No, I’m not a grizzled old wise man. Or an enigma like Yoda. Lately, I’ve been hearing mentions of being happy. But no one seems to be sure how to accomplish that.
I don’t promise to provide all the wisest answers in the universe, but I can offer insights.
First, don’t be rigid about what you must accomplish and how you’ll get there. Try fresh approaches. Even babies adapt to get their needs met. If they want to be fed and find their parent responds better to smiles, they are likely to smile more.
Define “Happiness.” It can be a strictly personal goal, definition, or yearning. Don’t low-ball your aspirations and settle for something small, but don’t make your aspirations seem insurmountable. It relates to the old joke, “How do you eat an elephant?” (Apologies to animal lovers.) The answer: one bite at a time.
When I was a kid, before I was old enough to take a summer job, happiness was finding a book to curl up with. Reading for hours was a joy! One book I read was called Blue Willow, about a migrant family and their daughter, whose one treasured possession was a plate with a blue willow on it. Keeping it intact and seeing the plate gave the girl great satisfaction. It represented home to her, where life was stable and her family didn’t need to move constantly. I admit it. The book made me cry. Perhaps it was the beginning of my having a social conscience.
Material things have never been a major goal for me, so some things I cherished most were those that were handmade or allowed me to be creative. I loved the mittens that my mom knitted for me that looked like the dragon puppet Ollie, from a TV show. When I lost one mitten on the playground, I was in tears. Then, someone found it, and returned it to me. I knew what happiness was. I remember feeling so happy that I had my mitten again. Large joys from what people would say is a small thing.
These days, happiness for me is writing my books and learning how much people have enjoyed reading them. The ideas come from inspirations and the people I create aren’t anyone I know. But they seem real to me.
Happiness. I still haven’t defined it. Sorry! Receiving pleasure from achieving something and sharing it with others provides me with pleasure. That’s the nearest I come to explaining happiness. I never know when that will happen, but it adds to the joy with unexpected happiness at random times.
Maybe this isn’t leading to world peace, but it may be a way to lead to happiness on a broader scale.
I wish you happiness−be it love expressed or implied, or recognition for good things accomplished for yourself and others. Take the joy and pass it on!
Have a happy day!
Warmest regards,
Shelley Sommers
Author and happy person (most of the time)
Louisa’s channeler
Shelley@ShelleySommers.com
Shelleysommers.com
PS More stories to be told soon in A Vision of Home, with Will and Louisa seeking happiness.
Now in final edits. Out before the December holidays! Have you read Louisa’s Passion and Will’s Secret?
Find out what happens next with Louisa and Will. I’ll let you know when the book is ready to launch and show you a cover reveal!