Happiness Is Easy

When You Eliminate "Trying". 

After all, why do we strive for anything? Because we think it will make us happy.  What might happen if we eliminated the striving?  What if we could just be happy without having to attach our happiness to a person, place, activity, accomplishment, job, income, etc.?  What a relief that would be.  

Eliminate the middle man of trying.  He's a trying guy anyway.  When we fall short, he beats us up, and when we accomplish our goals, he says it's not enough.  He's just never happy, so we aren't either.  Let's stop trying to please some arbitrary judge that relies on bench marks. .

As Yoda said to Luke Skywalker, "there is no "try" young Skywalker; there is only DO."

Let's do this thing.  .  Let's leave "trying" behind.  Let's just be happy

Smile

Waking up in the morning can be unpleasant in the Winter.  The weather and gloom are strong incentives to pulling up the covers and going back to sleep. 

Spring makes it a little easier.  The sun peeks around the curtains and birds sing.  If you have a thoughtful partner like I do, coffee will be brewing in the kitchen and soon the paper will arrive without my having to move a muscle.  It makes me smile.

On those Winter mornings, or when life is not going my way, my smile has to take the place of the sun and the birds singing.  I grin and bear it, and as I fake it I start to make it.  My grin starts to generate feelings in my body that seem like genuine happiness.  More smiling makes me feel more genuinely happy.  Smiling is so powerful.  It can actually change your mood. 

My son visited Oregon State, and was amazed how friendly the people were. "They actually Smile at you when you see them on the street", He marveled. "It's so different from the curt nods they give you in California. And this is supposed to be the Sunshine State!"

You may only have your smile to share with others, but it's a rich gift!  
A friend sent me a TED talk all about smiling.  Check it out.  You'll discover that your smile is your everyday beauty.  Don't be afraid to share it.  Smile. Right now.  You'll feel better.  You'll feel beautiful, and those around you will benifit too.  Every day.

Changes

I've decided to use this blog as a way to discipline myself.  Sounds vaguely masochistic, I know, so to avoid any salacious interpretations I'll tell you exactly what I mean by that.

When I was writing "Messages from the Universe" it was a game that soon became an exciting way to connect with the world around me.  I learned to see things with fresh eyes and fresh perspectives, to look at ordinary objects and fill them with extraordinary meaning, and to re-connect with the feeling I always had as a child that the Universe was talking to me--to all of us, really-- and all I/we had to do was to LISTEN.  Had we the ears to hear I/we would begin to comprehend this world as one of profound purpose and crystal clarity. 

"Messages from the Universe" gave me symbols of guidance when I needed them, a laugh when I needed that, and patience--especially when no messages showed up-- when I needed that.  I learned that everything means something when looked at in just the right way.  I may not see the profound purpose and crystal clarity that I believe exists in the world, but the game taught me that it's there whether I can see it or not.  That was no small comfort.

I've decided now to change my focus a little.  Instead of waiting for messages to show up, I've decided to actively pursue ones of a certain kind.  I'm going to look for something beautiful every day and, when I've found it, I'll put it up here for you to enjoy as well.

My first attempt is this photo of a gate I saw in a neighborhood in Oakland. I just happened to be passing by, and it stunned me.  The stained glass in the openings and on the lintel, the shape of it, the color of the wood. . .  It was such an unexpected treat, and a "Message from the Universe" too.  What it said to me is that beauty often happens when you least expect it, and the gate as symbol? Well, that's just too perfect.

I believe this new emphasis on beauty will be a gateway towards more enjoyment in life.

How?  First, I'm determined to practice my art.  I'm certain that the pursuit of beauty will put me in the right frame of mind to do just that.  After all, if I have to find, record, and post something beautiful every day I'll develop a better and more creative eye as I search.  Plus doing something creative on a daily basis is the perfect way to develop the artistic habit of, well, doing art.  I may not always succeed, but the quest will keep me succeeding more often than not, and putting my intentions out in public like this is further inducement to keeping myself on the program.

Second, searching for beauty in everyday life is a way of appreciating the world more deeply.  Doing the "Messages from the Universe" game convinced me that when you look for something, you tend to find it.  I'm going to focus my attention on the beauty that I know exists around me every day, and I know, even with all the trouble in the world, if I keep looking for the beauty, I will find it.  I'll find it in each and every situation, no matter dismal or upsetting.  Whether beauty lies in an object, a phrase, an interpretation, a lesson, a person, place or thing, beauty, like truth, will out, and I'm determined to see it.

Seeing life's everyday beauty has got to change you. I'm ready. It's an experiment worth trying.

Love,

Kristine   

Baby Steps Toward Abundance

When I woke up this morning I went through my usual ritual: Coffee, newspaper, crossword, journal, pull amulet, and pull an angel card for the daily message from the universe.  For the first time, both the amulet and angel card I pulled were about:

I was struck by the coincidence, but the duties of the day took my mind off of it.  The duties of the day placed my mind on something entirely different:  my business. It just wasn't as fulfilling as it used to be.
I wondered what I could do to create more ease, abundance, fulfillment, and prosperity in my life. 
Since the kids were adults, and my own work was feeling the impact of the economy, I needed a way to open myself up to a life that would be as satisfying as raising my kids had been or as exciting as beginning my graphic art business.  Been there, done that, now I wanted something new to focus on.
I pondered what that might be as my dog and I trudged up the hill to our favorite walking trail.  I happened to glance in the middle of the street and spotted this little lump of cloth.  Curious, I went towards it and here is what it was:

A very dirty baby's sock.  With hearts on it.  What in the world could this mean? 

In a flash, I got it.  I've been collecting found objects with the intention of creating art pieces with them.  I've found some pretty amazing and inspiring things, and I still haven't moved forward in this work.  This little sock was telling me to begin doing the thing I love to do; Make stuff.  Start small, but start.  Prioritize doing what I love and follow my heart. The very dirt on the sock itself indicated to me that by doing this, I would ground myself more fully in my creative nature. 

I started to think about all the things I was going to make.  I got idea after idea as I continued on my walk, but, as usual, doubt set in.  I worried that I was too old to start making the objects I was dreaming about, that I didn't have time, that they'd take time away from what was more important: making money not things, and that my time to be an artist was past.  Then I saw THIS:

A tiny buckle from a wristwatch.

It told me to detach from any notion of time, that the way to connect to myself was by being in the moment, by doing what I enjoyed moment to moment, and prioritizing doing what I love to do, just as I prioritized the activities of my children when they were small. 

It's my turn to reconnect to myself and my dreams.  That's all I need or want to do right now.  More importantly, it's time to get back to the pureness of my creative spirit: what I felt as a child when I made something, painted something, sewed something; not thinking about anything except the joy of creating, having no idea or ideal of  "being an Artist", but simply doing what I did because I wholly and fully enjoyed it.  That's truly heaven on earth!

Love, Kristine

What's Driving You?

I was coming out of my Network Chiropractor's office (Lisa Hartnett-so much more than just a chiropractor-her wisdom and insight are invaluable) when I found this card.  In dream symbology, a car is a symbol for your life.  How big it is, who's driving, and what direction it's going in are all keys to how you feel about your life in general and yourself more specifically. 
I thought it was ironic and more than a little funny to find this image where I did, because I think of Lisa as my "repair" person.  She restores and realigns body and soul, and gives me tools to help the healing continue when I'm on my own. 
Picking up this little card near her office sparked some new ideas about "healing".  What, exactly, do I think needs being healed in my body, or in my life?  This conversation is today's message from the universe.
I asked myself exactly where I would put the X.  Would I mark the right, intuitive, side as "damaged" or the left, more linear side?  Would I mark the rear of the car, thus blaming the lessons from the past for any present injuries, or the front, giving my feelings of insecurity about the future the black mark?
I thought about that, and realized that, really, none of these areas were the problem.  The "problem", if there is one, lies in the present moment.
So I examined the present moment.  Was anything really wrong?  Not really.  If I thought about it long enough, I could see where my intuition is sometimes wrong and gets me into trouble, and I could feel bad about that.  Or the linear side of me, with it's insistance on things being a certain way, could compromise my happiness.  Or, I could regret a past wrong or worry about a furture event. There were all sorts of thoughts available to me that could make my life miserable for me, but truly, at that moment, at this moment, nothing was and is wrong. 
All is well.
My life is only about this present moment.  Nothing needs healing.  Nothing needs to change.  I just need to bring presence to what is as I'm living life.  When I do that, I can be more responsive to whatever I'm doing or whoever I'm dealing with. This feels like a much healthier approach than my responses in the past.
Does that mean I no longer need to see Lisa?  Not at all.  With her help, living in the present moment has become (relatively) easier to do.  I'm recognizing the patterning in my thought processes that drag me out of fully living my life and create conditioned responses that do feel wounding.  Recognizing this allows me the space to make other choices in my life, to not repeat old patterns, to find new ways of relating to my life and my self that are more empowering. 
Most importantly, I'm learning that happiness really is a choice, and I'm learning to be more adept at making happiness my priority.
It is a cliche, I know, but it is true that the present is the present. Let's give it our full attention.
Love,
Kristine

Happiness is Contagious

Obama, 09, oh my.
I predict a year of incredible change, and in order to move through the changes gracefully, my intention is to continually look for silver linings.
It's so easy to be negative, but it feels so bad and it's not productive. When my thoughts dwell on things that frighten me, like the economy, I start to live the fear that I'm feeling.
I was caught up in negativity in the last few months of 2008. I got very ill. Upon recovery, I looked around and noticed what I had.
I discovered I had an abundance of love. I was supported by friends, family, business acquaintances, and hospital staff. I felt so grateful, and feeling grateful felt soooo good.
Lesson learned. I rediscovered an attitude of appreciation and I intend to nurture and cultivate this attitude throughout the next year.
In order to do that, I will look for and do only what makes me feel good. My life is this moment, and I intend to enjoy each one. In short, I intend to be happy.
I read that current research on the subject of happiness indicates that if you live near a happy person, your chances of being happy increase.
The "selfish" intention to be happy can change your neighborhood. Change your neighborhood and you can change your city. Change your city, well, you see where I'm going with this: World Domination!!
Despite what we read in the paper, despite what the pundits say, and even despite what your bank account says: as the great spiritual teachers say, "Don't worry, be happy."
Join me.
Really be the change you want to see in the world.
You do want a happy world, don't you? Together we can do this.
Yes we can! Yes, we CAN!

The Importance of Letting Go

How sticky my emotions can be. Sometimes one jolt to my ego takes me all day to recover from. I'm very stubborn that way.

On the plus side, something good happening can keep me walking on air. When I feel my feet start to touch the ground just remembering a lovely event can get me floating again.

But both these moods are created externally. They both require words of blame or praise from another person. How I would love it if I were strong enough to create my own mood from within and live in that without regard to what someone else thinks or does.

I guess that's the ultimate goal for me for this year. It's why I'm writing this blog, really, to clarify what I'm thinking, why I'm thinking it, and if what I'm thinking serves me or not. Depending on other people to cheer me up or noticing that they bring me down does not serve me. How do I get over this?

Letting go is a good start. I've learned that other people's opinions are really a reflection of their own perspective in life and have no relation, really, to who I am. Good or bad, letting go of the effect someone's opinion has on my day is a very good plan.

When I was younger, I tried my best to get along with everyone. Like a chamelion, I changed my opinions, way of speaking, ideas, and sense of self in order to blend in with whatever group I was with. What a messy way to be, especially when diverse groups would get together. Oh, the headaches I would get.

I no longer do that. I have a strong appreciation for who I am and what I do, but I still let others get to me if I'm not feeling my best. I think just noticing the problem is a good start to solving it. Also, accepting that I'm not at my best, and therefore vulnerable, is a way towards healing.

I'm human. I have good days and bad, sick days and well. All sorts of unexpected events can come into my life and change me for good or ill. What I want to feel is happy. That's my aim.

I'm going to relax, be where I am, and let go of anything that distracts me from hitting my target emotion.

Ahhhhh!