[2021-03-19] Happiness and spring
Tomorrow—March 20—is both the International Day of Happiness and the first day of spring. What a fitting moment to take stock of all that is good in our lives. In advance of those two noteworthy days, I am adding to my list of things that make me happy in the hopes of inspiring your own reflections on what fulfills you.
- Life. On the eve of spring, I am thrilled to be alive and doing relatively well after a summer, fall and winter of confronting ovarian cancer. Seeing the arrival of spring, with its promise of new beginnings, makes me happy. I expect to welcome many more springs yet.
- Growth. I am enchanted by growth, literal and figurative. I can't wait to begin gardening, and to see the first shoots of spring. I am grateful for the emotional growth I have experienced since my diagnosis with cancer. And I'm tickled by the regrowth of my hair, which reminds me of a silver fox. I hope that my photos bring you joy.
- Words. As much as I enjoy poetry, I love even more the unanticipated appearance of poetic words when you least expect them. Today, a friend sent me an email providing a link to a song, with these words: "This song is my mantra of 2021 and won its place into the black book of my life’s songs." How gorgeous! For the curious, the song is "Moving" (Spotify, YouTube) by Métis singer-songwriter Willows.
- Quotes. I enjoy reading inspirational quotations and have received many over the past few months. Several months ago, I started compiling my favourites into a file. Today, for the first time, I am sharing my compendium of quotes—my gift to you for International Day of Happiness. I hope that you will find within them insights that will make you feel happy, inspired and peaceful.
- Smiles. I adore a warm smile. "A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside," says speaker and writer Denis Waitley. Albert Camus' poetic affirmation "In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile," which I first shared in September's post Invincible love, could be the opening entry in my little black book of inspiration.
- Happy memories. Much like keeping a diary, writing this blog has spurred me to reminisce about all sorts of moments in my life. This is amazing considering how often I say that I have a poor memory. You can do the same. Think about your first date, your most embarrassing experience, learning to drive, the most bizarre thing you've seen, your hobbies. The act of writing down your stories will make them easier to recall.
- Win-win situations. Given how important sleep is to my recovery, anything healthy that helps me sleep is a win. Lately, I've been listening to 5 Minute Biographies—short profiles of all sorts of famous people, such as Thomas Edison, Jane Austen and Jackie Robinson. If listening to the biographies puts me to sleep, I win. If they don't, I learn. As singer Lionel Richie says, "When you win, you win, and when you lose, you learn."
- Unexpected communications. Today, several people reached out to me after our not having communicated in months or even years. It was unforeseen, delightful and rewarding. As I've gotten older and I've thought about contacting someone because they've popped into my mind, I've increasingly listened to that little voice that says, "Send that message!" I try to act on the inspiration before the naysayer in my brain comes up with reasons not to. I tell myself: "Don't think about it! Just do it!"
- Success stories. Among the messages I received today were several stories from young people who are progressing in their careers and their lives. It is so uplifting to watch the next generation attain promotions, raise their children, and realize their dreams. No matter your age, share what makes you proud—it will delight the people who care about you.
- Connections. A lovely woman contacted me today to tell me that a colleague had recommended my blog to her, demonstrating that my daily acts of kindness are having far-reaching impacts. As reflected in The Science of Kindness, a video by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, if you perform just one random act of kindness a day, you'll not only reduce your stress, anxiety and depression, but also make yourself and the person you've helped feel calmer, healthier and happier.
"Those people you've helped will help other people and those other people will help even more people," says the video. "And those random acts of kindness can start a chain reaction that can spread across an entire community, a city, a country!"
It's unquestionable that our lives are stressful. But if you open the windows and let spring enter your heart, you might feel a refreshing breeze of happiness.
