Happiness Looks Great On You!

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." – Denis Waitley

Hello Dear Friend,

I know Covid-19 is slowly taking its toll on all of us. I mean I’m an extreme introvert and it even has me beginning to struggle a bit. We went into 2020 with high hopes of how great a year it would be only to have a Global pandemic strike. The surprising blow caused us to feel more and more sorrow, disappointment, fear, anger and frustration with each passing day we're forced to sit on the sidelines and helplessly watch the world shut down.

Overnight we woke up to shortages on toilet paper, cleaning products, disinfectants, gloves, hand sanitizers, vitamins, meat and dairy products as all the dooms day hoarders became unleashed. Countries needed to shut down their borders. Beaches closed. National parks closed. Movie theaters closed. Disneyworld/Disneyland closed. Retirement homes and assistant living closed their doors to visitors to try to protect our elderly communities. Bars, hair salons and many other businesses forced to shut their doors. Restaurants reduced to carry-out or drive-through only. Artisan markets cancelled. Concerts and Music festivals cancelled. Major sports events cancelled. The 2020 Summer Olympics postponed now becoming the 2021 Summer Olympics. Schools closed forcing the nations’ children to finish out the year homeschooling. Churches forced into closing their doors and unable to come together in a place of worship as a congregation. High school and College graduates striped of their symbolic right of passage unable to walk across the stage during their graduation ceremonies. Airlines looking at filing for bankruptcy because of travel restrictions. Countless numbers learning to work from home or even worse became out of a job because their employers were forced to shut their doors. Essential businesses reducing their hours and limiting the number of people allowed into the building at one time.

In these challenging times heroes arose - doctors, nurses, law enforcement, firefighters, supermarket employees, farmers, those working in the food industry, delivery truck drivers and mail carriers – all risking their lives in a fight to keep us healthy, safe, food on our tables and supplies in our closets and cabinets. Breweries and Distilleries stepped up to make hand sanitizers and small T-shirt companies began making face masks.

OK, ok, ok, I know I just went down the deep dark rabbit hole of current events full of doom and gloom. I’m out now and shifting to my happy thoughts I promise.

“Gonna wash the dust off my soul. Gonna listen to some rock ‘n’ roll. No cares, come what may, I’m making a beautiful day." – Joshua Radin, Beautiful Day

It’s been years ago now but somewhere I once heard it said that if you want to be happy you either change your picture or you change your life. So it’s on this beautiful and perfect Saturday morning that I find myself with the opening lyrics to Beautiful Day by Joshua Radin playing on loop in my head. Although I woke up nursing a slight headache that has sent me throwing back my morning coffee like it’s going out of style I’m not going to let it get me down because my weekend has started out pretty superb so far!

I know you’re now asking, “What’s so great about it?” Well, yesterday evening I happened to remember that one of my favorite bands on the Irish Music Festival circuit was playing one of their quaran-stream shows out of one of the band member’s living rooms. Luckily for me, I remembered in time to catch it just as it was about to begin.

Currently without an income due to most of their shows being cancelled, Scythian like many other independent bands has been coming up with creative ways to make the best of these social distancing quarantine times that we are stuck in at the moment. Their fourth quaran-stream had them spending the evening live from their living room to ours – singing, playing and dancing for tips going towards their Whiskey and Diaper fund. By the end of the night they had received over $5,000 in donations.

Their two and half hour live quaran-stream definitely helped to start my weekend off right. While they played I laughed, I danced, I sang along, I got my dishes washed and my kitchen and bathroom cleaned. I later went to bed feeling both relaxed and accomplished ready to enter into my weekend.

Spring has come to the Carolina mountains and last night it was finally warm enough to leave my windows open a smidge overnight so this morning as I awoke I was greeted by the cheerful chirps of the birds singing outside as the morning light streamed through my bedroom windows urging me to get up and come out to enjoy the days splendor.

So with coffee in hand I stepped out of my apartment to catch the morning rays and let my skin absorb some much needed vitamin D. I love watching the morning come alive! The birds calling out to one another in song as they rest on tree branches before taking flight again. They flutter their wings all around until they eventually land on the ground to dig up some breakfast. Squirrels and chipmunks flashing by as they run around also hunting for food along the bright green blades of grass and the bumble bees buzz around a little too close for comfort. The morning breeze tickling my arms causing goose bumps to appear for a moment or two before disappearing.

I love leisure mornings! No hurries, no agendas, letting the worries and cares get forgotten for awhile as the time is spent present minded and aware of the moment. Time spent being able to focus on the things I love and the things that bring me joy no matter how big or small they might be. Allowing myself the time to recharge, relax and be lazy in the best kind of way. The kind of laziness that leaves me feeling happy that I took time for myself and no, I'm not talking about the procrastination kind of time that leaves you feeling guilty later.

When you face your darkest days always remember that you have the power to be as happy as you choose to be. It’s true what they say sometimes you have to fake it until you make it. Take it from the girl that has made a sport out of smiling in the middle of her pain it’s kind of fun to make others question just how it is that you can keep on smiling.

So dance in the rain, run barefoot in the grass, sing from the top of your lungs in the shower, go out and plant a garden, get some dirt on your hands, find new creative ways to entertain your kids, crank up the music, sing along and bust out the moves in your living room, call up your best friend, make art, make music, make love, make a new recipe, eat your favorite food, take pictures, escape to roads less traveled, watch your favorite movie, read a book, stay up all night binging that show on Netflix, spend the entire morning out on your porch doing absolutely nothing, camp under the stars, video chat with your siblings and/or your parents and/or your kids, laugh so hard that you pee your pants, drink, be merry, be you! Yes, that was one very long run on sentence. The point is – JUST GO!

Go and do whatever it is that makes you, you. Go and do what has you enjoying your unique and precious life. No matter life’s uncertainty or what kind of craziness or unkindness it throws your way you are the one responsible for your happiness and you hold the power to make the best out of anything and everything that is handed to you. So on the days that throw you those curveballs just yell out, “Plot twist!” and make it worthwhile. Seek happiness, seek laughter, seek joy and keep on smiling even when it’s a fight to do so. Because smiles are contagious and happiness looks great on you!

With love,

a Poetic Soul