Happiness Might Be the Wrong Word?

I LOVE the idea of enjoying life-- in EVERYTHING I do, I can start enjoying myself. Look for only the good things. When I have a task to do, go at it with peaceful attention. Appreciate warmth, cool breezes, good smells, beautiful people, helping others, conversation and connection with others, colors, new information, funny and weird things.

It's hard to always take this attitude; we don't always get to do what we want... so when you're doing something because you have to, enjoy what you can enjoy. There's no point in feeling sad when you don't have to. Negativity can only cloud progress and being productive, so why embrace it and let it become you?

Of course, if there's absolutely nothing good about something that you have to do, (like a job that involves blisters or poop) then imagine all that while-- the beach, time with your favorite person or friends, a lush tropical island, a story you make up, flying in a blue sky-- or you can just meditate or pray. That time can be the part of your life when you leave the present... and escape.

When you ARE truly sad, don't avoid it. It's not like unpleasant things are bad, it's our reaction to them. It's good to be happy when you can be, but there's no reason to keep from feeling sad. Sadness is totally different from irritation in daily activities. When you're sad, give sadness a big hug, go ahead and start crying, and accepting that you don't feel good. Sadness isn't going to leave you if you beat it up with a baseball bat. It also won't leave if you pretend it doesn't exist. You have to look it in the eyes FIRST.

But I'm not talking about the unpleasant things, really. I'm trying to say that all unpleasant things can be overlooked, and on to the future, where better things must await. Overlooked doesn't mean ignored; it's not that the bad things in the world don't exist and that if we imagine them away they aren't happening. I'm just saying that you'll get farther in life if you take a different attitude and BE happier when it's possible-- and it's just about always possible.

Driving, Raining--

It was raining really hard when I drove up through coastal cities to get to the camping spot my family was staying at. It was on a Sabbath. I was listening to classical music and storm sounds all the way. It was fun.

The towns were so cute and adorable, and probably especially because it was raining, I felt comfortable there. The houses were small and the beach was like a dream view. If I'm single, what's wrong with moving somewhere random like that? (Although I have no idea of living costs. :-/ )

But while I was driving through those little beach towns, I thought of something, so I stopped and wrote some stuff down, which I'll type here, below.

*figure out what job would be stable and good for making lots of money-- to save for music school and to pay for my car -- the one I have, or a new one.

*find theory classes online to start with? Call colleges for advice, especially community colleges.

* look into nice towns, beach towns, or like, artsy towns (if I want to play piano and do accompaniment) about living (especially RENT) and look into finding a place with a piano. Also check out whether they have my church, so I can find a community I'm comfortable making friends in. Look for a place I can use a bike instead of a car!

*save up a fund for living on my own!

*make this "moving away from home" my first baby-step to traveling.

*spend time working and studying, and maybe making friends and doing fun things, like dance class, shopping, and taking walks and runs outside!

Happiness

I didn't write that title for any specific reason, but I guess I am pretty happy-- peaceful. I'm tired at the moment, after having unpacked our camper.

We went camping this weekend! I hadn't been planning on going-- I even waved to mom, dad, and Teddy, as they drove away... but then! Work called me off for Sabbath, and BAM I got to leave for the BEACH!!

I love the beach. Even when it rains. In fact, rain makes the beach more interesting. On sunny days, the horizon is a blue-grey sea, disappearing off into the distance, as if it has some sort of destination if you were to swim in that direction far enough-- something interesting and different. But when it's raining... it's cold, windy, and chaotic. The sea is darker, the sky is colorless and thoughtful, but the white fog and clouds hide things. On rainy days, the sea holds a secret. An un-discoverable secret!

Huuummmmm.

And when I was driving through the towns on the coast, it made me want to live there, in a little house, so I could go walking on the beach whenever I wanted. Hmmmm.