Enthusiasm Makes Life Worth Living!

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."
-- Charles Kingsley


This is so true! People sometimes laugh at (not with) me, because I'm enthusiastic about one thing or another. Goodness, if I waited until something monumental happened, I'd have to wait until: a) my next child was born, or b) I hit the lottery. And since: a) I'm approaching menopause (who knows how many, if any, childbearing years I have left) and b) I don't *play* the lottery, I'd probably be waiting a loooooonng time to be enthusiastic. I'll just have to take my happiness, joy, and enthusiasm where I can get them :-).

So, I leave you with a quote (yes, another one) from my favorite philosopher, Dr. Seuss:

Say it with me, now:

"Come on! Open your mouth and sound off at the sky!
Shout loud at the top of your voice, "I AM I!
ME!
I am I!
And I may not know why
But I know that I like it.
Three cheers! I AM I!"

And that, gentle reader, is the last post of November for this blog ["Peanuts" theme music playing here], hereby marking my completion of the 2007 NaBloPoMo, and the NaNoWriMo, ... A giant 'Thank You' to my friends who have dealt with me being unavailable and distracted this month ... it's over with, at least until next year [grin]! Happy, happy, joy, joy!! Have a great weekend!!

Enthusiasm Makes Life Worth Living!

Happiness is internal, not external

We have become a society of wimps and complainers … because we are genuinely unhappy. The fact that our external conditions of life have improved immeasurably is irrelevant. Unhappiness is produced by internal, not external, conditions.

–Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter, Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture (UK Edition, 2004), p. 46

So, if the above is true, what can we do about it?

Happiness is internal, not external

Is There A Reason To Be Stressed?

"We should try never to let our happy frame of mind be disturbed. Whether we are suffering at present or have suffered in the past, there is no reason to be unhappy. If we can remedy it, why be unhappy? And if we cannot, what use is there being depressed about it? That just adds unhappiness and does no good at all."
-- Dalai Lama

The above quote has been bouncing around in my head for the past several weeks... it seems that the old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times", is infesting lots of peoples' lives these days. Including mine. But, even though I sometimes feel overwhelmed, the feeling doesn't stay long.

Why?

Because my mind keeps floating back to that quote. If you can do something about the issue, do it, and let it go. If you don't know what to do, get advice, make a decision, do what you can, and let it go. If there's nothing that you can do, LET IT GO! Stop worrying it to death, stop letting it keep you awake at night, stop letting it steal your joy in living. One way or another, it will resolve itself. You may have to do something later, but for now, let it go. Don't wallow in fear.

When I forget this, my mind runs in circles, and my stomach develops a knot that spins like a gyroscope. But eventually (some times sooner, some times later), I realize that I am either doing what I can, or I can't do anything about the situation... and I need to let it go and stop trying to control everything (still working on my control issues [smile]).

The result?

I'm able to smile again. A genuine smile, not that strained 'I'm baring my teeth so people will think that I'm doing okay' smile. And, my inside feelings match my outside expression. I'm not stressed. I can focus fully when I'm taking care of business, and when I'm sleeping, I go to sleep, and stay asleep.

Is There A Reason To Be Stressed?

Thoughts on a Quote... Needing Nothing

"It is much easier to teach how to make something than to teach how not to need to make anything." [emphasis mine]

I was reading The Art of Nothing, by Thomas J. Elpel, when this jumped out at me. In the world that we live in, there are many of us who can have anything that we want... we can buy it, rent it, borrow it, and if we don't have the money to do those things, we can finance it. But how much of it do we really need?

Well, we need electricity...
No, not really. Even in the USA, there are people whe live very well without electricity, thank you very much.

Well, we need air conditioning in the summer... it's hot!
No, not really. Our parents and grandparents (depending on your generation) remember when air conditioning was something that you experienced at the movies, and it was new then! Even today, there are lots of people who live in hot, uncomfortable climates without the benefit of air conditioning.

Well, we need a car...
Nope. Try again. There are billions (yes, that's with a 'B') of people who get around without a car of their very own.

When you think about it, those of us living in industrialized nations actually have it pretty good, in terms of creature comforts.

So, why aren't more of us happy?
I know that I struggle with being dissatisfied with the status quo; I want things to be perfect, and perfection doesn't exist. So I often end up feeling dissatisfied.

But honestly, what do I have to complain about? Sure, my life is not perfect, but in many, many ways, it could be much more brutish and difficult.

I have a place to live, clothes to wear, food to eat, a spouse, and children to carry on my DNA. I'm also living somplace where all the neighbors know one another, and look out for one another.

So, what do I need on top of this?

A new MacBook, a shiny iTouch, a remodeled house, a snazzy new sports car (note to dh: hint, hint!)?

Answer: None of the above.

All these things are wants, not needs. They wil not help me in my quest for fulfillment and meaning.

©2007 LaVeda H. Mason All Rights Reserved.

Thoughts on a Quote... Needing Nothing

Something positive...

As I sit in my front yard, I'm typing this on my MacBook (yay!), and I'm enjoying the beautiful, sunny, mid-70 degree weather, the bright blue sky dotted with cumulus clouds, and the soft cooling breezes. I can hear the songs of nearby birds, as they go about the daily business of living. It's the sort of day that makes me glad that I'm alive. When I was out running errands earlier today, I felt like Snoopy, doing his happy dance. But, I controlled myself, and was able to walk like a dignified middle aged lady :->.

In one ear, I'm listening to Seal's "Kiss from a Rose"on my 80G iPod, and in the other, I'm talking with a friend on my cellphone. Ain't technology wonderful? I'm enjoying the best of both worlds; the natural and the technological. It's a pretty good time to be alive, if you are a person of even modest means in this world.

Is my life perfect? Not by any stretch of the imagination. I could write two weeks' worth of posts on the stuff that is not perfect in my life. However, one thing that I'm constantly working on, is the decision and the determination to be happy. No matter what is going on. No matter what I want, that I can't have right now, or what I can't do right now. Being happy reduces the stress from any trauma (or drama) going on in my life.

If you can do something about the problem, then do it, and let it go. If you can't do anything, then let it go. In either event, don't let the problem destroy your peace of mind. You'll need your mind later, for other things [laughing]!

©2007 LaVeda H. Mason All Rights Reserved.

Something positive...

The purpose of life...

is to be happy. Not the kind of happiness that involves a new car, a fur coat, or Swiss Fudge Cookies. But the kind of happiness that involves recognizing that we are all interdependent, all connected, and (yes) all related.

But isn't being happy being selfish? Well, ask yourself this...

Which group of people are easier to get along with, the most giving, the most compassionate?

Is it the people who are working at jobs that they hate? The people who have micromanaging supervisors, crumbling marriages, or dysfunctional relationships with their children?

Or ... is it the group of people who are happy and passionate about what they are doing? The ones with the strong marriages, the agreeable children, and the blissfully-blooming hollyhocks in the backyard? I think that you'll agree with me that happy people are easier to get along with, more willing to help out others, and more generous overall.

Do your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers a favor... find out what makes you happy, and do it. Let me be clear; this is *not* a license to do messed up stuff to people ("well, I'd be happy if I could punch that blowhard in Sales in the face"), but it *is* a license to find out more about your likes and dislikes and live accordingly ("I've always enjoyed working with animals"). Try it sometime, everybody deserves to be happy... even you :-) ... **especially** you!!

©2007 LaVeda H. Mason All Rights Reserved.

The purpose of life...