World Party sings it

Listen here:

And if you listen now
You might hear
A new sound coming in
As an old one disappears
See the world in just one grain of sand
You better take a closer look
Don’t let it slip right thru your hand
Won’t you please hear the call
The world says

(CHORUS)

Put the message in the box
Put the box into the car
Drive the car around the world
Until you get heard

Now is the moment
Please understand
The road is wide open
To the heart of every man
A few simple words
So a mule could understand
He don’t want tomorrow
If it’s just crumbling into sand
Won’t you please hear the call
She says

(CHORUS)

Until you get heard
The world says
Give a little bit
Give a little bit of your love to me
Cos I’m waiting right here with my open arms
Give a little bit
Give a little bit of your soul to me
Cos I’m waiting to behold your many charms
Is that love in the air?
She says

CHORUS

Unwrap your message

This song was released almost 10 years ago and until about a week ago, I had never heard it.

After listening to this countless times, I could probably sing this song in my sleep now. It gets to me and it’s hard to explain how.

Maybe that’s a good thing. I know from my personal experience, when I CAN explain something I can easily forget it or take it for granted. I put my explanation in a box and store it away while I go in pursuit of the next question and answer adventure.

Perhaps that’s why I’ve listened to this song so many times. It’s the experience of the listening and not trying to figure out what it means that moves me. Just being with it and letting it sing to me. Letting it unfold.

When I listen to this song and sing the lyrics I feel that everything is okay just as it is. I visualize myself driving my car around the world with no worries about where I will sleep or where my next meal will come from.

I feel connected to that little girl who had just been laid into the back of the family station wagon at 5 am on a cold, foggy morning; ready to make the long drive with her sisters to the Canadian National Exhibition. Off on an adventure.

And what’s interesting about that when I reflect back on the memory; it is like there was nothing to put in the box. It was more about letting it all out of the box.

What are you taking out of your box for this coming year? I’m sure you’ve already packed a lot of goodies in there that you’ve forgotten about. What message do they have for you?

And if you listen now
You might hear
A new sound coming in
As an old one disappears…

Thank you for sharing YOUR messages over this past year. I’ve delighted in each and every comment.

Season’s Greetings to all of you and all the best for your upcoming year. Thank you for being YOU.

Photo Credit: Sarah G

Poetry in Motion

The treehouse
My treehouse is built in an apple tree.
Birds sit on the roof and sing in glee.
It is a happy place to be.
Sometimes I sit there for hours and hours,
Making a chain of daisy flowers.
When autumn comes the cold winds blow,
Telling me that they bring snow.
Then over the hayfields, home I run,
Through the daisies and the setting sun.
–Jan 27, 1976

This is a poem I wrote when I was 12 years old. I love that 12-year-old. She was a dreamy, imaginative little girl. And guess what? I still am. That part of me never grew up and I’m glad.

That dreamy place is home. The treehouse that I dream of is where I would sleep at night; where I could go for comfort when feeling lost or frustrated. It is where I can go when I feel happy too. It is always there. Sometimes though, I forget… until I see a sunset like you see in the picture above.

Sitting with possibilities

This picture takes me away. There is an incredible sense of movement in this sky — a surrender to connection. It makes me feel that when and where heaven and earth meet anything is possible. Anything.

I was out walking the other day and my mathematical brain kicked in — a rarity for me. I found myself pondering that where heaven and earth meet, is where we stand. And from the vantage point of where we are standing we are in the centre of a circle — always. Think about it. We are the seed.

The best part about believing that anything is possible, is not having to prove or understand any of it. Just sitting with the possibilities is enough for me. My imagination runs wild and I am quite happy to oblige.

That day I also found myself thinking that I don’t always have to have everything I dream about. What a relief. Dreams not tainted with expectation or possible disappointment.

With no attachment to the dream the possibilities expand the experience. The circle grows. I felt how this tempts us to wander outside of what we know and dream about what could be.

The dream continues to grow and evolve as we do… uncaptured. It’s like appreciating the rainbow without having to own it or control it. Just being with it while knowing that it is not forever. But also knowing that there will be another.

Some dreams I am content to hold in my imagination; to be content to just visit them… or let them visit me.

To build a treehouse and sleep in it overnight has been a dream of mine for over 30 years. I suspect that if I had built that treehouse over 30 years ago, I would have enjoyed it, yes. But that time would have passed. The tree house would have become weathered and after all this time it may no longer exist.

But living with the possibility of this dream still gives me the thrill I imagine I would have while climbing up that ladder for the first time. I can have this every time I think about it. It never grows old, like a poem… it is timeless. Telling a story, bringing light. Always with rhythm and in motion.

This concept excites me. What about you?

Is there a dream that you could have but are content to keep dreaming about?

Photo credit: Xanetia

Positively Present

Today, I’m happy to share a special guest blogger with you. This guest blogger is Positively Present and I mean that literally.

Many of you have been reading Dani’s blog for a while now, and I’m sure you will agree that her posts have a huge impact. She has a definite strength in getting an important message across. Powerful messages are sometimes hard to communicate. Dani does it with flair and uses one of my favourite processes — metaphors.

On one of her recent posts Find a Balance Between Having Hope and Living Now, Dani wrote:

“…we can steer our own ships. Knowing I can choose my path, making the decision to grab the wheel and steer, is in a way, hope personified. I am, in fact, taking my hope and steering it where I want it to go.”

Dani’s writing is magnetic and encourages thoughts to meander off in new directions. She opens doors and refurnishes those neural pathways. This girl has a gift. Her posts are packed with a healthy punch of positive presence! Enjoy.

The Shades of Happiness

Happiness is clearly a topic I like to think about a lot. I write about it nearly every day in some form on my blog. I contemplate it constantly in my daily activities, always looking for new sources of inspiration for myself and my readers. As the author of a blog focusing on positivity and living a happier life, I’ve done quite a bit of reading on happiness and I’ve discovered something very interesting amid all that I’ve observed.

There are many shades of happiness.

Happiness is not black or white. It’s not “I’m happy” or “I’m unhappy.” Happiness, in my opinion, is one of those things that can fall anywhere from the deepest happiness and inner peace to the slight increase of happiness when one looks at a pleasant image. There are so many kinds of happiness that it’s almost overwhelming to think about.

I’ve recently found myself very interested in Positive Psychology. In looking into the subject, I came across three distinct types of happiness, each representing different types of life. Personally I believe that individuals can embody all three of these types of happiness or they can possess different shades of each, blending together into a colorful life of peace and well-being. I’m going to outline these three types of happiness here and explore them a bit by adding my own insights.

Three Shades of Happiness

1. Pleasant Life: A pleasant life consists of having as much pleasure as you can, as many of the positive emotions, and learning some of the dozen or so techniques that actually work for increasing the duration and intensity of your pleasures. There are shortcuts to the pleasures. You can go shopping; you can watch television; you can take drugs. These things do not lead to true happiness.

While I do agree that instant gratification and seeking pleasure from outside sources will not bring about lasting happiness, I do think that some degree of pleasure in life is a good thing. As with everything, the pleasant life should be lived in moderation, making sure that pleasures are not substitutes for real, true joy. It is important to balance a pleasant life with the other shades of happiness. When it comes to living a pleasant life, remember to moderate yourself and not allow physical pleasures to dominate your world.

2. Engaged Life: An engaged life is being one with the music, being totally wrapped up in the people you love or what you’re hearing. There are no shortcuts to the engaged life. The engaged life can only be had by first knowing what your highest strengths are, your signature strengths, and re-crafting your life to use them at work, in love, in leisure, in parenting and in friendship.

Clearly, it is very important to live an engaged life. Not only will those around you benefit from your engaged living style, but you will receive many benefits as well. When you are completely wrapped up in what’s going on around you, when you are living in the moment, you are truly living a full life. Personally, when I feel down, the first thing I want to do is disengage myself from my life and from those who love and support me. But this is the wrong action to take. No matter what, stay engaged in your life. You will ultimately find more happiness this way.

3. Meaningful Life: A meaningful life consists of again knowing what your highest strengths and talents are and using them in the service of something that you believe is bigger than you are.

Living a meaningful life is so, so important. When you are living without purpose, it is difficult to know true happiness. You feel as if you’re floating, unsure of where you’re supposed to be or what direction you are going in. This is not a good feeling and it often causes a great deal of unhappiness. Taking your strengths and using them to benefit other people is one of the greatest things you can do – and this is something we can all do. Everyone has unique strengths. Think about what yours are and how you can use them to make the lives of others better. In the process, you’ll make your life better too!

As I’m sure you know there are many, many layers to happiness. These are only three types of happiness out of the many types I believe you can experience. I hope you can see how these three shades of happiness can blend together to create a happier existence. Each of us has the power to choose what shades of happiness we want to use to create the color of who we are. At times this can seem overwhelming, but it is truly wonderful that happiness comes in so many amazing, inspiring shades.

Information for this post came from an article written by Dr. Martin Seligman “The Three Types of Happiness.” You can find more information about authentic happiness and positive psychology by visiting www.authentichappiness.org.

Dani and I want to know what shades of happiness you see in your own life?

Photo Credit: Sabrina Campagna

Looking for happiness

Let’s play a game shall we? Grab a pen and a piece of paper.

In this first section I’m going to ask you six questions and I want you to answer honestly. Keep your answers to yourself, and if you feel like sharing in the comment section, please go ahead.

Don’t think too hard about the answers. Just write down what first comes to mind. If you are thinking for more than a minute on one, move to the next question and then return when you are finished. Most importantly, be honest and have fun!

Let’s get started.

1. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the ideal), how happy are you?

If you have answered 10 then good for you! All you 10s… take a minute to jot down the reasons you have to be happy. What would your life be like without these things?

If your answer was anything less than 10, please continue answering the questions.

2. What is the one thing that is missing that would make all the difference in your happiness?

3. What would your life be like if that happened?

4. What is the one thing you can do that will bring this into your life?

5. What would you have to let go of to have the life you want?

6. What story are you making up that is preventing you from achieving this happiness?

Ok, we’re finished with this step. What did you learn?

Do you see the possibilities you can create for yourself? When will you achieve this? Today? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Next year?

But wait. I have one last question…

Why are you choosing to delay joy?

Happiness and you

I’m pretty sure most of us at one time or another have thought we couldn’t be happy until we get what we want. “I’ll be happy when…”

Perhaps we’ve succeeded and believe we have everything we could ever dream of having, but we’re afraid of losing it because it defines us. What happens when we get it and realize it wasn’t what we thought it would be, or there is still something missing?

Happiness comes with so many conditions doesn’t it?

Those of you who rated your happiness as a 10 and listed the reasons why, could you imagine your life without these things? How much did your happiness depend on them?

How to switch on happiness

I’ll keep this short and sweet.

Happiness IS sweet — like the icing on a cake.

How many cakes can you ice today? How many places or people can you find to add happiness to?

Rather than take it out of life, put it into life.

What colour is your icing? What flavour? Can you just taste it now?

Photo credit: Code Poet & AMagill

Designing fulfillment

What would make you cry with tears of joy if you had it? Do you even dare ask for it? Does it seem too far out of reach? Perhaps you’re convinced that it will never happen.

And just so we’re all on the same page, I’m not talking about winning the lottery.

I’m talking about the life you dream of – what you long for whether you believe it is possible or not. And if your life is already your dream come true, how much bigger could it be?

If you were living that life what would you be doing? Who would you be with? Where would you be?

And most importantly, how would you be feeling while you were living that life? That is the key, more than the dream itself.

Dare to dream

Okay, I’ll play first. What would I be doing if my life were the way I wanted it to be? What would that picture look like? (See above photo.)

I would wake in the early morning hours to bright rays of sunshine streaming through the window. I would stroll outside to the third-story deck and sip my coffee while gazing at the beautiful view overlooking the shores of the Pacific Coast – miles of trees, mountains and ocean.

Wind chimes would play soothing melodies in the breeze. Birds would play in the nearby feeder. My cat would be curled up in a corner, oblivious to the birds, waiting for the next adventure to wake him from his slumber.

I’d see my husband in the distance, off for his morning jog along one of the trails. He is a handsome, rugged, woodsman type kinda guy. I am grateful for his companionship and we are blessed with a harmonious marriage.

We designed and built this modern-style log cabin and it rests in this remote, private location. This spot on the upper deck is my favourite. I spend hours here writing, relaxing, doing yoga and enjoying the view.

I am an award-winning writer and one of the most sought after life coaches around. Business and life are balanced in such a way that my husband and I are able to travel extensively and spend quality time together hiking, camping, and mountain biking.

When my husband is not out working as a freelance photographer or working on his next painting, he is in the kitchen cooking up tasty recipes that would give any professional chef a run for their money.

When I am not working with my clients or writing, I enjoy playing the clarinet, taking dance classes, and spending afternoons out with friends sipping specialty coffee and enjoying good conversation. Tending our bountiful vegetable and herb garden occupies the rest of my time.

I am at peace with myself and my life, healthy and happy. Our home nurtures us and all whom we invite in. We are filled with gratitude at the rewards and prosperity we have been blessed with.

Fulfillment is realized

When I sit with this visualization I feel complete. Insanely complete! While in this state there is no fear and no expectation. This feeling is timeless and alive whether the dream has manifested or not – it is the essence of fulfillment.

I have written this passage twice and although the ingredients change slightly over time, what hasn’t changed is the end result. Feeling complete.

Without fear of loss, disappointment or expectations colouring our dreams, they come alive in other ways. Imagine cultivating this feeling every day instead of waiting for it to happen someday, or waiting for the perfect life to define it.

What we do is shaped by what we feel. This feeling, this essence of fulfillment can colour everything you do and empower the choices you make. Imagine how differently you would make choices in your life, and how differently you would treat people. How differently you would treat yourself!

How are you living fulfillment in your everyday life?

What would your story be if you were to write it today?

Photo credit: Greenbroke

A simple dialogue with the Self

Once upon a time, not long ago, I woke up in a miserable mood. I was OFF. The reflection in the mirror glared back at me while I brushed my teeth. Brushing teeth — how boring. Another bad hair day too. And is that a new pimple? Arghhh!

Not having a shower today. Someone’s bound to flush the toilet as soon as I soap up. Another stony glance in the mirror to confirm that new pimple. It’s a beauty!

What a rotten mood I was in — I hated myself for it. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get past it. On some level, I didn’t want to. And, I kept looking for reasons to make myself feel worse. I knew I wasn’t going to get anything accomplished if this kept up. Ever have that happen?

While running errands I avoided eye contact with strangers and hoped I wouldn’t see anyone I knew. Have you ever been in this kind of mood and had someone look at you and say “smile”? How did that make you feel?

While running those errands, I struck up a defiant conversation in my mind with an imaginary stranger. “Smile,” said the stranger as I stole past him with my head down.

My silent conversation continued. “Why should I smile? I don’t feel like it!”

“Why not smile?”

“Because,” I answered to myself, “I just don’t FEEL like it.” The defiance was raging hot.

“But what would happen IF you smiled?” I asked.

And so, my Self imagined what WOULD happen if I smiled.

My mood shifted immediately as I imagined a smile. I wasn’t smiling, but I certainly remembered what it felt like.

I lifted my head. My step quickened and then… I smiled! I was back.

There is a positive use for your inner critic

Purely by accident, I had flicked the ON switch.

If you are reading this because you are hoping to find the secret to a positive and effective attitude you might find it. Or, you might not.

It can be as easy or as difficult as you make it. If you choose to sit with a rotten attitude, you are choosing the company of your inner critic. The two of you can brainstorm about how many reasons you can come up with to feel this way.

However, a rotten attitude can be used as an opportunity to flick the ON switch. Use your inner critic as a sounding board and move past thinking errors.

It’s powerful to focus on how you want to be, instead of how you don’t want to be. What story are you choosing to listen to? What movie are you playing in your mind? What do you believe? What do you want to believe?

It starts with a feeling and by asking simple, but powerful questions.

Put these questions on your shopping list:

“How else could this go?”

“How else could I feel?”

“How would it feel if this were going the way I wanted?”

“What kind of person do I see myself becoming to attract this in my life?”

“What things do I already know about myself that can help me?”

“What do I remember has worked for me before?”

“Who can I ask for help?”

I’m not saying that you will always get what you want, or get it faster.

What I am saying is instead of shopping for more reasons to feel unsatisfied or to validate what isn’t working, you will be shopping for more opportunities and more of what you do want. You won’t be looking at your feet — your head will be up.

To me this is what putting your best foot forward means: stepping forward and focusing on your strengths and what you appreciate. By letting go of the rest, it will simply be left behind you.

On every trail of success you leave behind more than just footprints — you leave your inner critic. He can only follow in your footsteps and because his head is down, he can never lead the way.

Take a look in the mirror now. In what direction are you headed?

And on that note, speaking of choosing a path… I’d like to feature one more submission to The Quote Effect. If you want to submit a quote to this ebook, time is running out. Saturday, January 31 is the last day for submissions.

This quote is from Sara Healy.

“There will always be people traveling ahead of me and always people traveling behind me.  My lesson is to learn to follow my own path.”

Photo: My Shadow, traced — Mesaj