Welcome to Mirth and Motivation!
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Photo Challenge: SMILE – YOU Matter!
“Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody’s heart.” Anthony J. D’Angelo
Photo Challenge: SMILE – YOU Matter!
Logic – 1-800-273-8255 (LIVE From The 60th GRAMMYs ®) ft. Alessia Cara, Khalid
Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don’t get so worked up about things. Kenneth Branagh
Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you’ll start to see a big difference in your life. Yoko Ono
Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts. Paramahansa Yogananda
SMILE … a loaded word and a powerful act. I was sifting through some old files yesterday and came across a set of photos I took a while back. Looking at them brought back a flood of memories of a time when what was behind the smile was not quite what one would expect. The photos represented an important chapter in my journey through life, and I am grateful I took the leap to jump in feet first. At the time, my marriage had ended, another important relationship had gone south, and I was at my wits end. Truthfully, I was suicidal and had considered a number of ways to put an end to the unbearable emotional pain I was carrying. On a visit to my doctor for a routine check up, I blurted out how down I felt and how I wanted to end it all. He could hear the desperation in my voice, and immediately stopped everything and counseled me to reconsider. At different points in our lives, we might walk through the valley of the shadow of death and it takes the presence of God’s grace and angels in human form to rein us back in… I was fortunate.
I knew I needed help and it showed up. With the encouragement of my doctor, family and friends, I checked myself into a hospital and was under a suicide watch for 10 days. I was in great pain and needed a place to regroup and recover… my cry for help brought a lot of grace and revelations into a very dark period of my life and I fought the demons with every ounce left in my being. I had to do it for my kids and for myself. The doctors and nursing staff were compassionate and attentive, and I stayed committed to my recovery plan. On my release from the hospital, I cut all my hair off… Shedding our hair is symbolic of a cleansing and a release in West African culture; it is done for funerals and recoveries and the inner prompting to shed the weave felt right. Sharing this also feels right and liberating as I come from a culture where such conversations are frowned on. Truth is that by telling our stories, we can save lives and inspire others to step back from the precipice. I wish I could turn back the clock on Andrew’s death. I wish I could stop another person from crossing that divide that separates life from death. If you or anyone you know is in desperate need of help, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255 Your life matters.
“If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love.” Maya Angelou
Photo Challenge: SMILE – YOU Matter!
Walking Trophy (Official Video) by HoodCelebrityy
Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come. Henri Nouwen
As I started to rebuild my life, one of my best friends, Diahann, gave me fortuitous advice. “Go do something fun to lift your spirit and put a smile on your face,” she said. I was baffled. What could I possibly do when I had just pulled myself back from the brink and needed all my energy to figure out my what next? I contemplated it for a few days and the answer came. Go take some upbeat fashion photos and wear your favorite clothes, including that aubergine Azzedine Alaïa jacket you’ve been holding onto forever. I shared my idea with Diahann and she thought it was terrific. I did some searches online, found a photographer in Queens and reached out to her. When I shared my intention with her, to do something fun that would put a smile back on my face, she was all in. We set a date and I was stoked. She suggested I get professional make up done to ensure the entire experience was special… so I did. I found a makeup artist locally and scheduled an appointment for the morning of my photo shoot day.
On the fateful day, I believe it was early summer, I drove out to the studio in Queens and had a fantastic time. Initially, I was tentative and self conscious but, as the day progressed, I got very comfortable and my mood shifted. At one point, her beautiful dog got in on the act and I took one of my most favorite photos holding him in my arms. It was also a reminder of the healing love we experience from pets. Their intuitive love is unconditional. After the photo shoot, as I drove back home, I felt something heavy shift inside of me, and it was replaced with a great sense of joy, gratitude and relief. How could I have even considered ending it all? How do I move forward with a sense of purpose? The emotions flowed and I knew somehow, that everything was going to work out… it would take time but, the healing had begun. I look at the photos above and below and they still put a smile on my face. When we empty ourselves of our emotional baggage and pain, and leave them at the doorstep of faith, all that is left is grace and healing light. Make peace with your pain and find a way to put that smile back on your face. You matter. Your life matters.
Phenomenal Woman BY MAYA ANGELOU
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me. Contd Below via Poetryfoundation.org
Motivation Mondays: BEING HAPPY
“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” Henry Ward Beecher
Motivation Mondays: BEING HAPPY
Want to be happy? Be grateful | David Steindl-Rast
The Ways – Khalid & Swae Lee ( Black Panther)
Lyrics
You can have flaws, be anxious, and ever angry, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world. Only you can stop it from going bust. Many appreciate you, admire you and love you.
Remember that to be happy is not to have a sky without a storm, a road without accidents, work without fatigue, relationships without disappointments.
To be happy is to find strength in forgiveness, hope in battles, security in the stage of fear, love in discord. It is not only to enjoy the smile, but also to reflect on the sadness. It is not only to celebrate the successes, but to learn lessons from the failures. It is not only to feel happy with the applause, but to be happy in anonymity. Being happy is not a fatality of destiny, but an achievement for those who can travel within themselves. Being Happy: Author Anon/Attributed to Pope Francis
What does Being Happy mean to you? Recently, one of my best friends sent me a speech that was purported to have come from Pope Francis. It was beautifully written and touched on all the key elements we need to remember about why being happy is a CHOICE we get to make daily. I was thrilled yet, the researcher in me wanted to make sure it came from the beloved Pope before I could use it. When I couldn’t find it on the Vatican website, I turned to Google, and it became crystal clear that it wasn’t from the Pope; even the poet/author, Fernando Pessoa, some believed had the original attribution fell short. In moments like this, serendipity kicks in… Why did this piece suddenly show up? It was sent to me because I was meant to read it, consider its place in my life and then share it with others. I have done so throughout this post. (see above and below) Give. Give. Give. Why wait for your life to be perfect before you enjoy sunrise and sunset? Our lives are perfectly flawed and that is what keeps us motivated to get up and start our day with hope, joy and promise. Like the water lily, we can be radiant in the midst of dirty pool water… life must go on
My personal journey to being happy has often included unpleasant events, health, personal and other challenges. Yet, every single harsh event has had its silver lining; a reminder to look around and find someone in greater need to help. Sometimes, I could decipher the grace in the grind and at other times, it took friends, family and the occasional stranger to point me in the direction of the good ahead of me. So, I wake up thankful for the gift of life, shelter, family, friendship and the grace that shows up in many other ways. It is easy to look around us and compare our lives to others and bemoan our lack of XYZ. But, what we tend to forget is that everyone has a destiny carved out for them and each of us face our own battles in small and large ways.
Even people we see as perennially happy have their demons they battle quietly. For some, it could be a feeling of insecurity and a need to be loved. For others, it could even be a fear of being found out to be a “fraud.” Until we walk in another person’s boots, we can’t claim to know what makes them tick… The goal then is to focus on our own lives, make peace with our regrets and fears, and choose to find even one person to help and one thing every day to be happy and thankful for.
READ: Happiness Haiku: What Does Happiness Mean To You?
Happiness: A to Z Ways & Words To Express It …
“We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.” Barbara De Angelis
Motivation Mondays: BEING HAPPY
Pharrell Williams – Happy (Video)
To be happy is to stop feeling like a victim and become your destiny’s author. It is to cross deserts, yet to be able to find an oasis in the depths of our soul. It is to thank God for every morning, for the miracle of life.
Being happy is not being afraid of your own feelings. It’s to be able to talk about you. It is having the courage to hear a “no”. It is confidence in the face of criticism, even when unjustified. It is to kiss your children, pamper your parents, to live poetic moments with friends, even when they hurt us. To be happy is to let live the creature that lives in each of us, free, joyful and simple.
It is to have maturity to be able to say, “I made mistakes.” It is to have the courage to say, “I am sorry.” It is to have the sensitivity to say, “I need you.” It is to have the ability to say, “I love you.” Being Happy: Author Anon/Attributed to Pope Francis
How do you fuel your Happiness Quotient? Unequivocally, being present in the life we have, being grateful, and helping others add to our happiness quotient on a daily basis. Instead of feeling side-lined by our desires, worries and wishes, when we focus on the grace in our present moment, we can make choices that enable us to move forward and not stay stagnant. Being present helps us get in touch with our inner voice and feelings and helps us connect with others in an honest way. When we are present in our interactions with others, we not only see them, we hear them and we connect to the emotion behind the words shared. I think we don’t spend enough time being present because it not only takes practice, it requires intention and a level of trust that our inner guide will lift us up and open a pathway to clarity. That level of clarity adds fuel to our happiness quotient because we feel satisfied on a deep level.
Think about it. How often do we say: I will stay open to the possibilities in my life today? Staying open to the possibilities doesn’t mean abandoning our daily schedule. It means becoming acutely aware of our exchanges, effort and our thought patterns. Instead of judging everyone and everything that crosses our path, try honoring them. Send a kind thought, a healing word, a friendly smile, a helping hand and watch the outcome without expectation of how/what/when. Give it a chance and the results might surprise you.
For instance, yesterday, as I drove to work related appointments, I had two separate experiences of other drivers making rather sudden and dangerous moves in front of my car. One driver pulled out from a side street without stopping at the red sign. Both times I was grateful that an accident was averted and that I was present, attentive and not distracted or impatient. In both incidents, I felt a burst of gratitude and joy that all turned out well. The same approach applies to other areas of our lives. When we turn our attention to a chore, a conversation, or an assignment, we perform better when we are present and our whole being feels the happy charge that comes from doing our best work. Even if the final outcome doesn’t bring a certain result, we know we gave it our best shot and being happy/grateful resides in that effort.
READ: Motivation Mondays: HAPPINESS
Happiness: The Candle Never Decreases By Being Shared…
Musings: Waiting To Be Happy…?
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for MAR 2018/APR 2018 are:
03/04 – Women’s History Month, National Nutrition Month, Irish-American Heritage Month, American Red Cross Month, 08 International Women’s Day, World Kidney Day, 04 Academy Awards
03/11 – 11 Daylight Savings, 14 Pi Day, 15 World Consumer Rights Day, 17 St Patrick’s Day
03/18 – 19 St Joseph, 20 International Day of Happiness, 21 World poetry Day, 22 World Water day, 24 Earth Hour
03/25 – Palm Sunday, 29 Holy Thursday, 30 Good Friday, 31 Passover
04/01 – 01, April Fool’s Day, 02, Autism Awareness, 06, International Day Sport Development Peace, 07, World Health Day,
04/08 – 10, National Siblings Day, 10, Equal Pay Day, 12, Holocaust Remembrance Day
04/15 – 17 Tax Day
04/22 – 22, Earth Day, 23, World Book Day, 27, Arbor Day
01/29 – 29, International Jazz Day
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2018?
– Join the Daily Post Post-a-day or Post-a-week Challenge.
— Join the BlogHer Writing Lab
Photo Challenge: RISE & SET
“If you are in a beautiful place where you can enjoy sunrise and sunset, then you are living like a lord.” Nathan Phillips
Photo Challenge: RISE & SET
Photo Challenge: RISE & SET
Swae Lee – Hurt To Look (Audio) ft. Rae Sremmurd
For this week’s photo challenge, called RISE/SET, we turn to the rising and setting sun. We could choose to present one or try what I did… you can choose to show both. I hope you like them. The setting sun is below and on the left, and the rising sun is above and all on the right side of the frame… What are your favorite times of the day? I love both but I think sunset shows better…
“What breaks in daybreak? Is it the night? Is it the sun, cracked in two by the horizon like an egg, spilling out light?” Margaret Atwood
Photo Challenge: Sunrise – RISE & SET
Photo Challenge: Sunset – RISE & SET
Photo Challenge: RISE & SET
Drake – God’s Plan
HEARTWORK BY Suzy Kassem
Each day is born with a sunrise
and ends in a sunset, the same way we
open our eyes to see the light,
and close them to hear the dark.
You have no control over
how your story begins or ends.
But by now, you should know that
all things have an ending.
Every spark returns to darkness.
Every sound returns to silence.
And every flower returns to sleep
with the earth.
The journey of the sun
and moon is predictable.
But yours,
is your ultimate
ART.
More Below! Read more…
