July 9, 2015 In appreciation, creativity, inspiration, life and the universe, philosophy, words and language By Patricia Saxton

Outrageous Happiness #18: Do Stuff

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Accept invitations. Go places. Be spontaneous. Break routine, crack your shell, burst your seams a bit! Say “yes” to adventure. Do stuff you haven’t done before.

For someone whose nose is usually found inches from the grindstone, I do love a good adventure. I’ve been known to “up and go places” (mostly pre-motherhood, I will admit, but that will change…) – occasionally up-and-staying longer than expected. Two weeks in the Greek Islands turned into four. A week in Sedona turned into nearly 6 months. Africa called, I answered; hippos and lions growling in the night, guards with spears outside my door (trusting they knew how to use them), hot-air ballooning over the Maasai Mara, dining on a long red cloth sprawled out on the plains.

Granted, there are some adventures I’ll never take. Climbing Mt. Everest? I’ll gladly leave that to those who like to dangle from high ledges and don’t mind cold-to-the-bone. And while a stone’s throw away, I’ve managed to skip New Year’s Eve in Times Square. (Something about crowds and – yes – cold, again.)

But an outdoor summer concert in the rain, complete with impromptu slip’n slide tarps? Sure! A whirlwind trip to southern California to be part of the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday bash? Absolutely! A chance to meet friends I’ve never met? Big yes.

Memories made. Bonds of friendship strengthened. Things to gripe about (after all they’re part of the experience too, like air travel… ) but mostly, Things to rejoice (did I mention the Dalai Lama? 🙂 ). Sharing time with wonderful people; excellent. Making a scene of hugs and laughter and non-stop talking in Santa Monica with friends-I’d-not-yet-met but feel I’ve known for lifetimes; priceless. Gratitude. Gratitude. For the opportunities, the generosity and kindnesses, the fun, the enrichment.

I could have easily not gone. I have too much work; too little time. I have too much responsibility and not enough money. I’m tired. What if this, what if that. But sometimes you really just need to say “yes”. Because what if it’s wonderful?

Caveat: Saying yes to adventure doesn’t have to be Africa or half a year on an unplanned artistic sabbatical, or a good seat for the Dalai Lama. Truth be told, there have been times when a trip to the grocery store felt like an adventure. Reading a fabulous book can be a marvelously grand adventure. Calling someone you haven’t seen in ages; an impromptu outing to a local watering hole; a bike ride with no plan; walking the unbeaten path through the woods; choosing the road less traveled; wearing the purple hat; taking those singing lessons, volunteering at an old folk’s home, reaching out about something you’ve thought of doing but never knew how to start. No matter how large or small, it’s taking steps into the unknown, uncharted, unpredictable.

Adventure is a thing of spirit that beckons us to leap and stretch our wings. It can fill our hearts with gladness, our stomachs with butterflies, our eyes with wonder – or simply shift the mood of a day, a week, a year. It’s an unleashing. A chance to breathe new life into our veins. A chance to feel outrageously happy.

In our busy, overly compressed lives, adventure is throwing caution to the wind for a little while. But even just a little while can be like ripples in a pond, the effects reaching farther and deeper than we imagined. Planned or unplanned, we grow. We won’t be the same. And that’s called living.

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How’s your Outrageous Happiness going?

 

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May 8, 2015 In appreciation, creativity, inspiration, life and the universe, philosophy, words and language By Patricia Saxton

Outrageous Happiness #17: Seizing Moments

When something happy/pleasant/cheerful crosses your path, embrace it. Seize that moment! Enjoy it. Savor it. Let it seep in so you really feel it – no ifs, ands or buts! No “if only (fill in the blank) wasn’t going on so I could really enjoy that.” No “and now something’s bound to ruin this.” No “but I can’t stop to appreciate that, I’m too busy.” None of that. No, no, no.

We’re talking simple things (or big things ~ hey, no discrimination here on size of joy!). Maybe it’s noticing a tree with particularly pretty blossoms. Maybe it’s the sunlight through a red leaf. Maybe it’s a compliment received, or a perfectly cooked plate of fresh vegetables. A goldfinch on your bird-feeder. A favorite song on the radio.

Or maybe it’s a picture, like this one of my daughter, which made me smile on a whole bunch of levels and reminded me how much I love paint and the creative spirit and happy, unpredictable messes. I could have given it a quick “oh, I adore this!” and gone back to my at-the-time incredibly heavy workload, but I chose to take it in, let the happy feeling fill my space for a little longer.

And that ~ moments grabbed, even briefly ~ can make a real difference in the bigger picture. They add up. They might even become habit-forming.

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How’s your Outrageous Happiness going?

 

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January 1, 2015 In appreciation, creativity, inspiration, life and the universe, philosophy, words and language By Patricia Saxton

Outrageous Happiness #14: Declare it

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It’s a new day. Heck, it’s a brand new year. And I challenge you. I challenge you for the next 5 days to declare each day a good day. First thing upon waking, place the thought before you: “Today’s a good day.” (…“by golly” is optional) No ifs ands or buts, just “this is a good day”. Conviction helps, but even if you’re not feeling it, just say it like you might actually mean it. This is your job for the next 5 mornings. That’s it. Pretty simple.

If you want to be a little more outrageous and bold, you can add a few bonus plusses. This takes a little more practice, but it also reaps more rewards.

It’s a good day. It’s a great day! This is one of the best days of my life. The sun is up. Even if I can’t see the sun, I know it’s there, and that’s kinda cool, knowing that that big ball of fire warms our planet every day. And that the moon lights the night and makes waves in the great oceans, and that grass grows every spring, and birds sing and fly. Birds fly over rainbows, did you know? Rainbows are great, aren’t they? Just think of all the beautiful things in this world. Colors and sounds and textures. Art and music and dance. Mountains and trees, lakes and rivers and little trickling streams, all teaming with life! And I’m part of all that. This day, today, I’m part of all that is good. The sky, the earth, the heavens and all its stars, and all the kind and loving souls that share this time and space. There are smart people, helpful people, sincere and positive people all around. I’m smart, helpful, sincere and positive, too ~ and this is a good day! Today, I’m seeing all that is good. I’m attracting all that is good. I am part of all that is good. Angels watch over me and guide my way. Today is a good day.

But if that’s over the top for you, just do the simple version. See how it affects your day. See how it affects your week. See how it changes your attitude. We are what we think. Attitude really does matter.

We may not have control of events and circumstances, but we do have a say in how and what we choose to think. Thoughts are powerful. Consciously or unconsciously, thoughts precede our words and our actions. They define our reality. And over time, they become habitual, for better or worse. The good news is, they’re not fixed ~ we can change out thought patterns, and change the day. And the next, and the next.

Who’s up for the challenge? Ready, set …….. go. Just do it! Declare it so.

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How’s your Outrageous Happiness going?

 

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October 3, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #40: Persistence

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

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Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.  ~ Napoleon Hill

You just can’t beat the person who never gives up. ~Babe Ruth

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength, but through persistence. ~ Buddha

Persistence is a determined state of mind; a driving force with an out-and-out refusal to give up. Yes, it can be used for the wrong reasons, or lead down a darker road if the persistent thought revolves around negative expectations. But it’s also what we do to combat adversity or deafen the naysayers… we persist; and that positive persistence holds an amazing ability to shift outcomes for the better, to breed courage and to drown out disappointment.

Persistence urges you on to finish a race, gives you the adrenaline to win a match, pushes you to climb higher and reach farther. It says, “I can do this, I can learn that, I can grow this, I can develop that … and I’m gonna put one foot in front of the other, over and over, to make it so”.

It’s all about how you think. Then you act, then things happen. So, it’s a good idea to check the nature of your thoughts… because the dominant thoughts become the persistent attitude that will set your course and lead the way.

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