happiness
PQD: Hold the door!
Happiness is something that comes into our lives through doors we don’t even remember leaving open.
Rose Lane
Have you ever smiled at a stranger, given a tip to your local smoothie shop cashier, or even helped someone struggling to carry heavy boxes? It is the idea we leave a friendly door open to the world with positive thoughts behind positive action. In my experience leading a life without expectation of people are situations is the best way to live.
Think about it: how many times have you been disappointed by people because you expected ‘a little more’?
By putting forth a positive face to the world we are leaving that door open for the world’s positivity to enter through our door. It is as simple as the person who you helped returning the favor, “good karma” revisiting you with a $20 bill on the ground, or any example you can think of.
As the good book says “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (KJV). So in order to fully leave our hearts door wide open we must rework our thoughts to exude positivity, and we just might be astounded on the good that enters through into our hearts.
So today:
leave your heart open to let the good pour out of you into this world, and let the love of true friends and family to enter in.
PQD: “Love grows where my Rosemary goes.” Wait… Thats not John Lennon?
“Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle.”
Marie Lloyd
Some of you may be familiar with the song, quite simply titled, as ‘Love’ by John Lennon. The message discusses an individuals understanding of love, and consequently, reflects the authors desire for love.
Have you ever stopped and wondered why you loved that person despite whatever transgressions this person committed against you? Have you ever considered what it is in your life that you truly love?
Reflecting on these things and the recent events of my life; I have a few observations of my own. Love is as simple and complex as expression. To feel love without expression is to rob yourself of giving love, and others to receive that love. To falsify that love with a “pseudo-love” in an attempt to conform someone into your thinking is wrong. If there’s anything that human nature will teach us is that we will not be fooled by a fake product, because the results of that product are also fallacy.
The answer is the true expression of love. That is to act and speak in a way of loving others. That means searching out their feelings by taking an interest in them, and addressing their needs.
If you do not feel love towards another: take the time to understand their needs regardless. Or if that goal cannot be attained; remove yourself from the situation. There is no need to complicate and irritate a situation that is non-existent.
My friends, never give up on someone you cannot go a day without thinking about. It is one of the oldest literary clichés known to man, but its wisdom holds true. But, that doesn’t mean hold on to something that is not there. It takes a pairing of our intellect along with our heart to find out the difference between mutual love and unrequited love. Love becomes problematic when we only employ one of these.
It is a miracle that love works the way it does, and when we experience it fully (i.e: the love of a child) it drives us to reach for a higher existence. Encouragement of another stems from freely given love, and that positive energy feeds our very souls. Have you ever felt a surge of creative inspiration by viewing something beautiful? It is that very feeling of being impassioned, emblazoned, and empowered.
Those that offer you love that inspires and sustains you is love you should nurture in good times and bad. Make yourself available to recieve love and give love. That, my Jesters and Halequinns, is the nature of a miracle we partake in every day, and by the Grace of God, we are lucky enough to recieve.
PQD: What time does positivity come on?
The mind is like a clock that is constantly running down. It has to be wound up daily with good thoughts.”
Fulton J. Sheen
How do you wake up in the morning? It is, without a doubt, seemingly obvious question after reading this intriguing quote hovering above these words. It is a serious question all the same. So, take a minute and think about a few things: 1. Are my first thoughts of the day of dread or inspiration? 2. Do I look forward to the day’s events? 3. Do I loathe or cherish my interaction with others?
Seriously, think about the answers to these questions.
If you answered in the positive: you are attempting to live your life in a way that greets the world with both an open mind and heart. It is important to maintain this positive outlook with self-affirmations and positive self-talk, which will breed positive action and create desired results.
For those who answered in the negative: not to worry! We are all in this life together to; hopefully, pull each other up and out of these negative thoughts. I remember times in boarding school where I would wake up and absolutely dread the thought of the forthcoming day. That’s because I didn’t have the proper tools to look positively on the day ahead.
What do you mean by tools?
I’m talking about the tools to think positively and change the old self-talk monster into a manageable and friendly ally. Some tools that you can use:
- Self-affirmations– actively encouraging yourself by saying positives things about yourself.
- Become an active participant in your own life! – Like the movie “yes man” adequately demonstrated the power of ‘yes’. Don’t shy from life, because that way you lose out. All too often I said no to things, because I was waiting for something better that, often times, would never come.
- Associate with positive people- I couldn’t figure out why my mood was so down back then, because I never imagined the answer would be found in the circle I associated with. Find people who support your dreams, give freely of themselves, and love unconditionally.
- Take pride in you- often times I treated my body and mind disrespectfully, because I did not cherish my own self-worth. By that I don’t mean I cut or was deeply disturbed, but I mean I ate unhealthy foods and constantly put myself down. In the struggle for acceptance we lose our value by calculating it by the acceptance of our peers. Not so my friends. Take pride in all that you do, because you know at the end of the day whether you performed or not.
So, my friends don’t let the clock of your positivity run down to zero. Let us remind ourselves that our worth is nothing that can be labeled on us. Wind yourselves up with happiness instead of coffee and morning traffic.
You are capable of a better life.
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- this picture belongs to the happy zone.com
Positive Quote of the Day: Challenges are an opportunity not an obstacle.
“When faced with a challenge, look for a way,
not a way out.”
David Weatherford
I was talking with a good friend yesterday and we consistently struck upon a chord that rang to the tune of “I have too much to do, and not enough help”. Now, this particularly harsh toned note sounds all too familiar, no?
Too often do we find ourselves hung up on the mere idea of facing the mountain of problems to be conquered. But, like Don Quixote we must face the giants that, to us, are both perceived and real. Like valiant knights we must ride the steeds of our courage and fearlessness into the battle of daily life. Even with Don Quixote’s’ quirks and oddities he had a conviction seldom few of his peers had.
He was committed to his goals.
So, when you see your challenges in front of you often times we only have two options: 1. Run or 2. Stay and fight the good fight. Yes, you may end up like Icaras of old, but that person looking you back in the mirror will respect you for having tried.
Stay and fight the good fight, and solicit help when needed.
As a young adult male I find it difficult to overcome the “lone warrior” syndrome and wanting to be the man to conquer the world by himself, but that my friends is one of the greatest fallacies we can invest in. Even a simple gesture of reaching out your hand can open a doorway you never thought possibly. Do not let your pride cause you to sink with the ship, Jesters and Harlequinns.
“Where there is a will there’s a way” as they always say. And that, my friends, is the essence of my message to you today. You have all the necessary tools, you have the talent, and you have options to conquer your own ‘windmill giant’. Venture out into the stormy seas for there you will end up exploring your inner most self.
Now repeat after me:
***
I am ready to fight for my future.
I can do anything.
I will ask for help when needed.
Challenges are opportunities.
***
Now, go out and conquer you world.
Vintage Wine and an Indecisive Emperor
It is a child on a temper tantrum, a brooding and scorned lover, a well of sweet promises, a cornucopia of dreams, and it is a detailed life story written in red ink. It is the heart. As a writer the one that comes most readily to mind is my own, and of course they say the best writing comes from personal experience. The two previous sentences were as cliché as they come because everybody has a heart and every writer will inevitably write about something they are familiar with, but please bear with me as we dive into this beast.
Our lives and hearts are inevitably marked with the photographs and captions of times in our past. When you look back do you find that your heart yearns for that certain someone? Take a minute and really consider this for a moment. Is there someone that you would have dropped all other tasks and engagements to be united with? Our hearts are the children within us that beg to see that favorite person again, and pulling our hands with hurried feet toward the direction of a love interest. And, when we finally have picked the apple of our eye from the tree of life… it ceases to shine and like Aphrodite’s golden apple it causes discord within us. For men, and please excuse the overly male metaphor here, it is as if were are gladiators or huntsmen. Dueling against ourselves in our hearts until we wear away the armor of logic and army ourselves with the crude tools of emotion, and once the victory has been won the trophy heart loses its luster.
Welcome to my world; with the exception of this being my present reality as well.
As I type these words it seems a cacophony of “These Words” by Natasha Bedingfield, John Mayer’s “Half of my heart” and the Counting Crows version of “Big Yellow Taxi” are playing within me. I know that the pressed grape wine of love has been poured into my cup, and yet I feel the desire to push it away in favor of another equally appealing vintage. The truly lamentable idea is that one cup has been already poured and the bottle cannot be returned, and I know that the bottle of white whine that glimmers in holy sunshine is being courted to another table. I, of course, harken my wine and my gladiator to the splendor of Roma. Of course what can be more romantic than a dinner at the Olive Garden, no?
Now for the Metaphor
And as I continue to watch the two Gladiators fight within me I partake of the wine that has been so graciously been poured for next to nothing. I glance over and I see that one Gladiator has his crimson blade resting on his throat. He awaits my thumbs vertical approval. To the left of me is an aged man full of thought and experience, and to my right is a young and wild, passionate, lover of many things. They both paddle on to each other about the merits and detriments of the situation I find myself in. And yet when it comes to giving the gladiator a decision… My eyes darting back and forth from the wild lover to the aged scholar. Each give me fair arguments and fiery passion, and yet neither one is convincing. What to do…?
I wave my hand in a noncommittal fashion and the fallen gladiator springs back to his feet and continues his bloody fight to the end.
Wine has a bitter taste and yet when consumed gives a pleasurable effect, and if taken without moderation robs us of our decision making. The security of my faculties brought low by the quick power of a sip of intoxicating love, but now my sense have returned do I realize I have entered the coliseum out of folly, and I desire a way out in sheer panic lest I strike out and destroy something beautiful.
The Emperor gives but two choices to a gladiator: Life or Death. I know to whom my heart wishes to live, but that is the losing Gladiator, and the victorious Gladiator I know deserves to be brought low.
And again, the red wine has been poured and cannot be returned to the bottle. I must drink. If I do not my fear and weakness will show, and someone will fall.
I am the Emperor. Now, I must decide.
Positive Quote: Think about your New Year in a New Light!
“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.”
Benjamin Franklin
__________________________
It seems to me the most intelligent voices are the voices from our past. No matter how much we try to believe our paths are the super highways to the future, alas our paths very nearly follow a similar earthen road. To enter this New Year I had a very original thought: use quote from the past! Aside from the quip, I think it is interesting to note how even though for all of our resolutions, plans, and vows so we continue the facade of improvement, and wait until the end of the year to search our souls and question where our resolve went.
The Problem: “I just ran out of time.”
We run out of time, because we fail to see the goal within the big picture.
1. Find your goals 2. Make them achievable (weekly, daily, monthly, yearly) 3. Commit to change 4. Make future plans
And now we return to Mister Franklin… His advice is to ‘always be at war with your vices’. What an aggressive word ‘war’ is. No doubt we are familiar with the phrase “at war with ourselves”, and to me that always takes the form of some evil twin fighting wrestling, warring against us. How many times have you found yourself cursing that last cigarette, eating that extra Double Quarter Pounder Cheeseburger, and partaking in that guilty pleasure. It is not about taking the whip to our backs for our sins, but to acknowledge them for what they are, diagnose, and resolve (sound similar your computers security program?).
Peace.
The word peace: World peace… Inner peace… Peace negotiations…. All of these are meant to sell us on an idea. It is a clever marketing ploy that you see everywhere, because no one thinks to question such a well-wishing word. The world will try to twist its meaning into a device that is malleable to its will, but we must seek out its meaning for ourselves. Peace, in my words (without checking Merriam-Webster for his uncanny wisdom), is: loving a neighbor like yourself, sharing your time and gifts, giving food to a homeless man, serving the less fortunate, etc.
And now here is the dictionary definition:
a : freedom from civil disturbance
b : a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom <a breach of the peace>
b : a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity
Peace between your neighbor is both as close as the family that sits by your side and as far as the human family that sits hundreds of miles away reading these same words. Its as easy as a smile and as difficult as donating some of your hard earned money to a deserving charity! I am not advocating one is better than the other: it is an intensely personal decision.
The point is: peace is given as we allow it to be received and allow ourselves to reciprocate that peace.
Finally, with peace and improvement in our grasp we can work towards our better New Year and our better life. It is possible to defeat our skeletons, and it is possible to bring peace to this world and ourselves in our own way, and it is also possible to come into this new year better than ever.
Acknowledge the Past. Plan for the future. Accept the present.
Be at peace, and bring peace to others.
You will find yourself to be a better person, in no time.
Positive quote of the Day! Upsy-daisy!
Image Posted on Updated on
I do believe we’re all connected. I do believe in positive energy. I do believe in the power of prayer. I do believe in putting good out into the world. And I believe in taking care of each other.
Harvey Fierstein
Today more than I ever I believe in the power of prayer. It is because of my faults and the faults of man that I put my faith in something greater than my understanding. In that sense we are all connected through a life line of thoughts that are considered prayer. We are all connected by the air breath and the ground we walk it!
In some form or another we are connected.
And if that is so: like the finger is connected to the hand, and the head to the neck so too is our human counterparts. We need each other as much as we hate to admit it. As we take care of ourselves and our families so too should we care for the others around us. It would be convenient to only care for ones teeth, but if the rest of the body decays, what will have been the point of having good teeth if the body dies?
Jest a thought my friends.
Positive quote of the day: Happiness, my dear friend, may you never leave.
The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised
– H. C. Mattern
Let us all try to remove ourselves from the wear and tear that ordinary life brings us. Your worth does not come from a job title, a fancy car, brand new outfits, and all of the other trappings of the world.
It comes from you.
You are the greatest determining factor of your own happiness. If you learn to live without high expectation of life and others I can almost guarantee your future will look much brighter. Like I seed that has fallen in good soil your love will take root in all that you do. Others will respond positively and you will be able to ‘weed’ out those that would choke your growth and happiness. The golden rule calls us to be fair, just, and loving to our neighbors as such I humbly request that you, my readers, try to embody as well. Hate is what divides us, sadness and hard times embitter us, selfishness hardens our hearts, and impropriety weaken our love for others. Why don’t you and I take up the challenge of being a role model for others?
A good life isn’t hard to find when one simply loves. If we give up the great lie that is money than the world and it’s sunshine will open up to you. Give of yourself to others and life’s small gifts to us become magnified and even more beautiful and full.
Today I ask you to reread this quote and employ it this week or the next.
Happiness is a choice, and happiness is what I wish for you.
AFFIRMING some positivity (Positive Quote of the Day)
Today I wanted to walk you through some positive affirmations (I am going to pull some from the website ‘affirmations for radical success.com)
With the upcoming year quickly approaching I want us ALL to start this new year out like a breath of fresh air in our lungs! A new you and a new attitude! A POSITIVE attitude.
Let’s get this started:
A list of positive Self Esteem Affirmations
- I am loveable
- I am worthy of love and friendship
- I accept myself completely
- I have a solid sense of self-identity
- I see myself realistically and objectively
- I find deep inner peace within myself as I am
- I say positive things about myself to myself
- I am a kind, caring and decent person
- I forgive myself for all I have done
- I forgive every person who has undermined my self-esteem
- All false images of myself from the past are now dissolved
- I love and accept all parts of myself
- I am an interesting person
- I love and accept all of my thoughts and feelings
- I am interested in other people
- All false messages about me are now dissolved in total grace
- Every day I am getting better and better
- I love and approve of myself aside from my accomplishments
- I share my feelings with others and they accept me
- I have positive self esteem
- My self esteem comes from inside me
- I love and approve of myself
- I accept myself completely as I am
- I value and honor myself as I am
- I strive to improve myself
- I am loving and accepting of myself just as I am
- I am loving and accepting of myself for who I am becoming
- I stand firmly in my powerful positive self-esteem
- I believe strongly in my powerful positive self-esteem
- I feel total peace with my powerful positive self-esteem
- I am filled with energy, vitality, and self-esteem
- I am pleased with how I handle my emotions
- I know how to manage my schedule
- I know how to promote my emotional and physical well-being.
- I take care of my body’s needs
- I love and respect my body.
- I fill my mind with positive and nourishing thoughts.
- I am a wonderful person.
- I deserve health, energy, and calmness
- I have confidence in my body’s ability to heal
- I feel radiant full of abundant energy and health
- The world is full of beauty and abundance
- I am attracted only to those people and situations that support and nurture me
- I appreciate the positive people
- I love and honor myself
- I enjoy being positive and having positive feelings
I want you all to seriously consider these and really try to appreciate and love ourselves. Positive affirmations are a good way to change the negative self talk we so often put ourselves through. Try to go through this list once a week and remind yourself of these important things. This, I believe, will enrich your life and create stability and peace within us.
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jest a word on life 