New [Happy] Frontiers

For those of you new to Finding Happy, I'd like to give you a big welcome. For those of you who followed "Finding Happy in 365 Days" during my one year project in 2012, well, I am back. Why, you may ask, am I back over here, when I have a new blog (On My Bike with Scissors and a Cast Iron Skillet) now? Well, the honest truth is that I need it. I am just not feeling the same amount of happy these days. It's not that I am focusing on negative things but they keep rearing their ugly heads, forcing me to look smack dab at them. It's gross, I know. And a bit pathetic, when I consider how happy I should be and feel. I have a really nice life. I am married to a wonderful man who is the most understanding and supportive person I could have possibly been matched with in my life, I have a lovely home, no real problems to speak of. So why the dreariness?

I could reply in a deep, meaningful way and say something profound but I really feel that it would only be a half-truth. After my one year of Finding Happy, and having Happy be my focus every single day for that entire year, I really do honestly feel that the key to happiness is basically choosing happiness. But not all of us are that strong mentally. After being away from "Finding Happy" for nearly a year, I have discovered that I was happier when I was consciously focusing on Finding Happy. Having this project and being fully committed to it, to finding and writing about something Happy every day, even when the last thing I wanted to do was to think a positive thought, gave me something. A purpose. And whether or not that purpose was fulfilling my own personal need to finding a happy or positive focus, it gave me what I needed, and hopefully you benefited as well.

We all face things in life that we feel are not fair. Not everyone gets to have a healthy body. Not everyone gets to live to be 45 years old. Not everyone gets to experience living in a foreign country, not everyone gets to be a mom or dad, not everyone gets to find their soulmate, not everyone gets to ride a bicycle, go for a jog, see a rainbow, hear music... You get my point. And all of those people out there with seemingly perfect lives, well, they too have something they must deal with. Something that is their cross to bear. No one gets to have the perfect life. Though it seems so when you are on the outside looking in.

But there IS something that we all have the opportunity to have and that is our own thoughts and our own free will to choose happiness. Sometimes finding happiness is a piece of cake (literally!) and sometimes you have to scrape the bottoms of your shoes, just for one little, teeny, tiny glimmer of happy... but it IS there. Waiting to be found.

So now I am about to embark upon yet another journey of Finding Happy. This time it may not be every single day but do I commit to posting about something positive or happy at least 3 days a week, possibly, hopefully more. I hope you will join me on this journey and actively seek happiness along side me. Because the only thing better than finding happiness yourself... is getting to share that happiness.

Happy New Year....

Be Happy!