Happiness

Although I've recently "allowed" my writing to become more public, I haven't included any of the work I've chisled and loved for the past three years. I've been studying happiness: who is, who isn't, what helps, what doesn't. There is a growing body of research and literature about these essential age old questions. For me, this will be a book someday, but for now, it seems like a good thing to share some of what I know.

So here is my take on the factors that make happiness possible. I've covered many of them in happiness workshops I've presented, and one of these 12 principles stands out as the absolute hardest to do and the absolute most helpful to achieve. Can you guess which one?

1.Keep It Simple (Unclutter Your Mind, Your Memories, and Your Closets)

2. Stay Present (Correct the Past, Plan the Future--but Be Where You Are)

3. Commit (Find a Purpose and Live it)

4. Give Yourself a Break (Don't Turn on Yourself)

5. Keep Conflict to a Minimum (Walk Away)

6. Laugh & Cry

7. Do Good Work (It’s Not What You Do, but How you Do It)

8. Bend (Choose Happy Over Right)

9. Notice

10. Speak True (Words Matter)

11. Create (Creativity is not Optional)

12. Connect

Lost and Found

She wakes this morning with one foot at peace
And the other rumbling, tumbling
Concerned for something quite unknown.

It is springtime today. There are fast moving finches
Turning their curious beaks up at the tall birdhouse
That stands between the patio and kitchen window.
What happened that night it and the chirps inside
Fell to the ground, only a scattered feather or two
Telling a vague and troubled story?

She is still for the stillest moment—
The stillness of the kettle just before it steams--
Wondering how anything could be amiss on this promising day.
Still rumbling, tumbling—curious how she could today
Feel unsettled, sometimes lost, sometimes found,
Either way with empty pockets and partial gratitude.

She looks at this grateful dog
And in her mind reviews
Every real reason this is a good good day.
There will be time to plant the peas
And plan the garden.
There will be no work today, no chores to speak of.
No sickness, no broken promises, no unexpected loss.
No late payments, no betrayals,
Not even an empty gas tank.

Today is a good day.

She asks ever so slightly,
a moment before the commitment is made:
How she can be so wise, and so lucky, so alive,
And so aware
And too, so paperthin?
She rises from the night,
Feeds the dog, makes the coffee,
Answers the phone, picks up the mail,
Calls the dentist, waters the plants,
Readies the peas:
Every act born of
cautious hope for a good good day.

rightly untitled

la la girl and mr. twirl
took a trip around the world.
what they did i cannot tell
but la la girl went straight to hell.

they told this story traveling through
when one of them lived in a shoe
i've often wondered how it went
that la la girl did spend a cent

on greeting cards and dafodils
while mr. twirl spared every frill
i 've always liked her more it's true
so mr twirl, here's boo to you.

for the record.....

For the record, here's how I'm spending my time.

1. I suddenly have too many clients, all of whom need time and support. Since I'm self employed, this is good, except it's not good that I have worked all all day today...and tomorrow....and..

2. Does it get any better than this?--I am finishing up my book proposal on Good Work! and this includes some simple but very cool graphic design work I finally purchased. ( actually, i finally admitted I do not have the skills to do it myself, only the intent) One of the "tools" in the book is called the "good work circle" and it now looks colorfully fantastic. When the proposal reaches the agent, either she will like it or I will be back to revision-land. Either way, I'm moving where I want to be.

3. jb and I used our unexpected tax refund to buy a hottub, which as of last friday sits in the back yard with this illuminating robin-blue water light. this is a luxury beyond our comprehension. we are hottubbing at midnight and sleeping like angels, except this morning jb had misquito-sized rashes all over her body. seems we misjudged how to get the water ready....we may be land-bound for the next few days.

4. our new dog Stella is a doll. This dog was abused and abandoned and came to us with soulful cautious eyes. Every day she trusts us alittle more and I am completely in love with her. At 3 or 4 years old, a cross between a german shepard and coon, she has a damaged spine but she jumps and plays and now gives occasional kisses. As always, it is good to love yet again. How nice to be reminded of that!

5. Despite a total ground cover of SNOW this morning, I have pansies and a few perrenials waiting for my attention and for the first time ever I've hired someone to dig up a garden space for me. This will be my first season in our new house and new move to Northampton and I am estastic. The garden will be a half circle, which for some reason excites me even more.

6. tonight is American Idol and Lost--the only two shows I watch regularly. Except that we bought the whole 6 years of Sex & the City and are gleefully watching a few episodes at a time.

7. Ok, I am (probably) (hopefully) ready to lose all this weight. I have enough problems without slugging through space any longer.

8. what else today? I'll leave out the complaints. Noone complains better than I do. I am a very polished complainer, but this afternoon I'm going to behave. Universe: thank you today. I'm glad I am upright and I love the hottub....

Sincerely,