I like the ideas she discusses:  Being present, even when your heart is crumbling. Resourcing, being able to draw on something larger than yourself (myself) to be nurtured, soothed. Lastly, declaring your own pattern for the week.  So, how about it?  Read her blog and let me know, what pattern can you lovingly notice about yourself?

The pattern I will lovingly (that’s the key) notice this week is the brain-swarm I get into,  (just imagine bees in your brain)…and when I notice the sound that resembles a giant hive, I’ll focus on my breathing.

Namaste’

Flo

One woman was making wild arching movements with her right arm.  A huge grin on her face, she was trying to get the attention of her husband and teenage son.  The son noticed, but in typical teenage style, said nothing.  She approached her husband from behind and startled him.  He blushed,  so happy to see her.  The teenager smiled wide as he hugged his mother.

Another woman was squatted down by the escalator (just a bit unusual for an airport).  A second later I heard “Mommy, Mommy” as a small blonde girl vaulted herself into her mother’s arms, followed by her equally tiny sister and a slightly harrassed father.  Their laughter was infectious.

In the next minute Kay start motioning to me.  Left?  Right?  I point right and we gallop  to meet, not having seen each other in over a year.  I love reunions.  The aniticipation, the emotions, the joy and laughter.

Namaste’

Flo

Here’s a reminder: Futureme.org allows you to send an email to yourself, at a specific time in the future.  Tonight I wrote about Homer, Wally and Abby – just to remind me of what I am doing right-this-moment.  Sometimes, I forget to be in-the-moment and tonight I want to remember this feeling.

Namaste’

On such a momentus occasion, it was funny to watch the children – the parents were attentive and solemn, listening to the judge.  They agreed this is what they have always wanted and answered questions such as “what do you do for fun?” and “what do they like to eat?”.  At the beginning, the children sat on their parents’ laps, listening and participating as best they could.  Quite soon, the children were climbing under the bench to the bench behind them to join the other children.  The bench seemed alive with moving children – back and forth, up and down (benches are great for sliding, you know!)

The air itself seemed to vibrate with applause and laughter, hugs and happiness.  The parents feel blessed and the village found such joy in participating in the celebration of love.

Among others, Safer interviews Tal Ben-Shahar, who teaches Positive Psychology – the Science of Happiness at Harvard University about this study and about how American’s view happiness.

A 2006 NPR article also interviewed Ben-Shahar, who lists his six tips for happiness.  Although in the article his best advice is #4, it would do us all some good to consider this list, and figure out how we’d like to implement it daily.

 Flo

It’s such a funny thing to do.  Having never done this before, I want to do it again – like when you turn in a circle, round and round, until you’re dizzy and fall down, only to jump up and do it again and again.   I want to wake up because I’ve laughed so hard in my dream that I’m laughing for real.  In the dream, I had the giggles and couldn’t quit laughing.  I had already wakened two other times and this time, I just lay there, really appreciating I could wake up this way.

This is what really mattered in my day.  Not the laundry, the conference registration, the vacuuming or the research on HP portable printers – what really mattered, was the fresh air and feeling those little donkey lips (are they called “lips” on a donkey?) touching my palm as she nuzzled around for bits of apple.

Where would I rather be?  Kailua sounds rather nice right this moment.  It’s 4:30 there, a good time to jump in the green kayak and paddle out to Flat Island where the kayak is banked on a little sandbar and most of this tiny island is a sanctuary for Shearwater birds. http://www.pbase.com/afrogie/image/84317480  As you walk around the island (at a slow pace it takes 15 minutes), you might notice eggs laying on the ground cover and shrubbery or see birds dive bombing and disappearing into holes in the rocks.  Depending on the tide, you may be able to dig in the little sand pit or watch the waves crash into the natural arch – a small arch, quite excellent for those younger that 5 or adults who want to sit and watch.  Through the arch, when the waves receed you could glimpse a surfer or longboarder, enjoying the waves created off this small islan,. while the sun feels warm on your back.

Yes, sometimes I go there in my mind.

The rain smells like it cleans the earth – waters the flowers and the vegetable garden, that is giving an overabundance of vegetables at the moment.  In my mind, I see myself walking the neighborhood this weekend, trying to pawn off, blatantly hand out the vegetables to strangers so they don’t go to waste.  I could set up a card table and cardboard sign at the end of the driveway, like an old fashioned lemonade stand.  I’m a sucker for lemonade stands – giving my money away for a watered-down version of something that tastes faintly of lemon and sugar, mostly of just water.  I support the concepts of children earning and managing money; of having something to drink when I walked the gardens of Fort Collins earlier this summer.  It’s a throw-back to the 60s and 70s and reminds me of old Kool-aid commercials.  I was the kid who mailed in kool-aid packages for my free backpack and canteen!

The German work selig can mean both “ecstatic” or “blessed”.  It implies that profound bliss can be a devine gift; that deep pleasure may generate or come from spiritual inspiration.  The English language doesn’t have a term comparable to selig, maybe because our culture regards ecstasy with suspicion.  Religious people tend to believe that the blessed are those who are good and kind, certainly not those who are skilled at cultivating esctatic states.  People who worship rationality, on the other hand, like intellectuals and scientists, often think of ecstacy as at best an irrelevant state, and at worst a nonproductive or deluded indulgence.  Personally, I’m in alignment with the values embodied by the word selig.  It happens to be your specialty this week.

May your day be ecstatic or blessed or, in the best case, both!