Ihop with my friends.

Gotta love having friends around =)

Pictures in the Park

This is only pictures cuz im too sleepy to actually write.

Me =)


Sharea & Kesha


Doran


Kesha


Willow switch jump rope


Wizard of Oz skipping


Sitting near Embassy suites


Embassy suites fountain


Piggy back gone sadly wrong [lol]

Get lost girl!

I lived through the day on a couple hours of sleep =) Training today was soo long. I spent the vast majority fighting off sleep, but I made it through.

Someone drew a smiley face on the trail.

After training, I came home and took a short nap, and then galavanted off to Monte Sano with my friends for an afternoon hike. Some of the hike was rough going, but it was fun.

It was beautiful.

We were climbing over rocks and holding on to tree trunks as to not slide down mountainsides =) We made our way down the mountain, following a stream to the waterfall it ended with.

Kesha going down the mountain.

While my friends sat downstream from the waterfall, I climbed up to another little spring. It was high up on a side, pouring out of a cavelike hole. It fell into a pool, but there wasnt any water pouring away from the pool. It was like a perpetual waterfall with no stream leading to it and none leading away. I sat up on a tree trunk and just listened to the water.

Beautiful...

Water has always been really soothing, relaxing, and rejuvenating for me. While i was sitting there, I took some pictures and a video, but my phone ate them... sorry... I did however have a quiet moment of happiness while sitting by the mini waterfall. I was looking down at my friends and they looked soo itty-bitty and i looked around me and there was nothing but nature. And I felt so far away from everything. In a good way.

Sometimes, if youre feeling down, getting out of your everyday surroundings just might be the best thing to shake that. =) I got away today. It was wonderful.

Eli

The Book of Eli was the activity of the evening. I went to see it with one of my friends from work. The movie was really good. =) At one point in the movie, main character, Eli, is talking about the world before 'the flash'. He says, "People had so much. We threw away things that people kill for now... People were losing sight of the things that really mattered."

That got me thinking about being more appreciative and really focusing on what matters in my life.

Things like my family and friends. Little experiences like going to the dog park. Or sitting outside in the sun. Having the opportunity to work and earn money. I find that alot of times, I get wrapped up in the hustle of daily living, that I dont take time to really enjoy things.

If happiness is an end result, then being appreciative is a sure fire way to get there.

Viral

Today was my second day of training at West Corp. I must say im enjoying myself =) I had forgotten how much I like learning. I love the challenge of picking up and remembering new tasks and operations. It's definitely a situation like i wrote about on sunday. "stretching yourself mentally" I have really been doing that. Getting up around 5 - 5:30a is kinda lame right now, but i am enjoying having a full day.

I believe i was a viral happiness agent today =) mwahahahaha! Ive decided that Im going to be as positive and friendly as i possibly can. That way, the positivity can spread to the people around me and then around them and on! Im going to make happiness pond ripples! lol.

The chapter in 'The Happiness Makeover' that speaks about this kinda of happiness spreading is one of my favorites in the book. It's called "Be Happy for Everyone Else's Sake." In this chapter, M. J. Ryan notes that we have structures in our brains called mirror neurons and those actually cause us to experience other people's emotions. Like feeling sad while near a sad person, or getting a happiness contact high from a happy person. It's pretty interesting the way our minds allow us to connect with other people emotionally.

"By choosing to be happy day by day, we have the potential to drive emotions in the positive direction of all those around us - our children and mates, our coworkers and friends, even people we casually stand next to on the subway. It turns out that happiness is truly contagious." -M. J. Ryan

Here's to being agents of viral happiness =) I love it.

Simple Pleasures

::sing song voice:: Movies make me happy =)

I watched Inglorious Bastards. [insert huge smile] It was hilarious in that way that only Quentin Tarantino can be funny. I think what made the movie even better, was the fact that my friend Aaron told me the WHOLE story, with acting, after he saw it. So i felt like i'd already seen it, lol.

Hmmm.... color this day a day of simple pleasures =)

Simple pleasure: a cup of peppermint tea in the morning
Simple pleasure: christian music on the radio during my drive to work
Simple pleasure: movie watching
Simple pleasure: ice cream
Simple pleasure: Kiva curling up in my spot in bed after i got up
Simple pleasure: warm morning shower

"Simple pleasures are little ordinary activities that give us energy, peace, or joy." M. J. Ryan

New Job

First of all let me say that i found internet near my house!!!! Woo hoo! Happy for the little things =)

Daylight Savings... Time thief!

Anyway, bright and early tomorrow morning at 6:45 I will be sitting in my first training class at West corp. excitement! Welcome to the world of full time employment! Im a bit worried about getting up tomorrow on account of the hour daylight savings stole from me... But positive thinking says 'i will be on time, attentive, and awesome tomorrow' =) Im excited about starting a new job and giving myself different experiences. In 'The Happiness Makeover,' M. J. Ryan writes about how happiness can be gained by stretching yourself mentally, example- new job. She says, "Happiness comes not only from moment-to-moment enjoyment of life, but also from the sense of satisfaction and flow that arises when we are using our capacities to their fullest. Our bodies, minds, and spirits are made to be worked. Otherwise, we feel stale." So true =)

So here's to a new job and a new chapter in life. =D

"Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing."

Where the Wild Things Are

I finally watched "Where the Wild Things Are" =) It was a bit sad at times, but the overall feeling I got from the movie was this want to run around outside howling. lol. After the movie I definitely had a wild rompus with my dog. It was a ridiculous ton of fun. =)

I really liked how much imagination was in that movie. I mean there was lots in the storybook, but the movie expanded it to a great amount. I found myself thinking about exploring in the woods with my best friends, building fire pits in the back yard, jumping from the trampoline into the swimming pool, and digging caves into the dirt piles left by construction. Good times...

Sometimes i think that getting to be a grown up is messing with my imagination. =/ I dont know the last time I played make-believe. I really should take time to do that more, or at least make time to play. Besides, Im starting a new job on monday. A new grown up job. An eight hour a day job. Im nervous and excited. I hope I do well.

Sunshine... for the health of it.

I wore my $0.99 polka dot skirt today =D JOY!

This week has been rainy... well stormy actually. There was a thunderstorm this morning and one crack of thunder woke me and my dog up. She jumped up with this scared look on and i thought 'aww, pumpkin... this is your first thunderstorm...' She was so not down for all the lightning and thunder. -chuckle-

After the rain cleared, the day was gorgeous! Absolutely beautiful! ::kisses fingertips italian style:: There was sunshine, big puffy clouds, and a nice breeze. The clouds were so awesome, i had to take a couple pictures...

On the way to work

After work

Im so glad that its friday. Tomorrow's Sabbath and im hoping for a bit of sun and a trip to the dog park. Im looking forward to a nice weekend. A relaxing Sabbath, and a Sunday of AE work.

The sun has a strange effect on me. It makes me feel content and at ease. Does that happen to anyone else?? So I did a little research on sunlight and health/mood. I found an article that basically said sunshine is awesome! Well not in those exact words, but here's a snippet.

Sunshine stimulates the production of serotonin which promotes a good mental outlook and fights Seasonal Affective Disorder. It also stimulates the pineal gland which produces melatonin. Melatonin is one of the chemicals that operates our bodies clocks and helps with sleep function. Ninety percent of our vitamin D comes from exposure to the sun. [from The Effects of Sunshine on Health]

The rest of the article was interesting, but this bit was the best to me. I want to go soak up some sun. Its pretty amazing that the simple act of letting the sun shine on you can boost you health and your mood. Further down in the article, the writer noted that since our bodies absorb vitamin D from the sun, and that vitamin can bolster the immune system- sunshine can help us fight colds. Go figure... Oranges, vitamin C, sunshine... I shouldve seen a pattern =) I am going to make it a point to get as much sunshine in my life and my body each day as possible.

Quasimodo

I reintroduced myself to a song that I listened to in high school. Well... i actually internalized this song, lol. It's called 'Quasimodo' by Lifehouse, and it was a cushion in those emotionally-shifty high school moments. I played it this evening and wasnt at all surprised that i still knew all the words. What did kinda surprise me was the feeling that crept up when i played it the first time. It was like i was back in 10th/11th grade and blasting this song in my car. Telling everything that was going on that it wouldnt break me. It was 4 minutes and 32 seconds of bliss. Only because I can really sing the chorus now and look back. Back then, I sang it hoping that one day the world would be off my shoulders. Ive defintately lost the pain. Those old emotional chains are gone. And this song reminded me of that today. I almost cried. Singing at the top of my lungs and driving down Pratt Ave.

there goes my pain/ there goes my chains/ did you see them falling/ there goes this feeling that has no meaning/ there goes the world off of my shoulders/ there goes the world off of my back/ you cant change me/ you cant break me/ there it goes

So here are the lyrics and a link to the song.

~Quasimodo by Lifehouse~

You could be right and i'll be real
honesty won't be a pain you'll have to feel
'cause i don't need your approval to find my worth
i've been trapped inside of my own mind
afraid to open my eyes to what i'd find
i don't want to live like this anymore

there goes my pain
there goes my chains
did you see them falling
because this feeling that has no meaning
there goes the world off of my shoulders
there goes the world off of my back
there it goes

does it scare you that i can be something different than you
would it make you feel more comfortable if i wasn't
you can't control me
you can't take away from me who i am

there goes my pain
there goes my chains
did you see them falling
because this feeling that has no meaning
there goes the world off of my shoulders
there goes the world off of my back

you can't change me
you can't break me

there goes the world off of my shoulders
there goes the world off of my back

have you ever felt that your only comfort was your cage
your not alone ive felt the same as you
have you felt like your secrets give you away
you're not alone ive been there too
everyone is looking and everyone is laughing
but i think everyone feels the same
everybody wants to feel okay
everybody wants to
everybody wants to feel

there goes my pain
there goes my chains
did you see them falling
there goes this feeling that has no meaning
there goes the world off of my shoulders
there goes the world off of my back

'cause i dont want it, i dont want it
'cause you can't change me you can't break me
there goes the world off of my shoulders
there goes the world off of my back
there it goes

Because Girls are Better than Boys at Taboo :)

Tonight my friends had a game night =) We played cowboy uno, scrabble slam, and of course, taboo. What would a game night be without taboo? -sigh-

Girls Rule at Taboo. Im just sayin...

Anyway, having a group of friends together having so much fun was awesome. We often call each other 'family', and Im pretty sure it started as just a way to unify our poetry group in years past. But we have definitely grown into a family. We have our rough times, but we always come back around to the group and the love. I have always admired the dynamics between members of Art&Soul (the poetry group). The older members become older sisters and brothers to the new members, and it's pretty cool to witness. There have been times when I didnt really know the new people, but simply because we carry the same name, there is an automatic kinship. And often you'll hear it, "youre new in art&soul?" "yeah." "alright. get at me if you need anything." And that's how it's been.

There is happiness found in belonging to a group. We have a place. We have people that care about us. We also have people to care about. When individuals have a group to belong to, they are much less likely to become depressed. Who knew? =) A sense of belonging is something everyone needs. And since belonging is an interpersonal thing, we can increase happiness in people around us by making them feel like they belong. Everyone deserves a smile and a greeting, whether you know them or not. That simple act could be the best thing that happens to them all day, you never know. Imagine being able to make someone honestly happier by simply inviting them into your bubble of existence. Instead of maintaining the all-to-often seen 'every man for himself' stance. Happiness and positivity is something that cant be lost by spreading it to someone else. It is multiplied.

Kinda rainy

This was the beginning of my day =) A table full of springtime!

Today was rainy. It was overcast and wet nearly the entire day. But Im starting to notice a difference in my personal outlook. Ive been sharing it with my friends. Ive begun seeing that when you purpose within yourself to look for the positives, the happiness and beauties, the general tone of the day changes.

For instance, rainy days normally make me sad. All i can think about is how the sky looks like its crying and i just want to stay home and be in bed. But today, I went out on my balcony and smelled wet earth (which i enjoy). On my drive to work, I noticed all the blue sky pieces between the cloud instead of a sky full of storm clouds. I felt the moist warm air after the rain. And now, at the end of the day, Im realizing that this cloudy and rainy day didnt dampen my mood at all. Wow.

I also watched a movie this morning, and one scene, in particular, made me smile. This was the dialog.
Little Boy- You shouldnt smoke.
Smoking Man- Yeah, but sometimes being closer to death is a good thing.
Little Boy- Are you depressed? Would you like a piece of gum instead?
Smoking Man- [sigh] Yeah. I would like a piece of gum.
This made me think about how honest and straight forward kids can be. And I smiled. Its a special kind of honesty... Gotta love it.

Happiness... Level Up!

Today was beautiful!

It was a good 70 degrees. I wore flip-flops and yoga pants to work. The sun was shining so wonderfully. I drove with my windows down and sunroof open letting Roy Hargrove drift out into the world. Great day =)

Ok, Ive been thinking about this entry all day - trying to put it all in one category of 'what made me happy' but there were so many things that brought a smile to my face... I couldnt possibly generalize the day. I found my solution in 'The Happiness Makeover' in the chapter called Expand Your Happiness Portfolio. The chapter is all about having a host of things that bring you happiness.

"Like a diamond, happiness has many sides, but its brilliance is more than the sum of its parts. Taken individually, each way to happiness has something to contribute to our sense of well-being. Taken together, our lives begin to have that sparkle and shine that we call joy."

Today was definitely a joy filled day. There are soo many things to write about, so im going to do a bullet list of awesomeness. Nice!

• My hyacinths are blooming! And they smell wonderful! Its amazing how fragrant those little flower are. =)

• I watched a new youtube video of Sunni Patterson earlier. She and Nikki Giovanni are my favorite poets. If I had a list, they'd both be number 1. chuckle...
• The sun shines in my bedroom window from 8:00 to around 8:20 everyday and I love to lay and bask in it. Too bad that just makes getting up that much harder, lol. It also gives me an exercise in appreciating things while you can, because I know that I wont always be able to lay and bask in my 8:00 sun. So I'd better love it while i have it.

• The weather was beautiful! The sky was so clear. The sun was warm. The wind was blowing just enough to be pleasant, but not enough to chill. Beautiful!
• I had a thriftmart adventure with Kibibi + a little mexican girl. The little girl turned out to be my silent shopping conscience- looking disapprovingly into my basket every time she came up to us. I love kids =) Plus, I got a rose colored trench coat for every day use for $8! Go Me!
• Random acts of Kibibi and Bahiya (my nickname)... When we get together... all manner of shenanigans follow!
  

I also realized that because this day was so warm and felt so good, I was more cognizant of my senses. I was conscious of how the sun felt on my face. How the jazz sounded filling the car and wafting out the windows. How the lemon crumb cake tasted. It tasted yellow... like if i licked yellow thats what it wouldve been. How my hyacinths smelled. How my friends look as they laugh. This made the day an experience, rather than just a regular Monday. Thats all.

...Persistence...Perseverance...

Today I worked at American Eagle and my manager said that each associate had to get a customer to sign up for a credit card. This is definitely one of the things I hate the most about working in retail... I must have a face that people love to say no to -shrug- Anyway, when I was put on register I pitched to e...v...e....r...y... customer. Half of them said no before i finished my sentence. The other half waited for me to finish and then said no. sigh... It was a bit disappointing, but i recently saw a little not in a little office that said

So I kept asking. By the time my shift was over, I had gotten 2 people to sign up. yay for me =)

There is something to be said about the experience of persevering in the face of disappointment. Knowing that you might not reach the goal set before you, but making the decision to keep trying. Each time the goal is missed, you have two choices: quit or try again. But then, when you finally touch what youve been aiming at- its almost cause for celebration. =)

When we really put energy into reaching our goals, whether theyre long-term or short-term, they are so much sweeter when we finally get there. We havent just drifted toward them. We havent let life blow us there. We have walked or run or trudged or crawled deliberately to our goals. Grabbing them and claiming them.

Praise & Worship

I made it to church this Sabbath! Yay for me =D I went mainly for the music. The music at All Nations SDA is pretty much awesome. The opening hymn, Blessed Assurance, was led by an enthusiastic elder. The congregation stood and we all sang Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God. Born of His spirit, washed in His blood! While we sang, I looked around at the other people. Hands were raised in praise and there were smiles everywhere. The leading elder directed the congregation with so much feeling. We were all there together, singing praises to God. This feeling of togetherness and peace continued throughout the service and was stirred up again in praise and worship.

Every so often, when it's that song, or we've gone through that experience, or we recognize that blessing, the songs lift us up. I think about how angels marvel at our ability to praise God like we can. Songs like 'Moving Forward' cant possibly touch them like it touches us. We sing You make all thing new, yes You make all things new, and we know how God has made us new. We know how God has blessed and reformed our lives. How wonderful is it to know that our songs of thanksgiving are question marks to angels. How beautiful!

Jehovah Jireh, My Provider. We worship Your majesty, You're everything to me!

Three Choices

"When faced with a situation that is interfering with our happiness, we have three options: (1) Change it with grace; (2) Leave with grace; (3) Allow or accept it with grace." -M. J. Ryan

This was a great day, only a bit dirtied by a few events that I had no control over. The first event that tried to foul my day happened around noon. After a few phone calls with the contact person, a ranting talk with my best friend and my mother, and alot of deep breathing in the car, I recalled the above note from my happiness book.

I thought about how the particular situation was causing more stress than I'd like to creep up on me, and realized...

"I dont have to stay in this!"

AHHH! What a wonderful realization!

I instantly felt more calm. I felt the stress that was trying to latch on to me step back. No, I cant change what happens when I send the church bulletin file to the printer. No, I cant control what happens with anyone else's computers or printing systems or anything that transpires once that file has left my hands. None of these things are under my control. I realized that I had done everything in my power to make it work today. But what I can control is my reaction. Now, I must say, all my ranting was probably a bit overkill, BUT it felt good. =) I know that my layout skills are valid. I know that I am capable of handling the job.

I mulled over all these points in my mind on my way to work this afternoon and decided that the best move would be to 'leave with grace'. And two phone calls later, my evenings are now bulletin free. It was a good experience and now I am finished.

Sometimes the idea of changing, leaving, or allowing/accepting a situation in the midst of an upset is the furthest thing from our minds. We'd rather rant and complain like I initially did instead of taking a breath, stepping back, and looking to see what we can do. It's important to really analyze the given event - think about it reasonably- so we can know which of the three options would be the best move. Which of the options would bring us the greatest happiness and contentment.

So it's 8:00 and I have returned to a place of peace and calm. Remembering that any upset that I meet can be solved by making a choice. Just like happiness can be mine everyday.

All I have to do is choose.

Plant...Grow...Happy

I have flowers growing in my apartment. There's a pot of hyacinth roses, 2 pots of red tulips, one blue vase of orange daisy-ish flowers, and a pot of african daisies. The african daisies were planted from seeds, so watching them sprout is like time traveling back to 1st grade when we grew marigolds in class. I also have a pot of rosemary seeds, but they havent started to sprout yet.
Beautiful.

Did you know that according to researchers at Rutgers, "flowers put a genuine smile on 100% of recipients' faces" (the happiness makeover).

Awesome right!

In other smiling news: I went to the animal shelter today.
Going there always makes me happy, but it also makes me want to adopt another dog =) Today I honestly believe that I found my dog's long lost sister. o.O Truly... she looked so much like my dog that i had to take a picture. I wanted to take her home with me, but alas, neither my income nor my mother will let me get another animal =| Good think visiting the shelter is free!

I dont know what it is about small animals (and sometimes big ones) that just bring a smile to my face... I use to go to the shelter when I was feeling down. They would always cheer me up. Maybe it has something to do with how happy they are to see you. One of the chapters in "The Happiness Makeover" talks about the feeling of joy we get when we make someone else happy. "Buddhists call it mudita - sympathetic joy. It's an upswelling of the heart at the happiness or joy of someone else." So maybe thats why their happiness rubs off on me.

Here's something else on sympathetic joy.

"One of the best ways to activate our own happiness on a daily basis is by looking for simple ways to bring joy to others. It makes us feel great too. Sympathetic joy is the opposite of envy. it's one of the reasons why giving, when it comes from a genuine feeling of overflow - wanting to bring happiness or pleasure to someone else rather than from a sense of obligation - feels so good. We experience in ourselves the good feelings of the other person." -M. J. Ryan

Hopefully, this little tidbit brings a smile to your face and inspires you to bless someone else with a little happiness today.

Perspective saves the day

One of the most stress inducing things in life, in my opinion, is money. Not having enough, not having monetary stability, etc. This money stress almost derailed me from my deliberate happiness today. And of course, in my moment of near-panic, I called my mom. She gave me a verbal pat on the back and I went off to the bank to see what could be done about the situation. On the way, I started thinking...

"theyre not going to be able to do anything" "i should have figured that something bad was gonna happen" "i hate cloudy days" "this cold weather is making this day even worse" "this crap always happens to me"
blah blah blah...

Then in the midst of my personal pitty party, I remembered a chapter in "The Happiness Makeover". Before Freaking Out, Wait for the End of the Story. So I took a breath and focused on the fact that I cannot predict the future. The only thing I am in control of, is this moment, right now, and my reaction to the circumstances I am given. Anyway, the stressful situation was pretty much resolved and my sour mood lifted.

I saw today, firsthand, how perspective can literally transform a mood. What I choose to focus on will make or break my happiness. This is pretty awesome actually. The next time I find myself feeling negative due to some circumstances that I have no control over, Im going to redirect my focus and find something to be happy about. Thats the whole point, I think. Finding the happy somethings in the midst of the crappy somethings. =)

BookJoy :)

Today is a gloomy, dreary, waterlogged day. It rained and it snowed this morning. Leaving huntsville in a cold slush complete with biting winter winds. But despite the cold and the lack of sunshine, I have found a few happy moments and things.

In 5-points near downtown, there is a little book store aptly named 5Points Books. All the books are used or old library books. The walls are floor to ceiling shelves and the corners are stacked with towers. The owner is a small man who almost disappears behind his desk. The front door doesnt really close and the floors are creeky. But it's one of the best places in huntsville. Needless to say, I bought a book. A poetry book called "101 Poems to get you through the day (and night)" presented by Daisy Goodwin. I literally had to scrape together change from the car and bottom of my purse to get it, but its mine now =)

I guess this would be a Little Pleasures Moment of Happiness. I feel good. Today is a good day.

Aside from getting my new book, there were lots of little things that made me think.

1. "I woulda, You coulda, He shoulda"
I saw these in 5Point Books up on a corner shelf. It made me think, "how often do i say these things? How often do I blame other people for what goes on in my life or what happens to me? How often do I agonize over what wouldve happened if 'I woulda' done something else?"

Why not practice more acceptance. Part of the serenity prayer says "Living one day at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace..." These 'books' brought this to my mind. We each could probably benefit from taking steps to remove 'i woulda, you coulda, and he shoulda' from our daily thought processes... I know I can.

2. Faith Hope Love
When I left 5Point Books, there was a man walking past singing. I couldnt make out the words but the feeling of the song was gospel. Old gospel. Like Swing Low Sweet Chariot... Wade in the Water... old. He walked and sang. The owner of the bookstore said not to pay him any mind because he always does that. I thought... How Beautiful... I wonder how many people take the time to listen to his song. And then, as if the song of this man wasnt enough, he wore a brown coat, like the ones that construction workers wear. He had written a message on the back, "Faith Hope Love" Color me blessed.

3. Three things that made me Smile.Really.Big =D
These books made me almost laugh out loud, but due to the fact that I was in a bookstore, I chose to laugh quietly to myself and take pictures.
The first is 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' This was the cause of one of my best experiences in high school. A few friends and I made the story into a movie for a class project. The memory itself is enough to crumple me into laughter, but watching the movie o.O is like random acts of artsy-fartsy inside joke havin weird kids + a chicken. =)
The next two photos are stories by Roald Dahl. I heart him. Thats it.
The last photo is 'Oh, the Places You'll Go!' by Dr. Seuss (happy birthday!) My friend Sheree told me to read it, and if it wasnt $17.99+tax i'd buy it. lol. It's a great story.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy [gal] who'll decide where to go."

Dear Dr. Seuss, Youre Awesome. Sincerely, Me :)

Pictures :)

Today I am in the office filing, organizing, making lists, and on the side... reading my friend's blog =} (sara.bellum) This has to be one of the most mundane jobs in the wuh-rold. The other day, the receptionist asked me what list i was making. I told her. She laughed. She then said, "That's not what you went to college for, huh?"

::smacks forehead::

My my my... the things we do to pay the bills =| Praise the Lord for the internet! Just at the time when I thought I was spiraling down into a registration form filled hell............... SARAH.BELLUM to the RESCUE!!!!!!!!!!!!! ::yeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh::

Happiness of the moment: She posted a picture of her and two friends doing, what im assuming is, karaoke. She is the air guitarist. It made me smile and laugh and really lifted my spirits. *thanks darlin* Photography is great. Freezing the cool, the funny, the precious, the ridiculous, has got to be one of the best BEST inventions ever in life. =)