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!

Results Day

Yesterday was a fun day and a great start to the new year. We slept uncommonly late (until 10:00 a.m.!), but we also stayed up until 1:30 a.m. So I guess sleeping until 10:00 a.m. isn't so bad when you consider that. After cleaning out the freezer and eating leftover biscuits, pumpkin muffins, and scrambled eggs, we headed out on a New Year's Day adventure. First we walked up to Monteliusvägen, which is a walkway along the northern cliffs of Södermalm with views over Kungsholmen, Gamla Stan and a bit beyond. Last year we went up there with our champagne glasses to ring in the New Year and watch fireworks. This year, not able to muster up the energy to go out, we watched them from our apartment windows, running from the living room to the bedroom upstairs and back again. It was fairly spectacular even from our apartment and since kitty was a little freaked out it was probably better for us to be home to comfort her. 

Next we headed to the subway station and took a train up to Tekniska Högskolan (The Technical University) where we would pick up a hiking trail and go for a nature walk through the Kungliga Nationalstadsparken (Royal National City Park). Funny however, with the trees wearing their light winter bareness it was easy to see that the "dense" forest that we have riden our bicycles through during the summers isn't so dense after all. We could see buildings and railroad tracks just through the trees and it didn't feel so far away from the city as we had hoped. Regardless we had a long wonderful walk, finally winding around back into and through the city, ending at Central Station where we hopped back on the subway home. Not a bad start to the New Year, eh? 

But what do you care, you want results!!!! And you will get them.... right ..... now!

A glimpse of the gifts soon to be on their way to their new home. Pina says, "Be Happy!"

What do you think? Look interesting?

"I want to eat this monster finger puppet!" No, kitty, that is for the winner...

"Then I'll eat these heart paper scraps instead... mmmmm tasty!"

Pretty orange hearts.

What does that say kitty? Is Katie our winner?

Indeed she is! Congratulations Katie! You are my final Happy Package Winner! 

I will be in touch with you soon to arrange delivery of your Happy Package!

And a last final note to all of you...

THANK YOU AGAIN so very much to everyone who has taken the time to read my blog. All of your comments and shared laughs have given me joy and support as I made my way through 2012 in search of Happy. Did my project have a successful ending? If I am honest I will have to say both yes and no. I still have moments where my mind automatically wants to respond by thinking the worst about situations. But then something magic happens... I stop and think to myself, "Now, do you really think that? or want that?" And the true answer is no. So I still find myself thinking negatively at times but then I am able to catch myself in those moments and change my thoughts. Happiness is all around us, always. It is only to choose to see it. 

Choose happiness because life is too short to choose any thing else. Why waste even a day of our precious lives thinking any other way? Habits are hard to break but with a little work and practice we can train ourselves to rise above them. Even if they have been with us for forty or more years. Take a baby step one day and then a second one the next and then just keep going until you are jogging along. Suddenly you will find that the scenery is so beautiful, you don't even remember what it was that tried to steal your happiness. 

And every now and then, send a note or package of happiness to someone you love...

Have a wonderfully Happy Life!

Stay tuned for "On My Bike with Scissors and a Cast Iron Skillet" 

We will go on adventures, design and craft fun things, and cook some tasty morsels together. 

The new adventure begins February 1, 2013!

Until then... I'll be on my bike... :-)