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.