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Posts from the ‘Happy’ Category

May 19

Stay Gentle

“You will see the blue sky spreading endlessly above you and smiling down.”– Aya Kitô

Open windows driving on a Sunday to nowhere in particular.
A simple act of exploration.
Wind flowing through, hair in the air.
Listening to music.
Really listening as summer is in prelude, ready to burst.
Expanding my playlist to keep discovering new music to feed the soul.
Poetry in motion, senses tuned.
I land on a song from Brandi Carlile, freshly downloaded, new to me.

Stay gentle.
Words that permeate, demand, stick, challenge.
It’s been a rough 2 ½ years of pandemic living.
You can see the weariness on faces of others and when you look in the mirror.
Now people are saying it’s going to be our “new normal,” just the way it is.
I don’t buy it.
Nothing stays forever.
Some things do change us forever.
Growth, acceptance, expansion if we allow, fostered with time.

And still.
And yet.
And for certain.
We get to choose our response.

We can’t let these things or others harden us, narrow our view, insulate us from healing beauty.
We must say, shout, sing a resounding YES! to life, all of it.
No leads nowhere.

Eyes of a child, soft heart, laughter, light, joy, amazed, wild, cracked, imperfect.
Be naïve, love with abandon, stay gentle.
Turn up the music.
A resounding YES!

“Stay gentle, keep the eyes of a child
Don’t harden your heart or your hands
Know to find joy in the darkness is wise
Although they will think you don’t understand

Don’t let the world make you callous
Be ready to laugh
No one’s forgotten about us
There is light on your path

Stay gentle, keep the eyes of a child
And wear your heart on your sleeve
Know to find joy in the darkness is wise
Although they will think you are naive

Don’t let ’em lower your shoulders
Love ’em more while they try
Grow younger while you’re growin’ older
Be amazed by the sky

Darling, stay wild if you can (if you can)
The girl with the world in her hands (in her hands)
The kingdom of Heaven belongs to a boy
While his worry belongs to a man

Stay gentle, stay gentle
The most powerful thing you can do
Oh, gentle, unbreakable you” – song by Brandi Carlile

Jan 24

Happy Hour

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” – Omar Khayyam

“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” – Henry Ward Beecher

Our daily ritual of going to the dog park invites joy and delight in the ordinary. When I turn left on Larpenteur Avenue, they know the destination and perk up in anticipation. With enthusiasm and excitement, they pull me down the hill to get into the park to run off leash, greet other dogs and then return to me to begin ball throwing and exploring activities.

When we go in the morning, we are usually by ourselves and they pal around searching for left behind balls and checking out the scents from previous visitors. When we go at dusk, the place is bustling with dogs letting out a day of energy, chasing each other and running in circles. It’s happy hour for dogs, a party every time.

When get bound in a busy, efficient “to do” list mindset, we need to break the meaningless grind with play, wondering and wandering to create meaning and purpose to being.

Rituals, practices and open spaces are ways to embed joy and meaning into daily living. A trip to the dog park, snowshoeing, reading and writing, cross country skiing on a fresh layer of snow are invitations back to self, to fill the well so the “doing” is not so futile.

Separate your being from your doing. No ego, release attachment to work, approval, rules, judgment and assumptions. Enter quiet so you can hear your intuition and follow your internal compass. Nothing to prove, no comparison or competition, no one to outrun. Savor simple moments, return to home to yourself early and often. Sacred, off-leash, ordinary moments.

It’s happy hour somewhere. Start running in circles, dancing with delight.

“Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.” – John Barrymore

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