The “Happiness is Within You” story is a fable about a man who travels to a far-off land in search of happiness. He meets a wise old man who tells him that happiness is not found in distant places, but rather within oneself.
The wise man tells the traveler to seek out a certain tree in a nearby forest, which is said to hold the secret to true happiness.
The traveler searches for the tree, but when he finds it, he is disappointed to see that it looks like any other tree.
The wise man appears again and tells the traveler to cut the tree down and open it up. Inside, the traveler finds nothing but plain, unremarkable wood. Confused and frustrated, he asks the wise man what this means.
The wise man tells him that the true secret to happiness is not in external objects or circumstances, but rather in our own perception and attitude.
Happiness is not found in material things or in achieving external goals, but rather in cultivating an inner sense of peace, contentment, and gratitude.
The story is often used as a metaphor for the idea that true happiness comes from within, and that external factors can only provide temporary pleasure or satisfaction.
The lesson of the story is to focus on cultivating inner peace and contentment, rather than seeking happiness in external objects or circumstances. Love and Blessings
Sir Winston Churchill took three years getting through eighth grade because he had trouble learning English. It seems ironic that years later Oxford University asked him to address its commencement exercises.
He arrived with his usual props. A cigar, a cane and a top hat accompanied Churchill wherever he went. As Churchill approached the podium, the crowd rose in appreciative applause. With unmatched dignity, he settled the crowd and stood confident before his admirers. Removing the cigar and carefully placing the top hat on the podium, Churchill gazed at his waiting audience. Authority rang in Churchill’s voice as he shouted, “Never give up!”
Several seconds passed before he rose to his toes and repeated: “Never give up!” His words thundered in their ears. There was a deafening silence as Churchill reached for his hat and cigar, steadied himself with his cane and left the platform. His commencement address was finished.
Love and Blessing Friend and remember "Never Give Up!" Hugs
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand: The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly.
“May today usher a new beginning into your life. Things will start falling in the right place for you. The day is loaded with blessings for you, what are you waiting for, go get them. Have a blessed morning.”
Being and BreathingPin
After spending nearly every waking minute with Angel for eight straight days, I knew that I had to tell her just one thing. So late at night, just before she fell asleep, I whispered it in her ear. She smiled – the kind of smile that makes me smile back –and she said, “When I’m seventy-five and I think about my life and what it was like to be young, I hope that I can remember this very moment.”
A few seconds later, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. The room was peaceful – almost silent. All I could hear was the soft purr of her breathing. I stayed awake thinking about the time we’d spent together and all the choices in our lives that made this moment possible. And at some point, I realized that it didn’t matter what we’d done or where we’d gone. Nor did the future hold any significance.
All that mattered was the serenity of the moment.
Just being with her and breathing with her.
The Moral of the Story: Our days are made up of fleeting moments. In a split second, these moments are gone. Do not let external pressures or stress keep you from appreciating the little moments that make life beautiful. Every day is a miracle, from the moment you open your eyes in the morning and close your eyes at night.
I shall pass this way but once perhaps, in life’s eternal turn, Let me make of it what I can, do my best to learn.
Seek out the truth, be kind to all, consider what I am, Try to be what I should be, forever an honest man.
You are what you are and have made yourself, no less nor great than this, Be what you are, be true to all, not in ignorance, bliss.
Know yourself, know others too, understand it all, Seek out a meaning where none is known, avoid a heady fall.
Life is but a transient phase, in some eternal plan, Where for a time, we pass the time, as humans only can.
Waste not the chance for life is short, it may not come again, Although, perhaps, with circle’s turn, revolving, as a game.
Enrich the soul, build it strong, seek out a higher know, Give freely that of what you are, be not afraid to grow.
I shall pass this way but once perhaps, follow me be true, But follow your own path, the one you’ve made, don’t be me, be you
Time flies and memories fade. People change and new friendships are made. Only the true remain forever at our side. Eventually the disappointment and pain will subside.
It is all about the journey and what has yet to come. Life is what you make of it; you are what you've become. Life is too short to hold onto regrets. Forgiveness is key even though you may never forget.
Cherish the good and remove the bad. Some people don't realize till it's gone what they've had. Moving on is a way of life. There will always be obstacles, pain, and strife.
You must believe that you are strong enough to fight. You have to believe in yourself to do what is right. Always do for YOU no matter what you do, Because in the end the only one who has your back is you.
Never be afraid to take a stand, And always be willing to lend a helping hand. A little bit goes a long way. All it takes is a smile to brighten someone's day.
Your chance to live is now, so what are you waiting for? The world is yours for the taking and so much more. Endless possibilities are forever at your disposal. The chance to live another day is life's golden proposal.
Never let anyone tear you down, And never let anyone steal your shine and make you frown. So will you sit in the shadows and let darkness win again? Or will you rise up and make the light your friend?
Here is your chance, so what will you do? You've got this because I believe in you!
Like many others at the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, I was suddenly working remotely, socially distancing from family and friends, and leaving the house only for trips to the grocery store. I craved the ability to get out and escape the overbearing presence screens had in my life.
That‘s when I discovered my love of camping. Weekend camping trips let me take advantage of the gorgeous freshwater springs, trails and nature preserves in my area.
I felt the difference almost immediately — out in the woods I wasn’t scrambling for my phone or thinking about work deadlines. My attention span seemed to lengthen and level out. I relaxed. I came home feeling rested and a little more cheerful, and these trips became a way to manage the stress of the pandemic.
Aside from a nice weekend getaway, what I was actually experiencing were the benefits of nature on my mental health — something researchers and healthcare providers have long noted.
“There are many studies that demonstrate how spending time in nature can improve mood, lower anxiety, and improve cognition and memory,” says Mayo Clinic nurse practitioner Jodie M. Smith, APRN., C.N.P., D.N.P., M.S.N. “Making time for nature is important in order for us to maintain resiliency and promote self-care in a world that demands a lot from us.”
Below, Smith discusses exactly why nature is so good for your mental health.
How does nature benefit mental health?
First and foremost, Smith says that nature can be an effective tool to manage stress.
“Stress stimulates our sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for increasing our blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar in order to react to a stimulus that is causing us stress,” says Smith.
And while not all stress is bad — for example, stress can motivate you to meet a work deadline or keep an eye on your kids at the pool — prolonged or chronic exposure to stress can chip away at your emotional and mental well-being.
But nature may be able to combat stress and its effects. For example, one study showed that exposure to nature can regulate the sympathetic nervous system in as little as five minutes.
“This means that we can get an almost immediate benefit from stepping outside,” says Smith. And doing so on a recurrent basis may prevent cumulative effects from stress, which could mean a lower risk for chronic disease, illness and mortality.”
Even for those without serious mental health conditions, nature may help you manage emotions like loneliness, irritability and possibly even road rage.
Finally, there is evidence that nature exposure is associated with better cognitive function — like memory, attention, creativity and sleep quality.
But perhaps the best part is that nature makes it easy to soak in these benefits.
“Being present in nature doesn’t ask or require anything of us, so it frees up our mind to think more deeply and clearly about things,” says Smith.
Next time you’re outside, take a moment to listen, touch, smell. Notice the environment around you and simply be present
Root Yourself in Nature
Walk barefoot in the grass. Go hug a tree, it will feed off your negative energy and recycle it into positive energy. Sit a while and listen to the birds. Nature knows how to raise energy effortlessly—follow her lead.
So here we are, at the edge of a new season, not just in nature, but in spirit. Let’s leave behind what no longer serves and step into what’s possible.
Somebody asked me recently what do I think about the people out there who are seen as failures by their peers. (The definition of failure can be different from one person to another). I know that there are people who are being very patient while working on themselves, or an important project that hopefully will result in them achieving their dreams. They do this silently and diligently. They may appear to be failing but, they the are far from failing and diligently working towards their goal.
Beware of judging others. Because you never how things will turn out. I have seen this happen so many times. May I leave you with this, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race ” Calvin Coolidge.
Blessings and Love... Carol Anne..
You are powerful. You are needed. And you are never alone.
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