Go For It

Breaking news: Seeking happiness does not mean you are being selfish! You have a right to be happy. You deserve to be happy. The Universe responds to this happiness.

When we are happy there is a tremendous shift in our energies. We are vibrant. We are more alive and alert. We take on challenges with optimism. We are more flexible. We seek possibilities. When we are happy we relate to others differently. Happiness creates happiness. It is as though it is contagious.

Makes sense, doesn't it? If we are in a state of happiness we then bring our vitality into the world. Our service to others is affected. We are more loving and generous. We bring our best self to the moment. Life is very different when we are happy than when we are not.

So knowing this, it obviously is important to then know what makes us happy. Joseph Campbell is quoted as saying, "Follow your bliss." What is your bliss? Do you even know? I have found that for some this is a difficult question to answer. They are quick to answer what makes them unhappy. But what brings you joy; what activities, what people, or what beliefs? How can you live your joy?

When we follow our bliss we bring into our lives things that make us naturally grow and evolve. We seek things that inspire us. Happiness impacts our spiritual growth as our soul shines brightly and we learn to trust our intuition and seek our truth. Happiness encourages us to care for our body and its needs so that we are healthy and empowered. Joy has the strength to bring positive thinking into our minds and quells the negative stories and self-talk.

Take on the challenge today and find something that brings you happiness. Explore it, be with it and celebrate it. Pay attention to the impact it has on you; body, mind and soul. Your day will be brighter for it.

Blessings, Lisa

The Importance of Gifting Free Time

Let's face it, life is often incredibly busy. Our 'to do" list is quite long, complicated and exhausting. And it feels like almost everyday something unexpected gets added to it. We are scheduled in from the moment our eyes open until we drag our tired body off to bed at night. Often, we become so accustomed to this way of being that we forget the beauty and necessity of free time.

But is this really the life we want to be living? There was a recent study done, not a terribly scientific one, but certainly real, in which a hospice nurse reported on the many things that people said as they faced their last days. The common thread was that they wish they had made more time....more time for family, for play, for relaxation, for themselves.

In the end I doubt I will be reflecting with great pride on how much of my "to do" list in life I accomplished. In the end I doubt others will remember how great I managed my hectic schedule. No, but they will instead remember the camping trips, the long walks, the belly laughter, the shedding of shared tears and the holding of hands. In the end I will take with me and also leave behind some of the love and beauty that was generated in these moments.

It is in these moments of free time that we find the glitter of our life. We find our soul reaches out and embraces these moments with intensity and makes certain that we walk away with a full heart and a beautiful memory. Gifts of free time can be of solitude so that we can simply be and discover who we are, what our passions are and what lights the sparks within us. Gifts of free time can be shared with others, but don't need to be scheduled and orchestrated. Instead, surrender to the spontaneity and delight in the wonder of the magic that happens.

Blessings, Lisa