Happiness to me is...

From The Shadowwolf on DeviantArt.

Reflection and contemplation can sometimes come at the most unexpected moments and seemingly without reason (although I don't believe anything happens without purpose...but I digress).

I was sitting in my office today busily working on getting my teaching materials all buttoned up while listening to background music when a "song" prompted me to pause and listen with intention. I say "song" because it was really spoken word set to music. It was hauntingly beautiful and it elicited an almost yearning sensation in me. The "song" was called "Happiness" from the Spoken Word Album by One Hello World. He does some very interesting stuff. Check out his blog and SoundCloud site.

Happiness.

What is happiness for me? I certainly cannot fully capture it in a blog post. Nor with the written or spoken word. So I'll just have to list some things that bring me happiness.

Simplicity, hearts connecting, fellowship with community, loving and being loved, in tune with natural rhythms, the feeling after a good cry, helping others, giving freely, being fully immersed in music, feeling the spirit move within, a fine single malt Scotch or craft beer, time in reflection, everything about water, the feeling of a fish on the end of my line on a fly I tied, standing atop a mountain after a hard hike and taking in everything [EVERYTHING!], contemplation in an alpine meadow, smokey sunsets, laying under the stars and thinking about life and meaning, the smell of fresh rain, watching clouds, and so many other things.

In three words - LIVING FULLY ALIVE!

What is happiness for you?

River teeth, reaching out and the resilient heart

Much like a sculptor chips away at and reveals the true beauty of an object or a water-tumbled river tooth - a branch that's been churned in a river, stripping away all the outer layers until what's left is its true core, the heartwood, the strongest part of the tree - the peeling away of the layers built up around our heart hurts something fierce. But the tumbling of our heart, and the stripping away of the scars from all the injuries - while it hurts incredibly bad and exposes our vulnerabilities - also leaves us with a much stronger and resilient heart. Throughout this process, the process of letting them feel the true weight of who you really are, our friends will be reminded of what it means to be truly alive. In that reminder, true friends will reach out to you in support, compassion and steadfast love. And the healing will come.

Young river teeth.

You may think you're connected, plugged in, friends with many. But there is no substitute for actual, real, face-to-face communication and connecting with others (no, not Facetime or G+ hangout or Skype or...). It can be a simple, friendly touch, a brief hug, a raised eyebrow or smile, a kind word or a deeply-connecting conversation. The spectrum is beautiful. And the act truly powerful. So reach out to others. Like the ripple from a pebble tossed into an expansive, glassy pond, you may never know how much of an impact your reaching out - that simple, caring act - will truly have.