Way to Unreasonable Happiness

Dan Millman's book, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, is an amazing journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. It was a very fluid read and an eye-opening experience. The author unveils that the way to Happiness is by being present along the journey. Every step of the journey is important. There are no ordinary moments. There is in actuality no hierarchy, just the illusion based on our preference. So our college graduation is not intrinsically better than the last day of vacation or garbage recycling day or even this very moment. It all matters, because "the Essence of Aliveness matters; the details do not." Beneath all circumstances, thoughts & emotions lies "the innate perfection of one's life unfolding. That is the secret of unreasonable happiness."

Another book I love that delves into the magic available in each moment as it unfolds is Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. Authors Ariel and Shaya Kane explain that if you trade in your preferences for the willingness to be in each moment as it actually is, you will be rewarded with extraordinary well-being. Since reading these works I have had many examples of "unreasonable happiness" in my own life. A recent 6+ hour wait in an airport in Costa Rica, which ended with a cancelled flight and an unexpected overnight stay, became a delightful adventure and an opportunity to set aside my preferences and have well-being. One had only to look at the faces of other passengers to see that this was not the common response to the situation. But as I have begun to engage in each moment, without prejudice, my life has opened up to unexpected sources of actual joy & well-being.

Thing a Week

My friend, Stephen, showed me this totally adorable video based upon a song composed & recorded by a wonderful artist, Jonathan Coulton. For those of you who have never heard of him, Coulton made himself a promise to compose & record one song a week for a year and post each one on his website, and he has been at it for many, many weeks. He calls it “Thing a Week.” I very much admire him because he is really going for his life with gusto and consistency. Coulton is also a very talented musician.

A catchy, cool song of his, Code Monkey, started a trend on Youtube about a year ago and is still going strong. Coulton first recorded the funny and touching song about a programmer in a nameless corporation and posted it on his website. Then an IT expert who works for Adobe made an animated video for the song, using images from videogames & put it on Youtube.
It started to draw a crowd, and this girl, Emily, found the song & made a pajama video of it (a pajama video is when someone dances around his/her bedroom in jammies lip-synching/dancing/interpreting a song in front of a webcam.)
Then Coulton gave a concert and found out Emily was in the audience by coi-incidence. He invited her on stage to re-enact her video as he played Code MOnkey. Anotherfan at the concert, filmed this and posted it on Youtube.

Now, I know there is a lot of pooh on the Internet in general, and Youtube in particular, but this is worth checking out.

Check it out in this order:

Original song + video made by “Spiffworld,” a fan who works at Adobe and spent lots of time animating a cool video for the song.

thh Emily’s pajama video of Code Monkey.

Emily performing her dance live at a Jonathan Coulton Concert in Chicago on December 8th.


I highly recommend that you check out Coulton’s website to hear more great tunes, like Tom Cruise Crazy, You ruined Everything, to hear more great music by Coulton.

Jonathan Coulton had a dream to make music & share it with people. He did not wait until his life circumstances showed up as "perfect." Instead he made a commitment to himself & his desire to create and he kept it. That's Transformation. He made no excuses. And he did it all while being a new Dad! Now I'm sure Coulton had lots of legitimate reasons to skip a week or two, but he chose not to take them and he kept his word.
And along the way, he created something wonderful and has become an inspiration for so many others. That's Transformation too.

Evolution of Dance

Behold, the Evolution of Dance...
What is most wonderful about this clip is how comedian Judson Laipply slides naturally from one dance into the next. He starts off with Elvis Presley and progresses all the way to NSYNC, hitting many musical milestones along the way. It's a very organic journey past Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson's Thriller, the Bangles' Walk Like an Egyptian, Mc Hammer, the Running Man, the Macarena and other favorites.

Santa Chronicles

Merry Merry Christmas!

Do you find it difficult to shop for presents for your loved ones? Stuck on what to get your colleagues or friends? Well imagine Santa's task! Santa deserves major points! Ever wonder what he's up to this time of year?

I invite you to check out a wonderful blog. It's called the Santa Claus Blog, and it is written by Santa. Yes, that guy. I had no idea how taxing his job is and all the different legal hurdles he has to go through to deliver his presents.

I love this blog, and I will be checking in all through the year.

The best gift for yourself: realizing you can't do it wrong!

I wanted to share a great email I received from my friend, Marie Forleo, of "The Good Life." Marie is a Life Coach, a Nike athlete, and a top level Crunch fitness trainer. She is also the author of a terrific book called How to Make Every Man Want You. An audio version will be available soon.

Marie wrote:

I've been speaking with my VIP Private clients and noticed a common set of themes arising. And when more than one person is feeling something, it's usually a cultural current. One of things that people are reporting is a mild sense of sadness. Nothing major or devastating, just a dash of melancholy during what's supposed to be one of the happiest times of the year. So if find yourself feeling a little blue, rest assured you're not alone.
During the Holiday season, we often find ourselves feeling unusually pressured to "do it right." Whether that means buying the "perfect" presents, going to the "best" parties, or having the "right" things to say, many of us are left feeling like we're not measuring up. Add to that the picture perfect images of couples and families you see on TV and it's not surprising we feel like we're coming up a bit short.
(Can you relate?)
Well I've got a suggestion. I think it's time to give ourselves a break, have a good laugh and recognize we can't do it WRONG.
Really.
It's an impossibility for you to do the Holidays wrong. Whether you're having a quiet time at home, a fiesta with friends, or an adventure with your crazy-yet-nevertheless-entertaining family, it will all turn out exactly as it should.
The only question is whether or not you'll give yourself license to relax and enjoy the ride.
Remember, you can only be exactly as you are in each moment. That means you're a perfect you. (Yes YOU!) So accept this as your official "permission slip" to take a deep breath and relax into the rest of your Holiday. Trust that the plans you've made (or not made) and the presents you've bought (or not bought) are wonderfully and deliciously perfect.
If you find your mind racing, slow down and melt into the moment. Be wherever you are. Listen to the people you're with. Enjoy whatever unfolds - even if it's different that what you expect.
I wish you a blessed Holiday season and send a ton of love to you and yours,
xox
Marie

If you would like a copy of Marie's book, you can download the digital version here that comes with a bonus video, transcript and additional ebook!http://www.makeeverymanwantyou.com/

ROFL Cat

A humor break is a wonderful tool to get back into the flow.

If you like cute kittens, check out the rofl cat website here.
If you don't, what the heck is wrong with you? LOL

Enjoy!

Men, Money & Chocolate

A very dear English friend of mine, Menna van Praag, has published a lovely and whimsical book that inspires and delights.

Men, Money & Chocolate is a fable that tells the story of Maya, a young girl who is inspired to go for her life with excellence after an encounter with a mysterious stranger.

Menna explains in her own words,

A little while ago I had an experience that flipped me into three days of enlightenment. Everything became clear. For the first time I could really see people, and knew what they were thinking. Most importantly of all, I could see what stopped them being truly happy.
On the third day I heard three words: Men, Money and Chocolate. It was the pursuit of love, security and pleasure that so often caused people to lose themselves and their chance of experiencing joy.
That day I started to write a book about my experience. Men, Money & Chocolate tells the story of a woman who learns the secrets to enlightenment and discovers how to get what she really wants without losing herself in the process.

You can read more about the book, as well as preview the first chapter on the official website here.

To purchase Men, Money & Chocolate, click here.