What Makes You Happy?

Happiness, as defined by dictionary.com:

— adj  , -pier , -piest
1.	feeling, showing, or expressing joy; pleased
2.	willing: I'd be happy to show you around
3.	causing joy or gladness
4.	fortunate; lucky: the happy position of not having to work
5.	aptly expressed; appropriate: a happy turn of phrase
6.	informal  ( postpositive ) slightly intoxicated
— interj
7.	( in combination ): happy birthday ; happy Christmas

There are so many things that make us happy; I am often amazed at how unhappy some people appear.  Hey, I’m not thrilled with life all the time, but I do strive daily to attain as much of all those nice descriptions above this paragraph.

So, what makes YOU happy?

For some, happiness is a dog licking your face and snuggling beside you in your bed.  While that same dog on someone else’s bed, lapping away at your face, may evoke the exact opposite of happiness.

To each his own.

For me, happiness begins with self.  If I am not happy with myself as a person, I have difficulty enjoying my existence.

That’s why I work hard on improving all of my flaws.  Through this effort, even when I am not always successful, I attain my happiness…and maybe lose a few pounds, gain some introspection, and improve as a human being along the way.

But it’s not all work and no play for me, either.  I love spending time with my wife and family, strumming my guitar, creating videos, or dining on some of my favorite foods.  Like these:

There are many things that bring us happiness inside this sometimes challenging world in which we live.  The key, as with life, is to know where to look and embrace it is often as possible.

Think about it…

Until next time.

peace,

Mike

Livelife365

A Mere Inconvenience

I sit in semi-darkness, the haunting wail of the relentless wind serenading me, periodically interrupted by the steady rat-a-tat-tat of raindrops pouring down from the heavens and belting my skylight.

The lights had been flickering, winking on and off, and then vanished completely, taken away on the angry wind, along with the rest of my electrical power, dissipating like the last hapless breaths of a terminal patient.

The house is without power, eerily quiet sans the constant thrum of the refrigerator, the whir of a fan, the comforting purr of the heater rumbling into life. A severe winter storm, packed with copious amounts of cold rain and wind gusts approaching seventy miles per hour, has left my little corner of the world trapped inside its own little emergency. A mere inconvenience, really, when compared with what is happening in other areas of the world:

* War in Afghanistan
* Terrorism and unrest in Iraq
* Poverty, starvation and genocide in many African Nations
* And, most recently, the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti

Most of us are very lucky, we will survive the odd blackout with maybe only a handful of angst: some spoiled food from a warming fridge; a sniffle or two from sleeping without heat; a missed day’s wage; a few hours without television or video games.

But to call losing your power for a few hours, or days, an emergency, a catastrophe, or anything more than a mere inconvenience, when placed next to the hardship those sad souls in Haiti went through, are going through, and will continue to go through is, is tantamount to comparing a mosquito bite to open heart surgery; there is no comparison.

By candlelight, I write this, with the hope that eventually the power will be restored and I can transfer my handwritten words onto my computer, and then post them to my blog (which, if you are reading this, I have). Yes, the power will eventually return, as will normal life as we know it. But what about those Haitians? Or those countless suffering human beings who live in those other war torn and impoverished nations? When will their lives return to “normal”? And, more to the point, what can we do to help them?

Give. Of yourself. Of your heart. Of your soul. And, especially, of your wallet. One dollar or one thousand, give whatever you can afford…and then give a little bit more. Give to the people of the island nation of Haiti, yes, but give to any human being who will go hungry one day (including many right here in America) or who is suffering.

And when you’ve given as much money as you can, then give something else: give your positive energy, your prayers, your goodwill, your love, and if you are able to, your time. I am a firm believer that giving from your heart and soul is as valuable as giving from your wallet. But give both.

GIVE TO HAITI: YOUR HEART, YOUR SOUL, YOUR MONEY



This post was inspired by a tragic front page event, but the need to help others less fortunate than most of us is always there.

One of the things that constantly amazes me about people is how, more often than not, they rise above expectations, especially in the worst of times. It happened when the towers went down on that horrible September day in 2001, and it is happening now in the aftermath of that 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. People rise to the occasion, go above and beyond, often enduring difficult sacrifices, to help those who cannot help themselves. But these amazing acts of decency are topped by the countless acts of courage and patience and perseverance exhibited by those struck by the very same tragic events others go out of their way to help combat.

The following is a list of foundations where you can contribute to help the poor souls of Haiti and other devastated areas around the world:

Oxfam
World Vision
Red Cross
Unicef
Hope For Haiti

Remember: Give, of your heart, your soul, and your wallet. And then give some more.



Until next time…

peace,

Mike

Heroism

"Heroism is not only in the man, but in the occasion."
Calvin Coolidge

Who is a hero? Is it Tiger Woods, for winning, again, but doing so while battling an obviously balky knee? Or the courage and determination the man he beat, Rocco Mediate, showed while losing the tournament, but winning the hearts of millions of golf fans and non-golf fans alike? Maybe you feel that what the Boston Celtics pulled off earlier this night constitutes an act of heroism? This is a team, after all, that had the worst record in its conference last year, was dismantled over the off season and reconstructed, overcame injuries and a superb Laker team, to win it all.

I love sports and have been a fan for most of my fifty-plus years. And while I am prone, on occasion, to wax heroically about my sports icons, I know that even they would agree that true heroes are more about what President Coolidge stated. "...not only in the man, but in the occasion." Such an occasion occurred recently in Chico, the town I call home.

You may have seen or heard about the wildfires that burned out of control for days here in Butte County last week. What began as a small brush fire, a few miles behind my neighborhood, swiftly, propelled by gusting winds, evolved into what locals here have feared for decades: an uncontrolled fireball heading right for the small town of Paradise, a quaint community in the foothills above Chico. Thousands of firefighters from dozens of states battled the blaze, finally containing the conflagration after nearly a week's struggle, but not before it charred over 23,000 acres and destroyed 74 homes. How's that for heroism? My heartfelt thanks to the men and women who fought this blaze and won.

Our community, while still singed and smokey, survived. Paradise remained like its name, while others lost everything. At one time nearly ten thousand folks had to evacuate their homes and seek shelter elsewhere. There was also an amazing outpouring of giving and charity from the townspeople during this time. Talk about heroism. My wife and I, while wanting to do our part, discovered a great volunteer center, caring-choices.org. Their efforts and charitable contributions during this trying time were only one of hundreds, but worthy of singling out. These are the real heroes. The people of Chico and our surrounding towns are the real heroes.

Most of us, when confronted with a challenging occasion, want to step up, set a good example, do our best, be a hero. While few, if any, of us can contend on a golf course with Tiger or Rocco, or try to defend Paul Pierce or Kobe, all of us, when given the chance, can rise to the occasion and discover the heroism that resides inside us all.

Until next time...

peace,
Mike

Odds and Ends...

"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete."--Buddha

I think I will call today: Pat Yourself On The Back Day. Cut yourself some slack, take a deep breath and show yourself a little compassion. Sure, spread that compassion around to others, but save a bit for yourself. I like that quote. Let me know what you think of it.

When In Doubt, Go To Vegas!

That quote is all mine, and my meaning is along the same lines with the words of wisdom from our good friend Buddha. Treat yourself to a getaway from what ails you. And if nothing ails you...then you are not human. We all need a break from the routine of life, and what better place to escape from the real world than Vegas? My lovely wife and I are by no means major gamblers, but we enjoy a trip at least once a year to Sin City. While we're there we think of little but having a good time, dining well, shopping (books for me; lots of stuff for her!), and getting lost inside the never-ending world of the casinos. Try it, you may like it. If not, go to Maui. I know you'll love that.

Why Am I Screaming At A Robotic Voice!

I don't know about you, but I have zero patience when it comes to those automated voices that try to talk to you like they are real people. You know the one's I'm talking about: you're calling customer service for something that nine times out of ten already has you a bit tweaked off. Now, while waiting patiently through a queue of recordings and lists and misdirection and bad music, you expect to be greeted by someone human, a person, a living being that can engage in conversation, no matter how primitive. But instead, all too often, we get this fake, robotic voice, programed to ask questions, pretend to understand your answer, than try to converse with you. AND THE WHOLE TIME WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A PERSON! Why do they do this to us? Do they really think that we don't know that this is not a real person? Is it just me, or do you feel silly talking to this automated voice? I hope it's not just me. Invariably, I find myself poking an angry finger at the Zero on the phone pad, begging, crying, pleading for a human voice to rescue me from this robotic one that is misunderstanding everything I am telling it. Please, customer service centers, get rid of this evil device and you will save the few remaining brown hairs on my head, as well as a handful of fast eroding brain cells.

Why Can't The Red Sox Win On The Road?

I haven't blogged about my favorite sports team in a long time. Sadly, I must report that the Sawks, as they call them back in New England, while owning the best home record in baseball, are dismal on the road, away from friendly Fenway Park. There are lots of theories, including travel, comfort, fatigue, fan support. All those contribute, I'm sure, but in baseball it often comes down to pitching. And on the road, the visiting team seems to blow out their bullpens more often than the home ball club. Or maybe their road uniforms fit funny. No matter the reason, they are not a lot of fun to watch while in their visiting grays.

That's all for now. I hope everyone has a stellar day.

Until next time...

peace,
Mike