Happiness
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Happiness is …
“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it.” ~Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love Sometimes we get lazy. We believe that happiness just happens if we’re lucky — or when it’s bestowed upon us. We might think that happiness is a reflection of good fortune that other people have. In today’s quote, Elizabeth Gilbert suggests that happiness is an active noun. She believes happiness is…
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Here and now
“I have lived large parts of my life in wonderful circumstances that I utterly failed to appreciate. Reasons to be happy were everywhere, but somehow I didn’t connect with them. It was as though I was eating but couldn’t taste the food. Finally, I’ve learned to celebrate the good while it’s happening.” ~Marianne Williamson The weather in northern Michigan was chilly and unpredictable while Doug and I were there last week. And just as we’ve learned to expect when we’re visiting off season in Glen Arbor, many of our favorite shops and restaurants were closed. Still, there’s something both restful and beautiful in the loneliness of our state’s northern landscape…
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Happiness and lower expectations
“There are two ways to be happy: Improve your reality or lower your expectations.” ~Jodi Picoult Have you ever expected more than someone else was able to give? Have you ever purchased something that didn’t turn out to be as cool as you’d thought it would be? Have you ever traveled to a place that was less amazing than others had described? As Anne Lamott wrote, “Expectations are resentments waiting to happen.” Truth is, we can’t always bend reality to meet all of our wants and needs. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep reaching for the best. But sometimes it means that we need to accept or appreciate what’s good enough — and…
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You are legendary
“Don’t be satisfied with stories, or how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.” ~Rumi In our celebrity driven culture, it’s easy to dismiss our own lives as unglamorous or uninteresting. But as the Sufi poet Rumi reminds us in today’s quote, comparing ourselves to others is a waste of precious time. And besides, do all those curated Instagram photos and People feature stories reveal the whole truth of “how things have gone” with others? So do yourself a favor today: Appreciate how far you’ve come. Think of all your gifts and advantages, no matter how small or large. After that, consider everything you’ve done to touch…
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Elements of surprise
“Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise.” ~Alice Walker Earlier this month, everyone in my part of Michigan was convinced that spring had arrived early. We were amazed at bright yellow daffodils and forsythia bushes blooming — so early in March! — and even spotted people wearing shorts and sandals outside. But the weather took another turn, and we awoke this morning to fresh snow blanketing the landscape. Today’s quote is from Alice Walker’s poem, “Expect Nothing.” In it, Walker reminds us that keeping our expectations in check is the key to staying happy or content. Life is bound to surprise us. Sometimes those surprises will delight and amaze us, and…
