Happiness Out Loud

This is the year to decide to be happy.  No matter what.  Each day will be the happiness laboratory that distills sweetness and joy.  Happiness is not always an inherent emotion; sometimes we have to rediscover the innate goodness and joy that resides within our heart by taking time to count our blessings, grow our dreams, give our love away.  

Instead of looking at how good we think others have it, (of course, unless we've achieved omniscience this is just some foolish comparison our sad little ego is throwing up before our eyes), let's instead look for our own reasons to celebrate.  When we remember that health, having a precious human life, access to shelter, food, and people around who will care for us (even strangers as nurses in the hospital, workers at the food bank, and drivers of cars who stop to hand out dollars to strangers holding signs in the street are examples of people around us who care), we have to shrink a bit in humility before the grandness of a constant subtle support system of love.  

And we can expand inwardly knowing that we, too, are an inherent part of this incredible network of life.

It is truly wonderful to tune out of television and disruptive news that gives troublemakers exactly the attention they are craving.  The ego and individual who screams, cries, gets violent, goes on a rampage against anyone, is ultimately out of touch with the bigger picture of life.  Sure, suffering and slights happen in the world, but we get to choose where to focus our attention.  Are we cultivating a mindfulness of joy and celebration of the 7 billion people who are not wreaking havoc and the 1, 380  minutes that pass in the day relatively peacefully or out of carelessness have we allowed ourselves to slip into an awareness of frustration and fear by honing in on a handful (in perspective of global population) of troublemakers in the world and those 60 uncomfortable overall minutes that ruined the rest of the 1,440 of the day?

Only each of us can answer to our own selves how or why or where we place attention, but it is most certainly a worthy cause to practice how to skillfully direct attention in a positive direction.  This is a mindfulness practice, which happens by cultivating attention through meditation.  We start with calm abiding through breath and move into analytical meditation using wisdom and compassion as our guides to navigate positively through life's hills and valleys.

Happy 2015 from the Mountain top!  Here's wishing you a splendid experience: Live to Love, Love to Live.
Go Love,
Lisa