Tag: Choose Happiness

The Devil on My Shoulder

I like to think of myself as a simple, easy-going person. A person who is happy-go-lucky and lighthearted. I have been told however that there is a lot going on under the surface that makes me a bit more complicated than I wish to be. I guess this is true for many of us.

I often feel like there is an angel on one shoulder letting us see the good in everyone we meet and  a devil on the other shoulder encouraging us to judge others. The angel reminds us that people are human and often make mistakes. When we listen to the angel, we can take a harsh word in stride and ignore the buzz of negative energy while maintaining a positive outlook.

The angel

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Solve Impossible Problems

I spent the day in quiet solitude.

I had a few easy tasks to complete today, an interesting book to read and some thinking to do. I love days like this!

The high temperature today is 29 degrees here in the Finger Lake Region of New York State. There is a fresh coat of snow on the ground and it is calm and still outside. The sky is a beautiful blue with big, white clouds loitering on the horizon. The sun is shining brightly, reflecting off of the snow and it is blinding. Too bad I can’t find my sunglasses.

A day like this!

Other than venturing out to walk my dog, I have been inside of my house, sitting on the couch, relaxing all day. I consider myself blessed to have opportunities like this to regroup, to think, to unwind.

So many people simply don’t know how to relax. They are hyper-focused on one thing and never stop to smell the coffee much less the roses.

Take the time…

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Don’t Judge Me

Imagine going out to a cool brew pub in Harvard Square with your best friends. It is crowded and noisy and you are sitting on the inside of the booth which makes you want to flee. Imagine trying to make rice balls for dinner and jumping up and down every time you touched the mixture because it felt sticky and wet.  What about getting stuck in a crowd during the Montreal Jazz Festival and grabbing your friends belt buckle, begging him to lead you to safety.

You won't find me here
You won’t find me here

Weird right?

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Falling For Fall

I don’t know about where you live, but where I live here in the Finger Lakes of Central NY, the colors this fall are spectacular. As you walk around my neighborhood, the trees are stunning; shimmering in shades of orange, yellow and red. When out walking, I find myself stopping and simply staring up at the leaves. Personally, I think it is beautiful here all year-long but then fall comes along and BAM everything is the same but oh so different.

AAAHHH Fall in the Finger Lakes
AAAHHH Fall in the Finger Lakes

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Instructions for Life

Do you ever wish life came with an instruction book? I mean every day we are faced with decisions to grapple with; some are easy, some are hard, some seem impossible. Every day we must interact with others; some are nice, some are cold and some are so beat up by life circumstances that they are down right closed off or even mean. Every day we must do the daily tasks as well as put out the fires that the dragon of life breathes upon us.  Every day! So, I will say it again… do you ever wish life came with an instruction book?

Instructions for life
Instructions for life

Are you ready for the good news?

It does. Continue reading “Instructions for Life”

Hello Drama, Please Come In!

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN DRAMA COMES KNOCKING?

Have you ever met someone who seems to have a dark cloud that follows them at all times. It hovers just over their head, sometimes a reasonable pale grey and sometimes a threatening, black mess. When disaster strikes they get hit exceptionally hard. When they get sick they get really sick. When they are short of cash they are broke. When they lose a friend they are completely devastated. The cloud that follows them likes to be dark, it wants to be fierce and it enjoys the difficulties it witnesses. The cloud likes drama, hell maybe the cloud is drama.

Is there a black cloud over your head?
Is there a black cloud over your head?

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Best Commute Ever!

I used to commute in Boston traffic, yes BOSTON traffic. I bought a house 17 miles from my work and my commute was over 1.5 hours each way. There is nothing more frustrating than crawling,  mile after mile attempting to get somewhere you don’t even want to be. Every morning I would look for the road sign that would let me know how many minutes the drive to reach the tunnel would take. On a good day it would say 8 minutes. On a bad day it wouldn’t bother to give the number of minutes, it would say traffic starting at exit… This sign would often dictate what kind of day I was about to experience.

I don't miss this
I don’t miss this

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Go Out and Play!

When I was a kid, school was not really my thing. I went, I did the work but it never came easy to me. My favorite class was gym where I could at least blow off some steam by running around and getting some much-needed exercise. Sitting still is hard for me!  I spent the day thinking about what I would do when I got home from school.

How would it feel to float inside?
How would it feel to float inside?

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Please Get Away

There is something to be said for getting away!

One of my goals for 2016 was to go on a bike trip with my honey. The purpose was to spend a few days getting away from home, doing something we both enjoy. Glad to report this goal has been met and thoroughly enjoyed.

I found us a rustic cabin in Pennsylvania that had Pine Creek in front of it and a bike trail behind it.

The view from the living room window!
The view from the living room window!

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