Monday Morning Motivator-"BE HAPPY STILL"

"BE HAPPY STILL"

Hey, everybody has something. Something to deal with, something to overcome, something to forget. Everybody has a wound that just won't heal, a part of their heart that just won't mend, a disappointment that pops up from time to time - that flags their energy and curbs their confidence. Or a wrong that just can't seem to get righted. No one gets away "Scot free." (Which, allegedly means "without paying taxes...")

Since I've become an executive and life coach, I've been struck by how resilient people are, how no matter how hard the wind's blowing against them, they're able to tap into some inner force that somehow helps them slide their left foot in front of their right - and keep moving forward.

But it's more than that. It's more than just getting through. There are those people - maybe you're one of them - who figure out a way to be happy. You know what I mean, they find something to get a kick out of, to smile at, to well, enjoy...in spite of it all. Maybe that's why the Greeks wrote great comedies - to balance out their great tragedies. Just think, the same gifted people brought us not only, Oedipus Rex (Sophocles) but, The Frogs (Aristophanes.) And Euripides, that rascal, wove plenty of comedy into his landmark play, Medea, obviously believing that his audiences needed to mix it up a bit...

Frequently, people comment on how much our family seems to like and - enjoy - each other. And we do. Okay, not all of the time, but most of the time. "What's your secret?" they ask. "It must be like, 'values,' right?” “Nope," I say. "It's humor. Humor is what gets us through. We crack each other up. Even some of the 'criticisms' we make of each other, we make with humor.”  

Here’s an example: When our younger daughter, Abigail, was in her teens, I made the mistake of opening the door of her bedroom and was struck by how easy it would be to call the police and say it had been ransacked - and ask them what in the world they were doing to protect our building for heaven's sake! It would also have been easy to "let her have it" about straightening up her room at least once a week (for heaven's sake!) But instead, I said, “Wow! Hey, don't change a thing! It's absolutely perfect the way it is! Seriously, just leave it!" She cracked up - and cleaned up - her room.

And speaking of our daughters, there's a wonderful poem by William Butler Yeats that I quoted at both their Christenings. It's called, "A Prayer for My Daughter" and the line I love is: I pray that ..."she can, though every face should scowl; And every windy quarter howl; Or every bellows burst, be happy still..."

So, figure out a way to be happy, okay? This week. Hint: It’s not that hard if you look for humor in the little stuff... Oh, and go on www.throwoutfiftythings ( click on discussion and reply to the Monday Morning Motivator)and tell us how you did it; we all need to join forces in order to..."be happy still."

Gail Blanke’s Lifedesigns©2012 All Rights Reserved