Today is a good day to talk about our joys! Talk happiness. The world is sad enough  Without your woe. No path is wholly rough.  ― Ella Wheeler Wilcox Listen below now or on your favorite streaming platform !   Today is a good day to be positive. I am not talking about ignoring our problems or propagating toxic positivity. I am talking about thinking of the good things in life, having a different perspective and practicing gratitude.  I do love that quote from Ella Wheeler Wilcox because she is basically saying yeah life is rough but it’s not only rough. There are moments of joy and happiness that will carve out for ourselves. We have a habit of talking about our woes and pushing our woes. That’s why click bait is so popular because it tugs on our emotions and the more negative the better.  Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about our joys. — Rita Schiano I really like to vent. No. I feel like I need to vent sometim...

Say Goodbye to these 10 Behaviors for a More Joyful Life True happiness is born of letting go of what is unnecessary -Sharon Salzberg A couple of weeks ago The Vessel put out an article about the 10 behaviors a person has to get rid of to be more joyful. Now I felt attacked by some of the suggestions but they are good practical things to try and remove from your life. With the new year fast approaching, now may be a good time to review what you have going on in your life and what you want to leave behind in 2023.  Their list is as follows: Don’t harbor negativity Don’t indulge in self-doubt Don’t cling to past failures Don’t entertain toxic relationships Don’t procrastinate on goals Don’t ignore your health Don’t shy away from self-improvement Don’t resist change Don’t compare yourself to others Don’t neglect your passions I think I will do a full series on this called the “Joyful Don’ts” because these are all good suggestions that I can dig into, one by one. All in all, the a...

Miracles happen every day! The truth in that statement lies in perspective. The fact that I take a breath that fills my body with oxygen and allows me to live and move and interact with the ones that I love is a small continuous miracle. A child coming into this world is a miracle. Someone taking time to lend a helping hand without expecting anything in return is a miracle. The world coming together for one cause is a miracle.  Miracles happen every day! No matter what state you are in. No matter what problem you are facing. Your miracle could be waiting for you around the corner. Just keep breathing and hoping and moving forward and seeking out the everyday miracles around us.  Stress less tip: Do not stop believing in miracles and the power of one, the power of yourself, the power of people. 

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. -Marcus Garvey If there are no roots then there is no growth, and we as a people, are meant to grow. There are so many quotes out there about forgetting the past or how we should let go of the past or how it has nothing to do with us. I cringe whenever I read those quotes or hear someone speak so carelessly of our past. I understand the sentiment behind it but it seems that sometimes the essence of the message gets lost or jumbled. Knowing who you are and where you come from, goes to along way to help you in building stress resilience. The past has contributed and molded us into the beings we are today. If you wish to understand your current situation, you have to look to the past to understand what actions, choices, and emotions led you here. More importantly, you have to have an understanding of how and why the landscape of your lifes is presently the way it is. The only way ...

I never thought that a lot of money or fine clothes--the finer things of life-- would make you happy. My concept of happiness is to be fulfilled in a spiritual sense. - Coretta Scott King I was watching a documentary and Allison Mack was on the screen. They were detailing how she fell into a cult that had sex slaves. She was one of the main characters in Smallville, a very popular show in the early 2000s. Mack was saying that she seemed to have everything she ever thought she wanted- a great career, money, friends and etc but was still unfulfilled. Regardless of all these things she felt her self wanting more. In essence, Mack stated that she was not happy. I do not know that people, in general, give thought to what happiness is and what it means for them to be happy. To do that is to practice a level of mindfulness and we definitely do not do that enough. Life is to be filled with moments of happiness, moments that bring us joy. Happiness is a feeling that ebbs and flows. I think...

I am not afraid to love myself. I am worthy of all the good things that come to me. Remember to take care of yourself, love yourself and know that it is okay to take some time out for yourself. This is the selfish part. It is okay to be a little selfish, especially if you are busy caring for others whether it be family members, children, friends, your job, or any other responsibility that finds you spreading yourself thin. There is a time when you need to get to know yourself. You deserve it. Love. Love is beyond anything we can understand. Love is explosive. Love is meant to be shared. Loving yourself is just the beginning to loving others. Share the best part of you. Share your love with those who need it. Share your talents with those who will find a piece of happiness in it. Be the love that this world needs.  You are important to this space. You are important to the people around you. You are not alone. You are needed and loved by others. You do not live in ...

What does your presence say about you? Your presence should be a beacon of joy and light or calm. When I worked in the hospital emergency department, I would always check the staffing list to see who I was working with that day. If had to spend the next 12 to 13 hours with a team, I needed to know that  we will get along, work well together, get the job done and have fun. I had to mentally prepare myself if I got stuck with someone who did not contribute to that plan. There were certain individuals that everyone would avoid because working with them proved to be extremely difficult and unpleasant. Their presence convinced us that this was not a person you wanted around. The affect that we can have by those around us can be lasting and phenomenal. We can inspire people to be better or do more. Be mindful on the message you are sending out. Be mindful of the life you are living. What is your presence saying about you? Do you bring joy are do people roll their eyes when they see...

Don't let comparisons steal your joy. -Unknown The only comparison that one should consider is her past self to who she is now to who she wants to be in the future. All other comparisons should be banished away as they may serve to erode away at your self-esteem unless we use them as motivation to get us to the next level. Beyond using it as a motivation tool, comparing yourself to other people in terms of what they appear to have or not have is like practicing magic. The life that other people appear to have is an illusion of the image they want to send out. It is not a realistic view of their lives. It is not a real view of the pain, hurt, or complete feeling of loss they may be experiencing. An outwards appearance, does not take into consideration the genuine ups and downs that everyone goes through.  Do not let anything steal your joy. Joy is precious and comes in spurts. When you have some joy in your life, hold on to it, nurture it, spread it, live in it, and enjoy...

Ever get butterflies when someone you like is around but they do not know it. It has been a long time since I have had a crush but Yuna and Usher capture that feeling really well in their single, "Crush." It is funny watching my kids grown up and go through their crushing phases. How do you tell your kids to cherish these moments. They do not get it. They want to rush through life. Then they will rely on nostalgic songs to remind them of their childhood.

Happiness is the default state of mind. Happiness is not something you pursue; it is something you allow. Happiness is just being. -Chade-Meng Tan We want to be happy. Our bodies want to be in that good place where everything is right and we are content and at peace and happy. However, things get in the way of that state. Half the time, we are fighting against our own happiness. We are not allowing that happiness to come into our lives and grow. We let life circumstances steal our joy by worrying too much about the outcome. It is something that we cannot help. How can we preserve and protect our feelings if we do not anticipate the negative things that can happen? How can we protect ourselves if we do not mount a defense against the unknown? We are supposed to live in the present. We are supposed to remind ourselves that although we plan for the future our happiness and our state of being is now. Worry is the bedrock of stress. Making possible scenarios up and then worrying abou...

These hands  they move slowly  thoughts transform from fragments  floating in my mind onto the  pages -Wanda M. Toby

Where are you spending your energy? Today, put more energy into your dreams to make them thrive. -Vicki Morris. What are your dreams? What are your goals? What is it that you love? Are you engaging in those things? Are you activating that power or are you going through life like a hamster on the wheel, churning out an existence? If you are gainfully employed, making a good living, taking care of yourself, your family, your business or whatever, I applaud you. You are contributing to society whether you are just getting by or making big bank and keeping up with the Jones. I appreciate the value added that you bring to your surroundings by being yourself and actively engaging in this life. It is a wonderful thing and a blessing that many do not have. With that being said, it doesn't mean that you are happy or fulfilled. If you are not, what are you doing about it. My oldest brother is absolutely my hero. He is phenomenal and amazing to me. He is probably one of the smartes...

Sydney Guillaume is a young Haitian composer of contemporary classical music with a work that has been featured across the world. His work has transcended cultural and language barriers, and, at a young age of 34, it seems that he has just started making an impact with his music. I am going to be a stalker for the next week or so, getting to know his works and falling in love with his music. Twa Tanbou, below, was the first work of his I accidentally stumbled upon then found Kanaval . Both have been added to my classical playlist. Please take some time to get to know this artist and spread the word. Classical artist deserve our support as well.

Kanaval composed by Sydney Guillaume A little musical joy. Kanaval score A high school performing his score.

Shonda Rhimes is responsible for four television programs, 70 hours of televsion, 350 million dollars. She is a titan. Her brain is global. Rhimes tells us this in her Ted Talk to demonstrate how much work she actually does. In reality, it demonstrates how much stress she is under. The difference is that she loves it. She poetically tells the audience how much she loves working and how it gives her life- until it doesn't.  This is where the year of yes comes in. Her pull away from the love of all that she does is really her breaking down under the stress. It may have been a run-away stress train, stress unchecked. Whatever it was, she got to the point when she was burnt out. Burn out can happen to any of us, no matter who we are, what we are doing, how much we love it. Rhimes' Ted Talk is about her getting her mojo back (thank goodness her audience did not notice that it was gone). Shonda Rhimes delivery at first seems stoic, even a little stand offish but as she goes o...

The Good Place is a new television show on NBC about a ridiculously selfish person, Eleanor played by Kristen Bell, who accidentally finds herself in the good place, a version of heaven. Check out the review here . We all want to end up in the good place right? In this new series, you get there by a mathetical calculation that weighs your dead, no matter how small, against each other. It is reminscent of Santa's naughty or nice list, except you do not get presents from a jolly, old, fat white guy, you get the gift of eternal life in this awesome heaven. Many of the world's religions have ideas and paths on how people get into heaven or carry on in the after life. But I propose we dispense with those ideas for a moment. As much as I care about the eternity of my spiritual being, I also care about the experience of my present life. The present experience of our mind, body, and soul is equally important as what will happen after in that we are placed here to live, to love, to ...

Unravel - Tokyo Ghoul OP [piano] Creative inspiration is found in many places for me. One of the biggest and most common is music of course. Generally, I am inspired by the arts. Music, though, is universal. My favorite to mellow out to are strings, violin and piano. This little gem has inspired me to stay up way past my bed time and write a couple of flash poems. This is one of those melodies that simply brings me joy. Below are links to the cinquains that I felt compelled to right. Find joy. Live lite. Love Again- httphttp://www.litevi.com/2016/02/love-again

Let Your Smile changes the world Too often, we let the world affect who we are. We let circumstances dictate not only our behavior but our character. Our mood is easily swayed by the negative things that may happen to us. Initial reaction is natural. It cannot be helped. However, what we decide to continue to engage in is a conscious choice. We have to make an effort to move away from negative thinking and reactions to put a positive spin on it.  Decide to alter our negative thought process. Decide to do what it takes to make things better. Smile and push through and do not let circumstances dampen your joy because joy lies within us even through the bad times. Joy is not dead, we have to remember to keep it vibrant.

My Happy Birthday Dance Contrary to what my kids think, mama still got it. I wish they were able to stay up and join me in this little fun. I thought dancing in my 40s would be fun, so here it is. Doing my favorite old school moves and laughing at life, living it the best way I know how despite the ups and downs. Life is too short to dwell on the bad, sad, and regretful things in life. Live and keep breathing and impact change through action the best way you know how, no matter how small. Positive motion and energy is your contribution. Peace, love and dance.

Shine Bright Inside  of you lies a  special kind of awesome  that gleams through your eyes when you smile  at me -WMT