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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Daily Mood Quote - August 21, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 110 – August 21, 2011

A friendly look, a kindly smile, one good act and life's worthwhile.

~Author Unknown

When it was confirmed that I was old enough to be going through “the change” (a.k.a., menopause), it took sometime to believe; but when the hot flashes hit, I learned to accept the process pretty quick. So, I began to change the things in my diet and added some other exercises; that lay claim to helping women who are going through the change. The only thing about this is the cure is incomplete. All the proper diet and exercise in the world doesn't stop, or control the feelings of sadness, lack of motivation, or even the fatigue. I really hate the fatigue part. It may reduce the symptoms, but it doesn't go away, ever. One of the things that I am learning to do everyday is to laugh and smile when I can. Truthfully, it can be the hardest thing I do in a day, because sometimes the feeling of sadness that accompany menopause can be overwhelming. It's amazing how much a few milligrams of chemicals, that my own body makes, can have such a profound effect on my emotions. Especially, when you couple that will difficulty concentrating, sometimes just getting through the day can be a sideshow in itself.

As stated before, in the movie How to lose a guy in 10 days, Ben (played by Matthew McConaughey) said to Andie (Kate Hudson), “You're up, you're down, you're here, you're there, you're like a frickin' one woman circus!!!!!!” I wonder if this is truly how woman in menopause appear to the world? Or, if this is just one's point of view? Either way, it feels like a “frickin' one woman circus” sometimes.

Today is a sad day for me. I have no real reason to be sad, I just feel sad. Things I know I will do today to combat that emotion are; stay away from the television (anything will make me cry), I'll read an educational book today, a really dry one to keep the emotions in check. I will also exercise (I might have to force myself to do this) because as in the movie Legally Blonde, Elle (played by Reese Witherspoon) said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy!” Let's hope so. I am choosing to be happy. Whether I get there today or not remains to be seem, but I believe this is a great way to deal with the change that is occurring. One thing to remember is, menopause doesn’t last forever, this too shall pass, maybe “like a kidney stone”, but it will pass. Many before me have gotten through this and many after me will get through it as well.

So, if I have one thing to offer for the day it is: No matter where or who you are, emotions can and do play a big part in our life. We need to acknowledge them, (that's a healthy thing), but we are responsible to try and get a grip of them and at least regulate their effects. If we let them take control, we have only ourselves to hold to account. We are the ring leaders of our own emotional circus. Once we know the “why”, its up to us to take steps for a better "how."

How will you deal with your personal “cirque, de l'émotion” (hope I got the French, “circus of emotion” right) today?

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Daily Mood Quotes - July 25, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quotes

Day 83 – July 25, 2011

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

~Mark Twain

Everyone has the potential for greatness, even me. But in my experience, few in positions of authority want to acknowledge the potential of someone else. Not because they don't believe in them, but because they don't want anyone else to believe in them. I find that to be very sad. At every job I have ever had, there always seemed to be someone who felt threatened by my skills, my knowledge even my ability to keep things confidential. I was always the one people would talk too, share information with and ask advice from. I could keep my mouth shut and others knew that intuitively. Maybe, it comes from a phrase I heard so often in the military, “loose lips sink ships,” An old but true axiom. I don't know, but I have always believed that gossiping was disrespectful. “They aren't my stories and information to tell” (thank you Reese Witherspoon of Legally Blonde). Anyway, when people would gossip outside my office door, ofttimes they would embellish the stories, to make themselves sound better or just to hear themselves speak and the person they were gossiping about sound more like an idiot. I would close my door, because I usually knew the truth and felt it was improper to participate in such disrespectful behavior. If that is how people get ahead in this world, then count me out.

In the movie, Working Girl, Tess McGill (played by Melanie Griffith) said to Oren Trask, (Philip Bosco) “You can bend the rules plenty once you get to the top, but not while you're trying to get there. And if you're someone like me, you can't get there without bending the rules.” So my question is, which is the lesser of the two evils? Or, is this what they call “nothing personal its just business?” Nice dodge (rationalization) but “personal” bad behavior that hurts others is still wrong, in business or not. It erodes the foundation of our lives like an acid.

So, as we start another work week, I'm still unemployed because I followed the rules. I am everything an employer ever wanted and everything they never wanted. An honest person (what they're looking for) won't cheat the books, bend the regulations, look the other way when bad things are dumped into the trash, tolerate unhealthy work conditions, or fall for the line, “It's just business”, (what they really want). I understand that this type of bipolar business behavior has probably always been this way, especially since government deregulation. But, it has become epidemic. When my husband and I started a business 15 years ago, the one things we promised to do was “To do it by the book.” We wanted to be the employer we always wanted to worked for. To incorporate legally, pay our taxes, honestly without shaving, in short, to do it right. Then, the very first piece of advice from our very first accountant was, “Don't incorporate, because you can get Social Security advantages and pay less taxes if you just remain a sole proprietorship, this is how business is done.” Despite our initial misgivings, we acquiesced. That advice eventually killed our business and us financially. He was a “small thinker” and conned us into thinking small too. Fifteen years later, after being audited twice, our savings pilfered by the next accountant we hired and a surprisingly heavy tax debt, that brilliant small minded advice, turns out to be not-so-brilliant. We should of trusted our own instincts. My husband says, this is the great regret of his life.

I guess the point I am trying to make here is, trust yourself and trust that “feeling” in your belly. If it feels wrong, it is. If your questioning expert advice, take it from my husband (an MBA with 30 years in business), there are no experts. Only people who sell themselves as experts. Trust your gut, think big even when people belittle your ambitions, or want you to “go small.” And...question everything the “experts” tell you. The path to success begins in you heart, not in the hands of others.

What are your ambitions today?

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Daily Mood Quote - June 27, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 54 – June 27, 2011

“Happiness lies first of all in health.”

~George William Curtis

I was once told, “happiness doesn't come from the stuff you have, where you live or the spouse you married. It comes from how well you take care of yourself. You can't be any good for anyone else, if you don't take care of yourself.” Yesterday, I spent the day laying about, because of an old knee injury. When I was 19, I went bike riding with some friends (at night, big mistake) and ran into a rail I did not see. The bike and I flipped over the rail and I severely damaged my knee. It took about 2 months to heal and through exercise it healed pretty well. My knee was strong, however my days as a runner were over and my days of weight gain began.

When I was younger, I was a freak about exercise, somewhere along the way marriage, children, school and life took precedent and exercise took a back burner. I allowed the busyness to cause me to forget how I once felt when I exercised. Yesterday, I remembered what it felt like when I exercised, it was great. So, why did I stop? Living life is not a good enough excuse to put exercise on a back burner. It's an excuse and that's all it is. What a high price to pay, a day of sofa sitting, I have got to tell you, I couldn't help feeling that my tushie was getting bigger, because I stopped moving. I can't have that.

Exercise is more than good physical conditioning, Paul Dudley White said, “A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.” I am not an unhappy person, but I am unhappy with how my body is handling middle ageness. Anyway how else do you get the endorphins moving? In the movie, Legally Blonde, Elle Woods (played by Reese Witherspoon) said it best, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.” And your approach to all that life is throwing at you will be a different, better attitude, with better problem solving ability and more energy. If I would have never stopped exercising, I believe I would have never re-injured my knee. At least not the level of having to sit around the house for a day. I'm taking back the care of myself, I'll wrap my knee and begin my day by going for a walk. Then I will get my stationary bike out of storage (the garage), dust it off and "ride like the wind" (thank you Sheriff Woody, played by Tom Hanks in Toy Story 2), I'll even call my bike Bullseye. I've got a long way back, and this time I'll put my health above all else.

What will you do to better your health today?

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