Find a Smile!

Ahh.... The first blog post! That alone could initiate a gleeful grin, couldn't it?


The simple intent of The Happy You is to appreciate, explore and develop that which bring us joy. From the smallest of pleasures to significant moments of ecstasy... we shall enjoy it all together.


That doesn't leave much room for some of the other typical bloggy activities: sassy bitching, finger-pointing, lying, degrading, judging, and generally adding negativity into the web-worldly space we choose to occupy. 


The goal is clear: Document happiness. Do so with much love and acceptance. 


Truly a focus on joy doesn't indicate an ignorance about the ills life can offer. Sometimes the most poignant happiness is captured in the midst of something tragic, unfortunate or heinous. And, sadly, even more frequently there seems to be little gained from the useless malice that occurs. But those discussions and thoughts are for another blog, or a different place and time. 


The Happy You blog desires to be a refuge from the stress and pressure of living a conscious and active life. I firmly believe if you can't find balance between happiness and sadness, light and dark, purity and corruption your own light will burn out too quickly to benefit yourself, let alone the world. To enable one's self to truly recognize the beauty and ugliness of life is to unlock one of the true paths toward empowerment. 


And this is where The Happy You comes into play. How often are we smothered with crime, tragedy, violence, cruelty, apathy toward suffering, and hatefulness? Every day there seems to be a new piece of news regarding our fellow humans, creatures and environment being neglected, misused, abused and destroyed. 


To thrive in the face of adversity requires strength and resilience. Strength and resilience aren't built upon magical moments of pixie dust powered abilities. They are built upon a heartfelt realization that there is more than a single moment or action to define a life, a purpose, a society. There is more to life. Hope can overcome fear. Joy can overpower agony. Love can outwit loneliness. Courage can rise above cowardice. An evolved mind can restrain primitive impulses ignited within our brain. Creation prevails after destruction. 


I'll tell you a story about the name behind The Happy You. A few years ago I was visiting a Chinese & Japanese Buffet with friends. Culinary pleasure abounded for sure. An Asian man and his infant daughter were sitting behind us in their own red cushioned booth. During much of the meal, in the midst of miso soups and vegetable lo mein, the father picked up his daughter and smiled up into her pretty dark eyes. He laughed and let out a sing-songy declaration: Happy you! Happy you! And she was indeed happy. Perhaps the most wonderful aspect of this scene was that the little girl was in good spirits the whole time. This was not done in an attempt to sooth or distract a cranky or hungry toddler. This was an act of pure love and affirmation. It was a recognition and a wish wrapped up in one. Those sentiments stayed with me long after I wandered into the night, full and laughing with my companions. And this is what I wish to send out into the world. 


Happy you!