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| Photo by Simon Matzinger on Unsplash |
“Your life has a natural motion. Surrendering reveals how
flowing this life could be.”
—Kelly Martin,
When Everyone Shines But You: Saying Goodbye to ‘I’m Not Good Enough’
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| Photo by Erik Odiin on Unsplash |
Looking back on my posts so far this year, I see that I’ve
mentioned refilling the well of inspiration several times—but I’ve yet to
actually do anything about it. My brain has scattered itself in the
winds of spring, and I’m having a tough time concentrating on anything. I even
forgot to send March’s Happy Little Thoughts newsletter yesterday, not
realizing it was the last Sunday of the month! I promise it will be in your
mailbox by the end of today. (If you don’t already receive HLT, you can
subscribe by clicking here.)
So I’m granting myself a spring break. For the next couple
of weeks, I’ll be taking a break from blogging, except for the Friday posts of
quotes or poems. I hope to come back with fresh inspiration, and maybe even an
epiphany or two.
P.S. There may be a road trip involved—stay tuned!
I don’t know about you, but I’m glad it’s
Friday. I have some writing to do today, and then my husband and I are going to
the movies tonight! And then…ah, the weekend. I hope you have some fun weekend
plans in store. And if you have a few spare minutes, here are some links to
love. Enjoy!
Just because it’s almost the end of March (already?) doesn’t
mean we can’t use the prompts on Action for Happiness’ Mindful March calendar.
So many great and simple ways to become more aware of the happiness all around
us.
I know this isn’t in the usual Catching Happiness
wheelhouse, but Shakespeare’s Top 50 Insults made me smile. (“Thine face is not
worth sunburning”). Be sure to scroll
to the bottom for the Shakespeare Insult Generator. (If you don’t, you’re a
spleeny, onion-eyed foot-licker!)
I adore solitude. If you do, too, you’ll probably recognize
these “23 Things Only People Who Love Spending Time Alone Will Understand.” So
many of these resonated with me.
If you’re in the market for an everyday adventure, consider
trying something for the first time. Dani DiPirro at Postively Present has a
list of some possibilities here. Pick something and do it!
Speaking of adventure, my friend Laure Ferlita just
announced the possibility of an art retreat in the south of France, in addition
to her already-scheduled Blue Walk tour in Paris. This sounds like a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any artists out there.
Gretchen Rubin’s “My Best Advice for Graduates: 12 Tips for a Happy Life” is worth reading, even if your own graduation, like mine, is far
in the past.
Cats and yoga. Namaste.
Have a happy weekend!
Since 2009, I’ve been writing about happiness and related
concepts—and even now I sometimes struggle with the feeling that happiness is
frivolous—a topic that doesn’t really matter in the face of the real and
pressing problems of the world. I’ve even wondered if it’s OK to be happy.
But happiness is only frivolous if you define it as the
fleeting feeling you have when you’re only pursuing your own pleasure and
everything is going your way. True happiness is more than that—it’s a lasting
feeling of well-being. What could be more important?
Happiness is so important that on March 20 in 2013, the
United Nations declared the first International Day of Happiness “as a way to
recognise the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.”
As we observe it each year, it serves as a reminder that happiness is important
on a global level.
On a personal level, I think we should each be mindful of
what makes us truly, deeply happy. Then we should go about filling our lives
with things that matter in the long-term, not futile pursuits and thoughtless
busy-ness. When we are happy, we make others happy. We operate from a place of
abundance rather than lack, opening our hands to let happiness flow to others
rather than clutching it desperately for ourselves.
So today, tomorrow, and every day, I wish for you, and for
myself, a life of meaningful, deep happiness and true well-being.
How will you celebrate the International Day of Happiness?
For more information:
The latest World Happiness Report ranks 156 countries by
their happiness levels. The United States dropped four places to 18th,
and Canada was 7th. (Finland ranked number one.)
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| Photo by zhang kaiyv on Unsplash |
“Honor your moods not by forcing a different reality, but by just letting
them be. It’s very Zen. When you’re sad, just be sad. When you’re afraid, just
be afraid. When you’re overwhelmed, just be overwhelmed. When you’re unfocused,
can you find a way to let it be and simply enjoy that state?
“This is how—like water through a hose—these states will come into, through, and out of your life. Do this and that reality will always run its
course, and there will be space right behind it for something else to enter.”
—Kristen Ulmer, quoted in Tribe of Mentors
