Happiness.

February

2011-02-27T08:30:00.001-05:00

What did I enjoy about this month? The snow, the winter beauty of where I live. It's all white. Taking long walks surrounded by a white covered landscape with bare trees, a blue sky and dry, warm feet. Seeing my breath in the air, then after 30 minutes, having to take off my hat because I'm so warm. The temperature has been in the 20s and when it gets into the low 30 degrees farenheit, it feels like a heat wave. It's quiet in the winter. I also enjoyed helping people at work.

I'm an introvert. I enjoy the peace and contentment that descends on me when I find myself alone. I work in a large company and am surprised sometimes by how much one can do to help others. One need not go to an impoverished country to help humanity. There are heroes all around us striving to let their spirit come out, to be courageous, to be buttressed by encouragement that it's okay to be unique. People in the United States shine so much just from a small amount of appreciation, whether from a smile, encouraging words, a raise, or a promotion. Anything one can do to help people have the courage to be their better, unique self is a blessing on us all. They will then be a little bit kinder themselves, to their children, their partners, the person in front of them in the checkout line.

Kindness begets kindness.

Love

2011-01-24T20:24:00.002-05:00

I think it's important to learn how to love oneself, to be able to be complete and happy and whole without requiring someone else to love one. Only by being strong and complete, can we not enter a relationship full of neediness - that leads to disappointment. Of course we'll be disappointed. Who can better love oneself than ourselves? We know what we want. We can't expect other people to be mind readers or robots, doing everything exactly the way we want to - only we can do that. I think relationships are best entered with the Question - What can I give the other person, expecting nothing in return, rather than the question, What do I want from the other person? To be able to love someone else, we first need to be able to be whole ourselves. Sometimes, we can't love someone else. We're too needy. We expect the other person to fulfill us. This isn't love. It's selfishness. Only if you find a person, you only want to give to without asking for anything in return - is one strong and mature enough to call it love. Think of a mother with a child or a carer of a pet. We don't ask the baby or the puppy for a list of things, requirements. We simply want to do all we can to make them happy. That's love.

January

2011-01-13T16:40:00.000-05:00

I love my house. In the winter afternoon, I have a large picture window from floor to ceiling that overlooks a lawn and then trees for as far as the eye can see. The forest floor is covered in snow, the tree limbs are bare of leaves and right before sunset at 4:30, the tree line glows pink, white against a fluffy blue sky. I can spend hours on my couch looking at this view. The light, the snow, the trees, the sky - I feel like a snug squirrel, warm and surrounded by beauty.

December

2011-01-09T08:56:00.001-05:00

What do I love about December?
- The beautiful, pure winter crystal light that comes only in the Winter.
- The forest, with its bare trees and the floor covered with crisp, bright, golden, crunchy leaves.
- A layer of snow on all the tree limbs, silently stunning.
- Time, time, time to do whatever you want to. Work is winding down, winter trips haven't started yet. Days to just play.
- Florida in December - 70F, walks by the beach in shorts and t shirts. Cuban, vietnamese food. Sunsets, warm breezes off of the ocean. Watching dolophins along the shore.
- Books.
1.Tony Blair's - A Journey.
2.Daniel Amen's - Change Your Brain, Change your body.
3.Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche - The Joy of Living
4.Daniel Goleman - Emotional Intelligence

(2-4) above have really increased my internal sense of well being and happiness. If you read them as a result of my blog, they're my Christmas present to you. Happy New Year all.

Pets

2010-11-09T20:28:00.000-05:00

I have a pet, a beautiful, warm, furry, tailed adorable, 4 legged fuzz ball. He is warm, spirited, handsome, super cute, winsome, elegant and the best little being on this planet. He curls up next to me in the evenings. In the morning, he comes up to me and closes his eyes as I scratch and pet him. He radiates health, happiness and super abundunt joy. He makes me a better person. He expands my heart.

Friends

2010-11-07T06:59:00.001-05:00

I talked to a friend last week. Just being with people who are concerned about you and have good advice is very restorative. Be with people, you not only admire, but also only wish for good things for you. It shines through.

Sunday

2010-10-31T20:10:00.000-04:00

A perfect day today. I spent the morning in the forest with my dear companion and pet. He is so happy frolicking in the woods. He climbs trees, rubs against my legs, smiles at me. His smile is a caress from the sun. We came back and all of us went back to bed, to cuddle together and read the Sunday papers. Perfect, with the sun streaming in and so warm, under the covers.

We went out for lunch. I indulged myself: pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, a large pitcher of my favorite caffeine free tea. Again, a booth with the sun streaming in. Afterwards, a walk in the woods with my best friend, overlooking the Croton Reservoir. Stunning.

Back home for tea and a slice of custard pie. Yummy! Custard pie in October, perfect! More Sunday papers and then house cleaning, dinner and an hour at the piano.

What a wonderful Sunday - music, nature, pets, friends, comfort food and perfect tea. A blessing to all out there.

Some wonderful walks in New York

2010-10-31T20:01:00.002-04:00

www.wonderfulwalks.blogspot.com

What I am grateful for

2010-10-09T09:38:00.000-04:00

A beautiful home and neighborhood
Health
Independence
My closest friends
Strength of mind, spirit and body
The gift of each day

Nature and Exercise

2010-10-07T16:46:00.001-04:00

A beautiful day today. Sunny. Leaves are green and slowly becoming yellow. Golden, gentle sunshine. Went walking for an hour today and it was glorious, just experiencing this perfect temperature, sun, sidewalks, trees and people that were likewise enjoying this fine weather. Gratitude for health and sunshine.

6b) Developing our Talents

2010-09-16T06:49:00.000-04:00

Top 10 list of a University Campus:
1) Diversity of new subjects to learn
2) Diversity of people
3) Hope, anticipation, excitement walking around campus in the middle of people who believe they have an exciting future ahead of them
4) The beauty and architecture of the buildings
5) The greenery, flowers and walks of the campus
6) Unbounded enthusiasm
7) Unbounded potential
8) The energy that one feels vibrating on a campus
9) Youth in mind, spirit ultimately making one physically young as well
10) For all ages.

This doesn't have to be only on a University campus, it can be anywhere. One can start the seed oneself, no matter where you are, by being yourself, by being playful, by dressing not to conform but to emphasize what you think is an expression of yourself. Break the binds one has on oneself mentally. Pretend you're back in school.

6b) Developing our Talents

2010-09-14T07:23:00.000-04:00

Back to school. Back to work. September, the summer is winding down. The weather is still fine. The sun still glows and the temperatures are still warm, but the endless days of summer are over. But why should it be psychologically? Each day is a new beginning, filled with possibilities. Learn a new language - pourquoi pas? 为什么不呢？Why not? List all the things you ever wanted to do and start today by going down the list. My list:

- Travel (have been doing that throughout the year), but let's start making a list of new places.
- Be fluent in 4 different languages. 让我们开始. Commençons. Lassen sie uns beginnen. Let's start.
- Write and share. Help others.

2) Pets

2010-09-12T09:55:00.001-04:00

One of my best friends. Our dictionary uses the term 'pet,' but really he is a Shaman, a companion, a Blessing. We go on long walks. He talks to me with his eyes, his voice, his paws. One look from him is a volume of Victor Hugo or Leo Tolstoy at their most eloquent. His liquid dark eyes, instantly fills with love, worry, happiness, concern. I've been chosen for a short time to take care of him, to watch over him..... as he watches over me, cares for and repairs my soul daily. Each day I wake up and he delights in our day together, I want to be worthy of having him in my life. I thought I knew what love was before, but really there is a dimension that only people who have furry companions know what I mean. God's creatures.

4) Special Places - Montana and Wyoming - wow!

2010-09-11T07:29:00.001-04:00

We just came back from Yellowstone. Outstanding! On the way back, the National Gallatin Forest in Montana: Rugged, wild scenery with snow capped mountains. There is nothing like mountains, meadows canyons and vistas of wild scenery to make the heart soar and spirit expand. Once you're on the trails, away from cars, roads, houses with only the cool morning air to breathe and thousands of feet below you, walking along ridges, sitting on rocks or tree limbs with no one around you, one feels this was meant to be; what a great event to be born and living in such surroundings. Montana and Wyoming makes one feel grander, bolder, more courageous because the sky is so big, the mountains so expansive, the vistas so much bolder. Take heart, one can do anything. How lucky we are to have land set aside to walk through.

6) One's own discovery of one's self.

2010-09-11T07:28:00.001-04:00

I like the quiet of a summer morning when no one is awake yet and I have just my own thoughts to revel in. A secret happiness that is always with me, that comes from inside. It's always there when it's quiet and peaceful. A simile would be spring green leaves in the sunshine in the stillness of a forest. A queit mind.

4) Special Places - Affordable waterside escapes

2010-09-11T07:27:00.001-04:00

Just came back from Door county, Wisconsin. What a beautiful, unspoiled, uncrowded, very affordable vacation place. It has beautiful beaches, private coves, shaded hiking trails with expansive water views. The people are wonderful. The food, accomodations very clean and a great value. The many towns along the coast are simple, artistic, no traffic lights. Untrammelled, a great place to go away and share with friends. A beautiful place to walk, talk and look into each other's eyes and delight in each other's happiness with nature, water and trees. Perfect.

1) Nature

2010-08-22T14:05:00.000-04:00

Saturday. A day for anything. Discovering oneself. Being active. Today we tried a new restaurant. Quiet, clean, food was okay. But the best part was the sun coming in through the windows. Afterwards, we went for a walk on a bike path. We were covered by shady trees on both sides. We walked for two hours. The trees were breathing their cool mist on us. Elegant!

6a) Discovering what we delight in

2010-08-14T08:34:00.000-04:00

Another week has gone by. A week at home and at work. What a beautiful place I live in and commute to work to. My office is replendent; spacious, with windows, a sofa, clean and spartan. I recently moved in and threw away decades of papers, books, paraphernalia I don't need anymore. I like getting rid of things, paring my life down to essentials. I love beauty and art but do not want to own them, although I would like to be surrounded by them so they can also be shared by others.

I like cities; Boston, New York, Toronto, Montreal, San Francisco, etc, because one turns a corner and there's a quiet spot with fountains, statues, flowers and trees. One wanders down a street and there are incredible buildings made from stone, inlaid with marble, old houses with red brick and the finest small details from the 17 or 1800s. People in a city have such vibrancy. Women walk with such confidence, wearing dresses and outfits that assert their beauty and their right to dominate their lives.

Outside of cities, there is nature and quiet and peace and cleanliness, but less people. It would be perfect to find a place that has both.

4) Special Places

2010-08-07T09:59:00.000-04:00

Home - what I like:

The Quietness
Spareness of furnishings
My family
My pets
The greenness outside
Every window, door open so that there is the barest of barriers between inside and outside
Everything I like to eat just steps away whenever I want it
Hardwood, polished, gleaming floors
A small cottage
The sound of cicadas and the wind through the trees.

5) Time Alone to explore the world

2010-08-06T15:22:00.000-04:00

Just back from Boston. My top ten list:

The Freedom Trail
Beacon Hill
Watching sail boats on the Charles River from the Esplanade
Marlborough Street in Back Bay
MIT Museum and walking through MIT's buildings
My room which had a magnficent view of the Charles River
Faneuil Hall
Winsor Dim Sum in Chinatown
Boston Public Library
Time to just wander all day, sit in the shade when you're tired and feel wonderful.

Beginnings

2010-08-06T11:42:00.000-04:00

This is a blog to celebrate life. There are so many good things in this world;

Nature
Pets
Friends
Special Places
Time Alone to Explore the World
One's own discovery of oneself

6a) Discovering what we delight in
6b) Developing our talents

Post what you last enjoyed. Let's share the world together!