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Category Archives: Happiness
Feb 28 2012

My Happiness Commandments

by Holly

I’m a champion list-maker. I find the process of writing something down, doing it, and checking it off so incredibly satisfying. What I don’t enjoy, however, is that for every item I complete, three more seem to take its place. And there are only so many hours in a day. And I’m just one person. And . . . and . . . well, all that doing gets exhausting.

Ironically, for a good two-plus years, my someday-maybe list has included “draft my own happiness commandments, a la Gretchen Rubin.” (It’s amazing how many fun, meaningful things on the someday-maybe list get brushed aside in favor of practical, boring things–like laundry and taxes–isn’t it?)

Fast forward to today: I finally made the time to create my happiness commandments list. What I love most about this exercise is that there isn’t a single task in sight. Everything on the happiness commandments list is meant to stay on this list. To-bes, not to-dos. And while I do love drawing a line through all those completed tasks, I’m quite alright with letting these 12 items stand.

So, without further ado . . . my list.

  1. Everything counts.
  2. You don’t have to. You get to.
  3. Invest in love–and invest in life. (And vice versa.)
  4. Quality not quantity.
  5. Great–not just good.
  6. Avoid crinkly things.
  7. Just do it.
  8. No apologies, no regrets.
  9. Rest your head.
  10. Everything is a miracle.
  11. Flap your wings.
  12. Foresake comparison.

Like Lucy, there’s some ‘splainin to do on each of these. But for now, I can say that I’ve written my happinesss commandments–and cross that off of my to-do list.

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©2012 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because making lists–on heavy weight, wide-ruled paper with a fine point Sharpie pen (preferably blue)–makes me happy. (Photo by donireewalker via Creative Commons.)

 

 

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Jan 2 2010

On New Year’s Resolutions and the Soul of 9

by Holly

lotus blossom

I’ve always loved the new year and its promise of a fresh start. Ironically though, I’ve been making the same resolutions for the better of 20 years now. Eat more vegetables. Watch less TV and read more books. Get more exercise and more sleep. Write more and submit my work for publication. 

I’d outline grand and precise plans in these areas, all designed to help me succeed. And then, when I’d get the slightest bit off track, I’d cast that goal aside and move on to something I could accomplish. Like watching every episode of House Hunters and What Not to Wear or walking to get a vanilla soft-serve cone with rainbow sprinkles on top for dinner.

I’m not lazy–nor am I a slacker. But I’ve always had trouble sticking with things. Even things that I enjoy. Turns out, it’s my Soul of 9 that’s holding me back.

Let me back up a bit: A few weeks ago, my kundalini yoga teacher was talking about the 10 bodies–a way of understanding and restoring balance in your life. Tantric numerology offers a window into our own bodies. Ever the curious one, I went online, entered my birthdate, and out popped my tantric reading.

My soul number–which identifies what’s at the core of my consciousness–is a 9. It says that I’m very hard on myself (yep) and that I have a tendency to give up on things after a short period of time rather than sticking with them and mastering them (yep). It goes on to explain that, “without mastery, life is a mystery” to me and that “my joy in life will come from mastering things.” On the one hand, I feel like this is just generic enough to apply to most all of us; but I have enough experiential evidence to know that my internal critic is snarkier than most.

So, how can I overcome this? The numerology report recommended a 1,000-day meditation. Just seeing the words “1,000 day” made me want to reach for the remote and flip on HGTV. But the perfectionist in me isn’t willing to give up quite that easily this time.

After years and years of resolving to do all of these lofty and ambitious things and only making marginal success, I’ve decided to change my approach. In the spirit of Christine Kane’s Resolution Revolution, my goal for 2010 is simply to finish.

Finish. That’s it. Just one word. The goal being to infuse anything and everything that I aspire to with this intention. Those unread and partly read books on my shelves? Finish. My to-be-written essay ideas? Finish. My desire to eat vegan for two meals each day? Finish. My plans to run a 5k? Finish. You get the picture.

With just one word to aspire to, there’s no room for drama, backstory, or excuses. Just do it.

“Don’t fear the long road.”
                                                                                             –Michael Franti, Never Too Late

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© 2010 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because less is more–especially when it comes to
setting a clear New Year’s resolution. (Photo by Flowery L*u*z*a* via Creative Commons.)

Categories: Good Ideas, Happiness, Quotations | 2 Comments »

Dec 10 2009

All the Details

by Holly

snowflakes

It has been a week of simple pleasures–the type of things that, all too often, I take for granted. Such as . . .

  • Marveling at the clean blanket(s) of snow
  • Accompanying Inky on his Caring Canines visit
  • Buying holiday presents for a child whom I’ve never meet
  • Enjoying the glow of my beautiful Christmas tree
  • Cozying up on the couch with a loved one (pups nearby)
  • Making breakfast for dinner (accompanied by a glass of malbec)
  • Devouring my homemade calzone (even better the next day)
  • Rearranging my end tables
  • Adding 2010 plans to my cute new agenda book
  • Accomplishing a big professional goal at work
  • Fortifying myself with fresh-squeezed orange juice
  • Savoring a bowl of tomato soup with parmesan croutons on a cold winter’s night
  • Receiving my first holiday card of the season
  • Discovering a new (to me) musical group: the Vitamin String Quartet
  • Making yoga + brunch plans with a good friend
  • Attending my first kundalini yoga class with the gong
  • Staying healthy (knock on wood and take my vitamins)
  • Laughing together (oh, hello ab muscles)

How about you? What are some of the little pleasures that you’ve been taking for granted?

“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of
daily life.”
                                                                                                                    –William Morris

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© 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because everyday things can be pretty special, too.

Categories: Gratitude, Happiness, Quotations | 2 Comments »

Nov 25 2009

Walking in the Air

by Holly

snowman

Noah Biorkman is a 5-year-old boy from Michigan who was diagnosed with Stage IV neuroblastoma more than two years ago. He passed away on Monday.

When it became clear to Noah’s mother Diana that her son would probably not be here to celebrate his favorite holiday on December 25, the family moved up its festivities to November 8. As part of that celebration, Noah’s mother posted a request online for folks to send Christmas cards to her little boy. The request quickly circulated the Internet; caught  the attention of local, national, and international media; and tugged at the heartstrings of many. So much so that Noah received more than one million Christmas cards at his home. One of which was from me.

I sent Noah my last Raymond Briggs‘ Snowman card, which I’ve been hanging on to for years. For anyone who’s not familiar with the story, it’s about a young boy who builds a snowman in his front yard and, in the late-night hours, it comes to life. The boy introduces the snowman to his world–shiny ornaments on the tree, the fruit bowl in the kitchen, roller skates, and dress-up clothes–and the snowman introduces the boy to his world which includes a magical, soaring flight over the forest, ocean, and Northern Lights–all the way to the North Pole. It’s a dream-come-true sort of event that comes to an end all too soon for the boy. All that’s left is a fond memory and a tangible reminder that our time together is not infinite.

It’s a beautiful story–perhaps the most somber children’s Christmas story I’ve encountered–but when I read about Noah’s mother’s plea and her plans to give her son the celebration of a lifetime, I knew that remaining Snowman Christmas card was meant for this very real little boy.

Watch The Snowman–complete with the 1982 David Bowie intro (26:07)

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© 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space–mentally and physically–to live happily ever after. Because what fun is life if you can’t dream about fairytale endings?

Categories: Formerly Mine, Happiness | No Comments »

Sep 7 2009

I’m Gathering the Colors

by Holly

accordian 2

My summer has been quiet but rich in simple pleasures. Soft-serve cones with rainbow sprinkles, outdoor yoga sessions, mini golf, sunrise walks and sunset runs, dramatic skies, leisurely seafood feasts, afternoons reading on the patio, quality time on park benches, fresh raspberries in my lemonade, sunbeam naps with my old cat, lush flowers beckoning me to stop and sniff. The list is long, but I’ve downloaded each and every sensation of the season.

“Gathering the colors,” one of my yoga instructors called it, referring to the children’s storybook, Frederick. The book is about a little field mouse who knows how valuable it is to have a harvest of vibrant, enjoyable memories to draw from that can help you get through more challenging times that inevitably lie ahead.

So, from here on out–and until further notice–I’m committed to focusing on everything that’s bright and living and lush in experience. Such as:

  • Brushing my hand across the lavender leaves
  • Tuning in to the steady hum of insect chirps
  • Sucking down wedges of watermelon before the juices drip down my wrist
  • Watching the blue jays, cardinals, finches, and doves mingle and dine at our bird feeder
  • Enjoying the sunshine on my shoulders and the warm whisk of wind by my ears
  • Stopping to take in the talents of a street musician
  • Savoring local and in-season produce
  • Walking barefoot across the grass
  • Breathing deep

“Supplies,” Frederick calls them. Even more essential than a scarf and gloves for this New England girl, I say.

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© 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space–mentally and physically–to live happily ever after. (Photo taken in the Boston Public Garden during my summer staycation)

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