Dance the Dance

"Dance the dance of empowering one another."
"Spread your radiance."

Sheila Kelley

Live Deeply

Embrace new experiences: go beyond your comfort zone.  New experiences are life. Live deeply. Be who you are: What are your dreams? Your goals? Your loves? Who are you? Be that person.. Let Go of the Past: The past is good for two things: the happy memories, and the lessons it provides. Forgive. Let go. Be here now, and go forward. Be Kind: Recall those many times where you made mistakes, where you reacted out of negative emotions instead of responding from who you really are. Recall how you felt, or how you would have felt, if others responded to your mistakes with kindness instead of harsh criticism or a cold shoulder. Empathize, and choose to be kind. Be responsible for yourself: Whatever happens, only one person is responsible for how you respond to it: you.. You wish others were a certain way? You wish the world were a certain way? Be the example. Nurture relationships: Think of your most joyful moments. Think of all you have learned. Think of what has helped you grow. Chances are great these all involve other people, and other relations such as pets and nature too. You can choose to be lonely, but you are never alone. Recognize all you have and be grateful for it: If you are alive, if you can read this, if you can walk, talk, see, smell, taste, or feel, you are fortunate. Focus on all that you do have. Be grateful to be great. Do what inspires you: Painting, singing, writing, biking, swimming, gardening, reading, dancing, walking-what is your flame? What ignites you, inspires you, enlightens you, restores your life? Do it, and do it often. Remember that happiness is a state, not a circumstance: Happiness is a state of being, not merely a moment of pleasure or joy. By committing to your happiness you acknowledge and accept that there will be times of challenge and suffering, but by staying true to who you are you will not just endure but thrive. by Brian Vaszily, Founder of IntenseExperiences.com

Question and Answer

Gretchen Rubin: Do you work on being happier? If so, how?

Gabriella Blair:

I guess I work hard on anything that's important to me, and happiness tops every list. Over the past few years, I've realized how much of me feeling happy is a choice. I'm still just figuring it out, but I try my best to make that choice every hour of every day. When I'm feeling negative emotions, I take responsibility for them and acknowledge that I can actively choose to feel happier that very minute. That very minute! How empowering is that?

I can usually create a clean slate in my mind if I sit still for a moment and offer up a quick, silent prayer. I try to envision how I would be behaving if I was happy. Then I do my best to behave that way. It sounds simple, but most of the best ideas in life are!

Really, life is so much more enjoyable when I'm happy. It makes my skin glow, too.

(from: Gretchen Rubin's Blog "The Happiness Project") www.happiness-project.com

Inch by Inch

"Inch by inch you get to create a new life for yourself."
Previously homeless Harvard University graduate - Liz, interviewed on the Oprah Show.

Connect...

"Connect to people - because things can't give anything back to you."
Oprah Winfrey

Generous Thought

"Never suppress a generous thought."
Camilla Kimball

True Grit

From a woman who suffered 80% burns caught in the horror of the aircrafts crashing into the twin towers and the Pentagon September 11th 2001

"I've learnt to give myself a break. Never let up - Never stop reaching forward... but do it with patience.
What I've realised is: It's OK to dwell in the moment and... just soak it in, feel the happiness."
Lauren Manning

Happiness and Children...

“If your happiness depends on your children being happy, that makes
them your hostage. So stay out of their business, stop using them for
your happiness, and be your own happiness. And that way you are the
teacher for your children: someone who knows how to live a happy
life.”
(Byron Katie)

Remember...

Remember the Dignity of Sacrifice,
The Holiness of Service and
The Power of Righteousness.

We can be Joyful, Peaceful and Powerful
as we Sacrifice in dignity, Serve in holiness and
are Righteously powerful women -
Being Who we were Created by God to Be.

"It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle's front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice He calls
To paths that I do not know,
I'll answer dear Lord with my hand in thine;
I'll go where you want me to go.

Perhaps today there are loving words
Which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin
Some wanderer whom I should seek.
O Saviour, if thou wilt be my guide,
Tho dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet:
I'll say what you want me to say.

There's surely somewhere a lowly place
In earth's harvest fields so wide
Where I may labor through life's short day
For Jesus the crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care
And knowing thou lovest me,
I'll do thy will with a heart sincere:
I'll be what you want me to be.

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
Over mountain or plain or sea;
I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;
I'll be what you want me to be.

Words: Mary Brown 1856 - 1918
Hymn 270

Fun People

"Fun people don't clean all the time."
Leanne Morgan - comedienne

Zion

"Zion is a place of living the laws of God... Move to a location of a change of heart."
Joseph Smith Papers Project - BYU Television

Suffer...

"We suffer what we must, for only a new world will bring us peace. We'll just have to find friendlier indians (people).
By the grace of God and the kindness of friends I have survived.
Four hands can do more than two.
Together is better I know."
I think I wrote this down from a BYU Children's programme about early settlers experiences in the USA.

Achievement

"I used to achieve to be happy; now I achieve happily."
Justin Cohen

Ah, There You Are!

I misplaced my joy this morning. I woke up to find it missing like a set of lost keys. I started looking for it everywhere. I looked for it in the morning paper. It wasn’t there. I looked for it in my books. It wasn’t there. I looked for it in some music. It wasn’t there. I looked for it while I ate breakfast, got the kids ready for school, and headed out the door this morning, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

When I finally got back home I decided to take a walk. I thought that if I couldn’t find my joy then at least I could get some exercise. The last leaves of Autumn were thickly covering the ground. I walked for a while on this beautiful, crunchy carpet and breathed in the fresh, cool air. It was so peaceful and wonderful. After walking for a bit I stopped and smiled. I suddenly knew where to look. I glanced down and saw my joy peeking up at me from deep inside my soul. It had been sitting there right next to my love and God’s love just waiting for me to find it. “Ah, there you are,” I said. Then I laughed at myself for not knowing where to look all along.

It is amazing how we so often look for joy in every single place except the only place where it can truly be found, within ourselves.

We are like the person running around searching for the glasses that are perched on the top of his head. We need to stop the search.

We need to look deep into our souls and see the joy that has been sitting there all along. It isn’t hidden and it isn’t hard to find. It is there shining brightly right next to God’s love and our love. It is just waiting for us to smile down and say, “Ah, there you are.”

Reach down and grab that joy today. Choose it, rejoice in it and live in it. Take it along with your love and God’s love and share it with the world. And if you ever misplace it again remember where to look for it first.

Joe Mazella