The fresh air of happiness

Each year, as we get close to Independence Day, there is a phrase that follows me in my thoughts. It comes in whispers, the earnest last words of men and women long dead, urging me to consider. If the words are true, then I have something in me that is inalienable, something I cannot give up, nor can it be taken from me.  The phrase turns into questions. How am I caring for my life and liberty? Where am I in my pursuit of happiness?  Honestly, for a very long time, I lost the path. At this time of year, when I could be reveling in summer and the long hours of light, the questions seemed heavy.  I felt like a failure, like the alienable American.  The pursuit of happiness did not seem like a viable venture to me, so I searched for things I could pursue other than happiness. I would catch my face resting in a frown and feel deeply unhappy. I may have wanted to be happy, but I didn’t know how I could do happy.  Then, quite by accident, I discovered that in my body, I have a passage that I can access through which happiness can come in. Does that sound strange?

Everyone knows that the eyes are the window to the soul, and, I hear Pete Townshend when he sings, “let my love open the door… to your heart.” Why not have a hatch we can open and let in the fresh air of happiness? I want to say:

A smile is that passage through which happiness can enter the soul.

For several years, Beth Galis has been telling those of us who attend her hot yoga studio that a smile will bring ease to the practice. After taking more than a year off of yoga to recover from a back injury, I decided to come back to the practice and to enjoy it. I am there because I choose to be there. I know it is good for me. There is no place else I want to be in those moments, those hours. I breathe, I smile, I listen, and I do.  Smiling is what I do to inform my face that I am there to enjoy my body and soak up all of the goodness I can from the practice. I started smiling because Beth said it would make the practice easier. Who doesn’t want easier?  It works. The more I smile, the more I enjoy the class and the easier it is to do it. Then I had a private healing session with Beth in which we were able to identify and release some negative emotional baggage. Soon afterwards, I found myself driving down the road and smiling for no reason and not willfully. It just welled up from inside, and I recognized it as actual happiness. What a gift.  I smile a lot these days. My happiness is independent of any other person or circumstance. No one and no thing made me happy. 

Happiness surrounds me, and when I smile it comes inside.

Ask Yourself Questions

and answers are provided... Last night, Rory and I were at a dinner function with speakers and AV presentation, etc. During a break in the proceedings, I watched as one by one, the people at my table pulled out their blackberries and their iphones. Becoming absorbed in the little screens they peeled away and left me sitting alone. (I have to tell you Rory was not on his phone - he was connecting with live humans.) One man, a college student who hadn't strayed far or long from the table, came back and we had a meaningful conversation. One out of 10. I remembered attending similar functions 15 years ago at which an entire table full of people made live connections. It would have been considered rude to pull out your phone for no apparent reason and ignore the actual people in front of you. How did we get this way? What happened to people? Then the Storque posted this video and an opportunity to hear this speaker. Ah, some answers...

Life Inc. The Movie from Douglas Rushkoff on Vimeo.

Fingerprint Friday

Hawk-Moth-on-Sunflower
Originally uploaded by studiocherie

I have a print of this photo in my kitchen with this passage below it: Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2
The Sphinx Moth is amazing. I watched a huge green worm, about the size of my finger, bury itself in the dirt. Over the course of a few days, it became mummified, glowing like lava inside a glossy, dark shell. It emerged a strange new creature, completely changed. I believe that, like that worm, we have no idea what we could be if we buried ourselves and let God do His work.
For more perspectives on the fingerprints of God, or to join in the group, visit PamperingBeki and check out the links.

Faith in Action

While love is powerful, "both a sickness and its cure," (That is from Shakespeare in Love, not sure if it is originally from the Bard himself.) faith is indispensable. When love becomes twisted, we still call it love. Twisted faith, however, carries the name fear. Faith is a pure and positive attribute. I think that is part of why I love this tee-shirt. As soon as Randi showed me the design, I asked her to make one for my daughter. The other part of why I love it is that it is done with what is called direct to garment printing. The other name is sublimation. The inks are shot into the fabric by the printer, not laid on top if it as it is with silk screening. The result is a permanent design that has no tactile residue. Randi has been busy adding new things to her shop, as you will see below, so you will not see any tee-shirts there, but she loves to do custom work and would welcome more orders like mine. If you want to do more than wear your faith on a tee shirt, sign the petition over at fightFOCA.com. My friend Stephanie sent me a link and I followed it, explored the site, and acted on my faith. I hope you will too.

If the Shoe Fits, Wear It - The Shoe Philosopher Part IV

funny serving dish by reclaim2fame

I had an epiphany the other night, as I got ready to go out with Rory. I put on my navy suit with the flirty skirt and fun piping, my ruched white cotton blouse, my necklace that I made out of a $4 key chain that always garners many compliments (even when I wore it recently on Rodeo Drive – that was delightful!) and when it came to putting on shoes, I was stumped. My navy pumps looked frumpy. They had to go into the Goodwill bag.

pendant and chain by SweetBlueAugust
I dove deeper into my closet, praying for a fashion miracle. Happily, I had a pair of white platform mules that I had bought on a whim and rarely worn that made the outfit, but it was a close call. I came very near to having to change my whole ensemble for lack of proper foot attire. That experience gave me a healthy respect for the well-stocked shoe closet. Now, I just need the well-funded shoe budget.

crochet pattern by whiletheyplay

And when I hear "If the shoe fits..." I think of "fits" in a whole new way. The fitting shoe makes me feel 10 feet tall and bullet proof. (I get up to about 6 feet in the white mules, maybe that's why I love them.)

blosoms from bullets t-shirt by binarywinter

The Shoe Philospher, Part 3 of 5

conductor's cap by StebbyLee Studio

Although I appreciated the sorority girl’s put together look, I was always more relaxed in the company of men, and thus, never cultivated the desire to accessorize. My own shoe closet closely resembled a man’s. It consisted of hiking boots, running shoes, cross trainers, bicycling shoes, and 2 pairs of leather pumps (one black and one brown.) I could not tell you the brand name or designer of the dress shoes. Those details were of no consequence to me. For years, my favorite accessory was a baseball cap.

baseball brains magnet by LabelStone

With only a glancing awareness of accessories and their meaning and power in the feminine mind, I always puzzled over my lack of influence with other women. Couldn’t they see the freedom I had in going to my closet and choosing the black or the brown? Women should have been knocking down my door to find out how I maintained such a high self-image on such a low shoe budget!

digital collage by cemerony




Part 4 - the epiphany - next week.