Recently I posted a video of a woman dancing in the Charlotte Airport after her flight got messed up. She chose to be happy when it really sucked that she was stuck overnight in the airport. I think this is wise, if not really simple, advice: choose to be happy. In the hurlyburly of life, we forget to stop and smile. Bombarded by e-stimuli, focused on the next waypoint on our life journey, we look forward, squirrel, repeat. Where and why, don't we stop to cherish the moment? Why not take the energy to make the moment positive, and not take a selfie of that moment.
Choosing to be happy does have obstacles. There is a sad maxim right from the get go: "While most don't want to be the squeaky wheel, unfortunately, it seems that squeaky is the only audible level." Get stuck in a line at the airport, where the human condition is at its worst, see who gets attention. I was next to a person who was demanding luggage. She dropped the 4 letter word, "bomb", twice and they serviced her immediately . The polite people in line were overlooked and the woman got her luggage. Flip through the channels, see anyone happy? We see rich/famous, famous for being rich, or a newscaster comparing politicians to Hitler or Stalin with zero context, perpetual righteous indignation over a politicians infidelity when the other side does the exact same thing. Stop....choose to be happy. It's not easy, Shannon, you are right about that. Watch "Remember the Titans" or "Rocky" or "Star Wars" or "Used Cars". Skip Eckhard Tolle, choose George Carlin. Make happier choices.
It's not easy, especially if you are a kindred, existential, quirky, beatnik spirit like me. Happy doesn't enter the lexicon (sex, debauchery, freedom of the human spirit, and jazz does). However, this year has been the fastest of my life. Although I've had some seismic changes take place, my bride, the Love Goddess, said she hadn't seen me laugh or smile like I have recently in several years. The only thing I can think of is that I have, maybe it's out of necessity, had to stop and make myself laugh. Laughter heals the soul. We choose to let our hearts get buried in the underbrush of the daily crap. We need to tend to the heart, part of that is choosing to be happy. Not a blissfully ignorant, Candide happy, but one where make room for a smile and maybe prayer, meditation or whatever your deity tells you to do.
For my part, I'm only posting non-political Facebook stuff. I may write a few blogs, but the focus is humor and music. Two things that make me smile. Yeah, the outside world can suck, but I choose to be that bright red Anemone flower in the sidewalk...at least until someone thinks I'm a weed...wait, laugh.
1 comment:
Everyday I make this choice. Some days can be more of a challenge than others I admit but life is so much more enjoyable when we embrace the moments and look for the good. Love your positivity!
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