friday’s “secret” – “surround yourself with precisely those things”

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How many, many times have I said to myself, “Self, I wish I had…” And I am not talking about a thing, necessarily; like a new car, a nicer house, etc. I am talking about wishing for things that I COULD have.

The quote above (and its author is unknown to me) speaks of leading  “fascinating life – one brimming with art, music, and intrigue, and romance.”  I do not necessarily want a life of “intrigue” but he or she does make an interesting point.  In order to have what we want, we have to be intentional about placing those things in our lives every day.

To use the quotes example,  if I want my life to be “brimming” with music, I need to turn on the radio, plug-in the iPod, do something to hear more music.  If I am wishing for a more peaceful existence,  I need to find an exercise that alleviates stress (yoga perhaps; there are routines on YouTube), and instead of watching that TV show which won’t matter in the morning at all, I should go to sleep.  If I wish for a more orderly home,  I should spend 15 minutes each evening, putting things back in their proper place.

It is a sad and pathetic thing, when I wish for things that I could have; especially things that cost little to no money at all and just require a little intention.

So what are you going to do, intentionally, this weekend…

enjoy life…

love yourself!

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Love yourself?  I grew up in a very conservative, Christian home.  A wonderful home.  I could not wish for a better up-bringing.  But the thought to “love yourself” was not really something that was a prominent philosophy.  To love God was the ultimate.  And indeed, it still is.  However, sometimes I wonder, if in the process of loving God and others, and just generally trying to be better people, do we forget about ourselves?

It’s true:  Luke 10:27-28 says, “And he answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” (King James Version)

But I want to focus on the part where it says, “and thy neighbor as thyself.” I have read it another way in a paraphrased edition:  “…love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Which leads me to believe that you cannot begin to love your neighbor correctly, unless, you first love yourself.

The Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard put if this way,  “Above all, do not forget your duty to love yourself.”

If I truly love and value myself, I will take care of myself: spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.  I will eat better, get some exercise,  think positively, and generally do things that will make me happy.  Then I can go out and be a better person for my neighbors, my family, my friends and society at large.

So what are you going to do to “love yourself” this week?  Remember, it is “your duty.”

enjoy life…

friday’s “secret” – “you have to want to be happy.”

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You have to want to be happy.

I posted the title, the quote, and restated the quote again because it could not be more true.  You have to WANT to be happy.  Truly want it.  Because if you want it, truly want it, you won’t let anything stop you from being so.

My hubby has told me before that when it comes our little tiffs that we get into, that he will often asks himself, “do I want to be right? Or do I want to be happy?”  He more often than not chooses to be happy over right. Of course, I do not necessarily agree with this, obviously, but it does bring up an interesting point.

Except, perhaps, in the most extreme circumstances,  happiness is something that you choose.  Despite your circumstances, you can say to yourself, “I want to be happy.  What do I need to do, in order to be happy?”  And once you know, you can go about making the necessary adjustment: choosing happiness over bitterness, having that ice cream cone, exercising for the day, cleaning out your closet…the list could go on and on.

So, my question is, and answer honestly: do you want to be happy?

Enjoy life…