Daily Mood Quotes - December 10, 2011

Daily Mood Quotes
Day 218 - December 10, 2011

"The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."
~Author unknown, commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin

Today, I was out an about doing the holiday thing. I saw some unhappy people, maybe stressed about the holidays, I don't know. Then I heard a mom say to a friend when describing her child, "he's happy today, because he's doing what he wants." Really, that's what makes a person happy? Hmmm I don't believe that's quite right either. A friend once said to me, "happiness doesn't come from what you do, it comes from within. If your not happy with yourself, then you have no chance of ever being happy." I took that to mean: Other people, stuff and activities alone can't make you happy, you have to be happy with yourself first. You can and should however enjoy the other things. But, let's face it if you aren't happy to start with there is a good chance that external things aren't going to make it happen. How many people do you see doing things that are supposed to be "fun" that look like they are utterly miserable? Far, far too many. There is a big difference between entertainment and happiness.  The former is ephemeral and situational, the latter lasting, irrespective of the situation.

In the movie Legally Blonde, Elle (played by Reese Witherspoon) said, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." I would think a happy person wouldn't shoot their husband, but hey, it's just a movie... good thing too. We can do many things to help us become happy, but the very first thing is to accept oneself as you are; The Good the Bad and the Ugly (thanks Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef). Rejoice in the good, effort to reverse the bad and find the hidden beauty in the ugly.

I believe that happiness is something we have to work on daily. It isn't handed to us on a silver platter, but a fundamental decision that we make everyday. Like Shirlee Kenyon (played by Dolly Parton) said in the movie Straight Talk, "Why even the Declaration of Independence only guaranties life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It doesn't say anything about fair. Doesn't even say you have the right to be happy. Just to pursue it" Happiness is an action verb, not a noun; it's a work in progress, not a destination. Practice it and it will eventually become a positive life habit and that's a good thing.

 How will you "practice happiness" today?

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Thank you for reading

Daily Mood Quotes - May 25, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 21 – May 25, 2011

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

~James D. Miles

In the movie The American President, President Andrew Shepherd (played by Micheal Douglas) said “...I've been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being President of this country is entirely about character.” 
 

Yesterday, our family dog destroyed my husband's glasses and his reaction revealed a little bit about his character. Even tempered, balanced, a little laughter and one big, giant son-of-aaaa-bi@#$ (thanks Uncle Joe). The point is, it didn't reveal everything. Character is a three dimensional concept. You can't see everything at once and it takes some time to see all the sides. We need to view character much like a ball, within the light of the events of the moment. Different lights make different views.

So often in life, we tend to judge people and ourselves solely on one event, or light, without taking the time to walk around the entire object. Things and people are not always what they appear to be at first observation. My family has faced their fair share of challenges and also have had a few successes. Each of these has shone a different light on one side of our character, or the other. How you handle these situations reveals only one aspect of your character at a time, and that is how you treat people who can do nothing for you. When you're successful, how you treat the everyday people you meet on the streets, in the supermarkets, or elsewhere who may not be as successful, shines a spotlight on your character. It can reveals cracks that even you didn't know you had. When you have a failure, how you treat those same people and people who happen to be successful at that moment, can shine a global light on your character. People will look from all sides and you should too. It's true, folks can achieve success without character, however in the long run they are neither respected, nor liked and they have done nothing to advance their own spirit.

People can certainly fail without character, but that doesn't mean people who have failed have little or no character. Robert Kennedy said, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” History is ripe with people of great character who have fallen on hard times. Much like Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, who both filed bankruptcy. Yet history has revealed the long-term power of their character. Lincoln lead the nation through a time of unprecedented tribulation and lead a charge for civil rights and civil unity that defines our nation, and; Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence... it wasn't to get out of paying his bills.

An unattributed quote that rings true is “adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it,”. My husband has been saying this for nearly 30 years. However, it only reveals it in one light, the light of the moment, its not a 360 degree view. Whether you are faced with adversity, or you know someone that is, don't let the light of the moment define the total understanding of their character. Be kind and non-judgmental to yourself and others, until you can gain some perspective and a new light.

What light shines on your character today?

Tune in tomorrow to read the daily mood quote

Thank you for reading