Carousel — 04.30.10

Recently a friend of mine made a great post about this Henry Ward Beecher quote: “The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” In the post, she explained that while she loved the quote, she felt badly about using it because, at that time, she couldn’t extract any happiness from her life. She decided that it was time to start working on the present so that she could have a better future.

I’d like to share my response to her post because I think that it is important to understand that extracting happiness from common things and focusing on the present are inextricably bound together.

“While at first, the two things you’ve described here seem to be separate (extracting happiness from common things AND focusing on the present); I actually think that they are very much the same.

We must extract happiness from common things in the present moment. Marvel at the morning dew on your windowsill. Be in reverence of the sunlight poking through the cloudy morning. Enjoy the smell of fresh coffee brewing when you get into the office. And so on and so forth.

Every single moment is a tiny miracle. Once we realize this, we will automatically live happiness. We choose what we focus on and when we focus on the beauty that is all around us—we choose happiness.”

Yes, happiness is a choice & by understanding that every moment is a small miracle, we will live happiness.

This morning I marveled at every little thing—I enjoyed the precious moments that I spent flossing my teeth; I was in awe of the gorgeous, intricate feathers on the wings of the black bird poking through our trash; I thanked the Universe for the bright prisms of light that came through the crystal hanging from my rear-view mirror. Yes, everything is a miracle! Every day is a gift and that is why we call it the present.

And with that, let’s get onto this week’s Carousel.

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Every Friday, I post my favourite links, posts, & resources from around the Web. Expect to learn, grow, & be inspired.

1. Winnie the Pooh’s Guide to a Happier Life: Two of the best things ever in one place—a happy life & Winnie the Pooh. Yes & yes, please!

2. Health Care Reform Changes Coming: This is in no way intended to be political or to spark any debate. However, I think that Baker’s remarks are thoughtful and the graphic is beautifully done & informative.

3. Deniability & PowerPoint makes us stupid: Yesterday, I participated in a webinar where Penelope Trunk interviewed one of the great brilliant minds of our era—Mr. Seth Godin.

I was thrilled when one of my questions was featured during the interview. I’ll be writing a full post about that soon, but in the meantime, enjoy these two fantastic posts from Seth.

4. Stop the Spiral of Debt Part 1: Really solid advice here about what you need to know (and do) if you want to get out of debt.

5. Post Pals: Post pals is a place where you can become pen-pals with children who are in hospital or are sick. I found out about it via Gala Darling’s Friday Carousel and thought it was too wonderful not to share.

6. 5 Things Happy People Do: The first one is my favourite—find your most golden self.

7. Die on Purpose: While it sounds morbid at first, this post is actually just beautiful. “I think it’s really helpful to forget you exist, and often. It sounds impossible, but it can be done… There is no sufferer, so there is no suffering. Curiously, beauty survives.”

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Well that’s all for this week’s round-up. I hope that you’ve enjoyed it. May you all be blessed with a wonderful weekend full of love & light.

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  • Carousel — 03.05.10

    Oh, why hello my gorgeous readers! It is so wonderful to see you here on this beautiful Friday afternoon (or whatever day/time it is where you are). This week came in like a lion and is heading out like a lamb… typical March weather in the North Eastern US. Last week received over three feet of fluffy white stuff (snow!). Currently the temperature is on the rise and it’s beginning to melt. Is this a sign that Spring is on its way? I sure hope so!

    And now on to this week’s charming Carousel. I do hope you enjoy…

    1. Quick easy tips for travel health and Living in the now: Two awesome posts from Vagablogging this week. One contains common sense tips to keep you healthy while on the road and the other talks about the importance of fleeting moments in time. Lovely.

    2. This is So Inappropriate!: “Your choices always carry tremendous weight, even when you feel like you have no choice in the matter. We don’t need enormous reserves of skill or advantage to make big differences to what happens to us — and to the manner in which we ‘happen’ to the world.”

    3. The Sure Fire Way to Sabotage Any Relationship: In this post, Jared explains why trying to “get back to the way things were” is like signing your relationship’s death certificate. Do you agree?

    4. 5 Travel Lessons You Can Use at Home: This post is far & away, one of the best that I’ve read on the topic. Can you take travel lessons and apply them to your life? Can you use these lessons to live the life of your dreams 100% of the time? Yes, you can! This post will tell you how.

    5. Avatar’s Impact: How To Train Like A Na’vi: Have you seen Avatar yet? I saw it once in 2D and then again in 3D—yes, it was that good! I love Amber’s take on the movie in this excellent post. “While the special effects and imagination behind the film are awe inspiring enough, what excited me the most was the vital ecological message that’s reaching millions. The fact that people from around the globe are beginning to see the significance of our connection to all organisms is incredible.” Yes, yes, yes! Exactly. She’s hit the nail on the head.

    6. What Are Values?: Many people pay Tim Brownson good money to help them define values; but in this post, he’ll show you how to do it for free! I absolutely love (& agree with) the way that he introduces the post: “So what I’m really saying is this is some heavy personal development shit that needs your total concentration and commitment if you’re going to get the most out of it. And make no mistake, it’s the single most powerful thing you can do if you genuinely want to understand yourself.”

    7. how to: focus in batches: “Limited resources force you to focus on your creativity.”

    8. Coping with Major Life Changes: Excellent tips to help get you through some of life’s most challenging moments.

    9. The War Over Wolves: One topic that I haven’t written too much about yet is wildlife & environmental conservation. It is one of the things that I am most passionate about. This post from the National Geographic Blog broke my heart a bit. Despite my inclination to preserve as many creatures as humanly possible, there are always two sides to every story. I’ll be making some posts on this topic in the near future.

    10. Olympians’ daily food choices as important as their rigorous training: Want to learn to eat like an Olympian? Is the food that you put in your body really that important? After reading this, I say YES!

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    That is it for this week’s round up. I loved all of these great posts and I hope that you will, too. Perhaps just the burst of inspiration you were needing to get your weekend off to a great start?

    Have a lovely weekend. Spread love & light!

  • · ·

    Are You Oblivious, Aware, or Getting It?

    This is a guest post from my friend, Andy Feld.

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    As I travel and meet new people all over our country, it seems most everyone falls into one of the three areas mentioned in this month’s title. What am I talking about? It’s the societal evolutionary change which is now in progress, although admittedly sometimes imperceptible. It is easy to see that violence rarely leads to anything but more violence. Overt materialism, absent integrity, brings happiness and abundance to very few. Additionally, centuries of male dominated insensitive energy added to a populace unwilling to take responsibility has us at a precarious tipping point.

    So, do you sense what I say is true? Are you oblivious to these changes in the air, or are you ahead of the curve and already taking the steps necessary to not only survive, but thrive in the years to come? Frankly, I am often greeted by individuals with long faces who tell me they will be happy again when things get back to ‘normal’. Normal for many means simply getting back to a life dominated by financial gain and the purchase of new things, but those days may be long gone. Banks are not lending money, our population is increasingly unemployed or aging and dependent, houses are not selling, there seems to be an oversupply of everything and worldwide competition is greater than ever. What if today is the way things will be for the next 20-30 years or longer? What are you going to do to be happy, prosperous, and emotionally abundant?

    Make no mistake, everything is changing and just about everyone is affected. Personally, my income does not approach what I once earned as a corporate CEO, my car is not as new and shiny as it once may have been, and I visit fewer restaurants, but my life has never been more pleasant. Would you agree that now is the time to not only re-evaluate, but also re-create our lives? If so, you are GETTING IT loud and clear, but if not, let’s look into what we can do about it.

    1. We are all One, connected with a common thread of spirit. When I say WE, I mean ALL humans, animals, plant life, earth, and stars. We all are of the same source energy, and understanding and respecting this Oneness is a key to thriving in our new age. Allowing all else to be, with love and respect, and without judgment of unique individual differences will open our portals to Universal Light. One cannot mistreat another human, the earth, our vegetation, and the animals without also mistreating oneself. We are all connected and what we put forth to others is what will always come back to us.

    2. Listen to our heart, our Inner Radar as I call it in my books, without the fear of judgment from others. We are all unique and different, and learning to reach within and hear that guidance we all individually brought forth to this lifetime allows us to grow and prosper in alignment with our life’s purpose. There is no better way to accomplish this than a regular practice of meditation and contemplation.

    3. Understanding the process for manifesting our life’s dreams. It takes quite a bit of practice and self-discipline, and you may be getting tired of hearing me speak about it, but we are the product of our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions. Very little we desire will manifest without the alignment of these four elements. Believe in this, practice and have faith and you will embrace your life like never before.

    4. Learn to appreciate all that you have. From hot running water, to clothes in your closet, and food in the refrigerator, most of us have so much to be thankful for yet rarely acknowledge. The beauty of nature, our relationships, our health and the list should go on and on. Write it down and truly rejoice in how many ways you are blessed.

    5. Diligently work on balancing your male and female attributes. We are all a combination of both masculine and feminine, and the more we keep these two in balance the more we vibrate with the earth.

    Yes, everything is changing. First, become aware and then jump on board, but it will always be the choice of the individual. No one, other than you is responsible for your rescue.

    Whether it is a business, an organization, or individual, the time for changing the status quo in right now. How to go about it in this new environment is what I speak about and teach. I would love the opportunity to work with you or your group.

    With much love and appreciation,
    Andy

    ———-

    Andy lives in Morrison, Colorado outside Denver. He travels the country as a frequent speaker on life inspiration and business sales. He is also a regular guest on radio programs across the United States and on local TV.

    You can read more about Andy at his website, Simple Happy, and you can find his books on Amazon at the following links.

7 Comments

  1. One way that I find happiness is by interacting with my kids. Every little thing they do has an element of happiness. To bad life isn’t that simple anymore.

    Thanks for the shout out too 🙂

    1. @Jeff – Thanks so much for your comment. Yes! Interacting with children is one of the ultimate sources of instant happiness. There is so much that we can learn from their curious, free-spirited nature. My nephew just turned 1 in February & the time that I spend with him is so precious to me.

      You are very welcome for the shout out. I’ve been following your blog from the sidelines for awhile. I found you through Brad @enemyofdebt who is a great friend of mine. One of my close family members is actually in a big knot of financial troubles at the moment I referred him to your blog today and signed him up for your mailing list. 🙂

  2. I’m working hard on this…. animal’s are the easiest thing to be happy about, the belief that they don’t have the same level of thought as us gives them a purity that can only be marveled…. I often visit the street dogs here in Cairo just to say hi and watch them for a while.

    As for other things, I laugh a lot everyday at the smallest of things but this has been gradual and I am on a slow path to enlightenment…. But at least I am on the path.

    Thanks for the post 🙂

    1. @Forest – Hello! So glad we connected on Twitter, don’t know what took me so long! Oh, animals. I really have to get around to writing about my beautiful pets. At my house I have 1 dog, 1 cat, 1 snake, and several fish. At my parents’ house, I have 1 dog & 1 cat. I love all of them so much. There are no words to describe the joy that these animals bring into my life. What I love most about them —> UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. There is so much that we humans can learn from these creatures.

      Thank you so very much for your comment, my friend!

  3. Hi Dena,

    Thank you for your lovely comment and your post! I never really thought of that when I first stumbled onto the quote, that the present and finding happiness would be used in the same context. What you said made me realize the little things in life is precious and we have to savor those moments. =)

    1. @Nadia – Thank you for bringing such beautiful thoughts into my mind. I love your post, your thoughts, and your willingness to open yourself to new ways of thinking. You are truly an inspiration. 🙂

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