Happy Thought for the Day: Spreading Seeds and Growing Things

 Ponderings  3 Responses »
May 082013
 
My happy thought for today




I have to say, Spring seems to have arrived at exactly the right time for me. I was in a bit of a gloomy space, and the weather in the recent past hadn’t helped that much. However, spring came right when my life switched into a higher gear. Things are happening, and it kinda blows my mind.

Take, for example, the fact that I put together a Windows 8 app last night. Yes, I’m actually a registered Windows 8 developer now. That says nothing about my skill level, but the fact that I put one together, even with a tool that did most of the work, is rather surprising to me. I never pictured myself as a developer of any sort, but it seems that the world is challenging that view of myself and proving that even in my 30s this old dog can learn new tricks.

So, my happy thought for today is the idea that our ideas of what we are capable of can be proven wrong. The world is more open to us than we think, and while that can be a little bit terrifying, it is also tremendously exciting.

Happy Thought for the Day: The Universe Has a Sense of Humour

 Ponderings  3 Responses »
Apr 232013
 




Well, the craziness that has kept me on my toes lately hasn’t lightened up much, but I’m taking comfort in one fact – the universe has a sense of humour.

Today had moments of such bizarre activity around me that I couldn’t help but to laugh. Laughter is healing and incredibly stress relieving, so as weird as life still is, I feel a lot better.

I think it’s too easy for some people to get wrapped up in the seriousness of situations. I don’t mean to make light of problems or stressful situations, but the universe is an incredibly bizarre place. Sometimes, if you can take a different viewpoint for a moment, you realize how incredibly funny it can be. That momentary alignment with the humour of the universe can do a world of good for your mind and your soul.

This might just be back-seat philosophizing by a former stand-up comedian, but I rather think that being in touch with the humour of the universe is why some of the incredibly wise people like the Dalai Lama are always smiling. It’s something I aspire to in a way.

Well, even if the world is still weird, at least it’s weird in a funny way for me. What’s keeping you smiling or laughing lately?

Happy Thought for the Day: Sinking your Teeth into a Challenge

 Ponderings  1 Response »
Mar 292013
 




In case it wasn’t abundantly clear in my happy thoughts list from yesterday, I am on a long weekend.

Today I had the absolute luxury of digging into things around the house. House cleaning takes time, and often I find that I only have the time to do a surface clean of the house. Everything still gets clean, but there’s something satisfying to moving furniture and re-arranging rooms. It’s the feeling you get when you have the chance to sink your teeth into a challenge and not just touch upon it.

I love getting time to deal with things the way I truly want to deal with them. It’s a luxury, and one I’m shamelessly enjoying this weekend.

Happy Thought for the Day: Random Adventures

 Ponderings  2 Responses »
Mar 202013
 




Normally I try to be a good boy on week nights. I try to get home and get to sleep at a reasonable hour.

Then, I realized that I completely suck at sleep, and if I’m not actually missing sleep, why not get out? So, this led to me going to ideaBoost at the SteamWhistle Roundhouse.

I also saw this adorable video from a startup called Ramen Party:

Ramen Party Music Video from Ramen Party on Vimeo.

This made me smile and I hope it does the same for you!

Happy Thought for the Day: Using your Voice

 Ponderings  2 Responses »
Mar 112013
 




Speaking up for yourself in the face of opposition or uncomfortable situations is often about as fun as elective surgery. While some people seem to thrive on conflict, most people dislike it and treat it as a necessary evil (when they’re not avoiding it altogether).

Using your voice isn’t an easy thing for some people. However, that moment when a shy voice reaches out to fill the silence is a powerful one.

Unfortunately, the people who have the greatest ease in using their voice are too often the ones with their voicebox disconnected from their brains. Don’t let those people define the world we live in. Raise your voice to join the chorus that shapes your world and all of our worlds.

Using your voice takes back your power and gives you some measure of control.

Happy Thought of the Day: Laughter

 Ponderings  3 Responses »
Feb 262013
 




While I’m a huge fan of TED Talks as ways to pass the time, part of the beauty of the Web is that you have access to literally anything.

Today, on the bus ride home, I was feeling a bit down, so I listened to stand up comedy off of YouTube for most of the bus ride home.

It was a long ride home, but it passed incredibly quickly. The other people on the bus probably thought I was crazy, but I couldn’t care less. I was having a fantastic time, and I got home feeling a whole world better than I had at the start of my trip.

When was the last time you took a while just to laugh?

Happy Thought of the Day: Making Good Things Happen

 Ponderings  1 Response »
Feb 252013
 




Today was one of those amazing days where I got to have a real impact in the lives of some people. My decisions made the lives of some other better and nicer.

I don’t know what tomorrow might bring, but today was an excellent day. A simple day, but a very good one.

May you have many days like this.

Happy Thought of the Day: My Han Solo Year

 Ponderings  1 Response »
Feb 212013
 




I always thought I dealt well with birthdays, but I confess that I am getting a bit more grumpy about them as I grow older. Not to sound too cliched, but time really does seem to be passing by at an incredibly fast speed these days. So, as we approach the end of March, I can’t help but to think about my birthday coming up in June.

I’ll be turning 35. I’m not on death’s door, but it’s a bit hard to have happy thoughts about that. Or, at least it WAS a bit hard, but now I’ve found my happy thought about getting older.

When he stared in the first Star Wars movie in the iconic role of Han Solo, Harrison Ford was 35 years old.

Wow.

When I think back to my childhood when I watched Star Wars, I never thought of Han Solo as old. He was a bit of a stick in the mud at times, but he had fantastic adventures, and was always up for getting into mischief. A lot of words can be used to describe Han Solo, but old was never one of them in my mind.

So, rather than get glum about getting older, I am officially declaring my 35th birthday to be the beginning of my Han Solo year. I shall try to be act somewhat like an adult and be aware of dangers and troubles, but I will still make mischief, chase adventure, and lead a life worth being envied.

This seems like a much better plan. Perhaps 35 needn’t be as depressing as I thought!

Which movie characters did you idolize as a child? Have you ever thought how old the actor who played that role was?

Happy Thought for the Day: Figuring things out for yourself

 Ponderings  2 Responses »
Feb 192013
 




I really love the feeling of figuring out something for myself. I was puzzling with a problem tonight, and I managed to figure out the solution. It’s a combination of triumph, pride, and feeling incredibly smart all rolled up into one.

It’s a simple thing, but the sensation of figuring things out for myself is my happy thought for the day.

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