Happiness Dock

In the prior post yesterday, we spoke about happiness (and peace). Sometimes, they go hand in hand; however, some people are thriving and happy as a lark in more "chaos" (active and bouncing lifestyle) than other people. This doesn't necessarily mean that they inherit the same sense of happiness that the more deliberate folks do. Happiness can, in a sense, be relative and subjective to one's preference of things that they do which bring them a sense of great happiness.

Jim Hunt, a cartoonist that I have been following over the course of the years had this cartoon posted on facebook the other day, with a quote by the great Andy Rooney (from 60 minutes on CBS fame):

This becomes ever so important when discussing happiness, especially with respect to discussing surrounding relationships. Take a moment to examine your here and now. Where are you happiest? Is it at home, or elsewhere? What makes you happiest when you are at your happy place? What is making you happy there? Likewise, take a look at the place that is making you unhappy and take notes on what is making yourself so unhappy?

If that unhappy place is your work or home, it makes it harder to just walk away from those locations because you have other factors that are involved with those locations. In your home it would be your family/roommates that would be living with you; at work, it would be your co-workers (etc), including the paycheck that helps you to pay for your rental or mortgage where you live. Now, I don't always advocate that you must leave that behind you; however, if that location is a place where there is someone or something that is producting some harmful effects on your body/health (even if it isn't physical and "just" emotional), one would probably need to take a look at whether or not it is a good time to leave. Sometimes, leaving a harmful relationship can be more volatile that staying; or, at work, you may want time to get your paycheck(s) to save up for monthly living expenses and/or just try to see that you can get a transfer to another department, for example, where the danger would be less present for you.

There are so many decision making possibilities that one can take on one's life journey at that point in time and I would be happy to discuss those possibilities with you more in depth to help guide you with that process. (Just set up a consultation appointment by pressing the SCHEDULE button to the right to make that happen.)

For me, the cartoon also reminds me how sometimes I find myself sitting in my recliner (keeping my feet elevated, especially after a lot of activities that wore me out) and looking out the window. I envision that a huge cruise ship is passing by my window with folks on it laughing and dancing and shouting with glee, while I am still sitting in the recliner. I find that I get frustrated by the limitations that I have these days with my lymphedema condition, but, when I see that cruise ship, I'm charged up and my mind begins spinning and wondering "What's next?" in my endeavors.

Today, seeing that cartoon, I'm looking at myself and wondering at which dock my "cruise ship" (that keeps passing by my window (figuratively)) that ship will be docking upon. Where is my life heading to next? That's when I do my check-ins and assess and re-assess my goals and ambitions and determine what my future may possibly look at. I've reach my 5 year goals that I set for myself 5 years ago. What about you? Are you where you had envisioned yourself? What are some of the things that you can do to make that happen?

Hoping that you are having a great morning and start of the new day/week ahead. Think about the dock today. Are you heading towards it or away from it? Will you get off at that dock, even if it does stop briefly there, or will you be continue to head to the next destination? And, if you opt for the next destination, is that really going to make you all that much happier than if you got off at the first destination?

A lot to think about, I know. Let me know what your are thinking!

Symbolism of Peace

At the end of the ceremonies yesterday, they (the grandchildren) released some doves that they had been raising. I was anticipating that the doves would fly up in the air so I had my phone camera poised for the sky (symbolic of a release of a soul and peace); yet the unexpected happened.

They didn't fly up in the sky (or I had missed them doing so). Instead, as one flew up in the sky, this pure white dove did so only mid-way and had come through the trees towards me and landed ever so briefly on my arm from my left side. It startled me a little, but even so, I think I was more amazed as I reached up and was able to brush my fingers down his back and off of the tail feathers. At that very moment, I felt like the bird lady in the Mary Poppins movie where this lady was sitting and had many, many birds flying around her, with the image of one being on her arm and her looking up at the bird. Of course, that was how it felt like, although there was only one bird on my arm ever so briefly. Afterwards it flew down on the ground in front of me and walked around on the ground for a bit until a couple allll-most stepped on it because they were walking without looking down to the ground, where it flew off to the area behind me. The sensation was so much similar to that only folks who have had pet birds land on their arms could understand -- especially in a world where most of us have cats or dogs show such love to human beings.

Am I reading much more into it than I should? Well, it is my own feelings that I own, even if for split moments of time, that seemed much longer in a timeframe than they weren't actually. Who could possibly deny me my own feelings?

In real life, there are those that seem to strive to take that joy away and seem to bent on making sure that you feel as much sorrow, pain, hurt that they are themselves experiencing, effectively saying "if I can't experience happiness, then you won't either". Pastor Joel Olsteen from the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, always preaches about, "Don't let someone take your joy away." Fortunately, I didn't have anyone take my joy away today. In the past, when I had been in abusive relationships, I had fallen into that trap, until I finally stood up and said effectively, "You are never going to take my joy again and have me live in misery." It was liberating when I said that to each abusive relationship; and, even though I had multiple abusive relationships, I finally felt the extreme liberation when I finally listened to my intuitions and stayed away from those that even raised the hairs on my back (whether or not those feelings were real or just perceived, I wasn't going to take a step further in those perspective relationships any more).

After all, life is just much too short. You must surround yourself by positive people - whether it is is in your personal life or work life. Your loved ones can be taken away from in an instant, and it is so much more important to surround yourself by family and friends who are positive influences (or even those who you are a postive influence upon as a mentor/friendship relationship, after the positivism is something that is worthy of moving in circles/waves throughout the world). Even then, though, you need to know when it is time to move on, especially when you see that relationship faltering and is taking a toll on your own health.

While folks that we love, cherish, and admire are our role models in our lives, if they are taking a toll on our health, then also must be prepared to let them go. At some point, you have to take you your first and foremost concern. After all, if your health isn't taken in the first priority, then you can no longer provide that same positive influence that you hope that you are to them. It is equally important to be able to, also, "Let go and Let God" as many al-anon folks learn when they are caregiving for someone that they love and, yet, their loved one is so very destructive to them ownselves.

Peace. Joy. Happiness.

These are emotions that folks will experience at various points in their lives. To experience these things is a wish that we wish that everyone will be able to experience at some point in their lives, and maybe one day everyone (whether in our own personal circles, in our community circles, and/or global communities) will all get to experience in their lives, no matter the degree of joy that has been taken away from their lives to this day in the past. Hopefully, one day, we will see the grace of our higher powers bring peace and joy to all -- and, hopefully, in our lifetime.

In the meantime, it is our hopes and dreams that all who die will experience peace, joy, happiness in their after lives; to me, I believe that it is when their souls reach the doors of heaven. For all those that remain here own earth, I hope that (no matter the pain and sorrow that one has had in the past journey of their lives) they, too, can seek peace, joy, and happiness here on earth through their journey of healing; at least, that is my own hopes and prayers!