Inherently Happy

Happy Quarter Million - Ep. 453

Being able to mark time and observe accomplishments, no matter how small, 
Is a good way to boost motivation, encourage growth and enhance well-being,
For myself, I write every day, but the longer projects can feel like hitting a wall,
So, I do smaller ones, like this podcast, proving I can finish things, which is freeing.

[full text below]

Ep. 453 - Happy Quarter Million

We begin as always 
with the Happy Creed.

We believe in Happy, 
in Balance and Growth, 
of being Mindful and Grateful,
Compassionate and Understanding.

Yowza
Haha
My Happy Friends!

The Inherently Happy podcast has hit yet another itty bitty milestone,
You know, if you go in for that sort of thing, as it doesn’t really change much,
Just that we can rest assured that those of us who know about it aren’t alone,
And if others find out what you listen to they won’t think you’re out of touch.

A quarter million downloads of this Happy human’s weekly schedule of posting, 
Of reminding myself about things that occupy my mind in any given week, 
Of my intention to try to actively aim for Balance and Growth without coasting,
Not that I can quit my day job or that most people have ever even heard me speak.

But that’s okay, it’s for me, and anyone else who can get something out of it,
So, this tiny celebration of a benchmark is just an appreciation of progress,
It tells me it’s something other people can relate to, and that’s nice, I’ll admit,
But I’d do them anyway as they help me hone my skills, reflect, and decompress.

Being able to mark time and observe accomplishments, no matter how small, 
Is a good way to boost motivation, encourage growth and enhance well-being,
For myself, I write every day, but the longer projects can feel like hitting a wall,
So, I do smaller ones, like this podcast, proving I can finish things, which is freeing.

So, why not commemorate the things you do, especially if it helps you do more things?
We can all get stuck in a rut, wondering if anything we do changes anything at all,
But something as simple as noticing a checkpoint and the gratification that brings,
Can be just the thing to keep you going till you hit the next stop on the long haul.

Haha
Yowza

Happy Safety - Ep. 452

Happy Safety is that feeling we carry within us that tells us that we’re okay,
Even if other people say otherwise, put us down or try to control how we feel,
They can’t touch that part--it’s not theirs, and they have absolutely no say,
It belongs to us, as theirs belongs to them, being common doesn’t make it less real.

[full text below]

Ep. 452 - Happy Safety

We begin as always 
with the Happy Creed.

We believe in Happy, 
in Balance and Growth, 
of being Mindful and Grateful,
Compassionate and Understanding.

Yowza
Haha
My Happy Friends!

Do you feel safe? Safe in your relationships, your workplace, your home?
Do you feel like you’re allowed to make mistakes, to be imperfect, to fail?
Or are you constantly worried you’re being judged, giving you a syndrome?
Where your most embarrassing moments will be used for emotional blackmail?

When I was seven, I was pretty darn carefree. I was popular and life was good,
But then I had a growth spurt, got bit by a dog, lost my cuteness, and all my friends.
I grew nervous and sickly, becoming more of a target than I ever thought I could,
I tried to turn invisible, go unnoticed, but still became a means to villainous ends.

No place seemed safe after that. I was burned by the sun, and frightened by the dark,
Only when I was chased into the cemetery one night by bullies did I finally calm down,
For they were too scared to pursue me, turning a terror zone into my very own park,
A safe haven from the cruel world around me where I could be mayor of death town.

Granted, that may not be everyone’s idea of a safe place, but it certainly was mine,
It was free from angry people who made me feel small, a place I could just be me,
There I didn’t feel overly sensitive or moody or weird, everything I did was just fine,
I could talk to the trees and the headstones and they’d listen to me very quietly.

I eventually went other places, made friends again, grew up, and got on with it,
But whenever I was yelled at, or made fun of, or told I was too much or not enough,
I thought of my safe space where no one could hurt or exclude me or call me a misfit,
Where I was strong and wise and smart and fair and fun and nice and all that good stuff.

Happy Safety is that feeling we carry within us that tells us that we’re okay,
Even if other people say otherwise, put us down or try to control how we feel,
They can’t touch that part--it’s not theirs, and they have absolutely no say,
It belongs to us, as theirs belongs to them, being common doesn’t make it less real.

So, yes, people can be triggering, situations can be scary,
Our hearts can take a beating, and our fears can become extreme,
But having an inner sense of peace doesn’t mean it’s imaginary,
Just as finding comfort in your thoughts doesn’t mean life is but a dream.

Haha
Yowza

Happy Humanity - Ep. 451

Happy Humanity is that thing we all share, 
That balance and growth that comes from within,
It’s the part of us that feels and allows us to care, 
And shows us the Happy Human we’ve always been.

[full text below]

Ep. 451 - Happy Humanity

We begin as always 
with the Happy Creed.

We believe in Happy, 
in Balance and Growth, 
of being Mindful and Grateful,
Compassionate and Understanding.

Yowza
Haha
My Happy Friends!

Do people puzzle you? Do their motivations seem strange, their actions weird?
Well, they shouldn’t. They’re navigating the same Human Condition as you are.
Eating, sleeping, loving, losing--just like the rest of us, since humanity first appeared.
Their methods may vary, but the goals remain universal and unchanged, near and far.

Once you accept this fact, people start making a lot more sense,
Instead of someone being unrelatable and mysterious, they’re human and all too real,
They’re messy and concerned and cautious and intense,
They’re capable of all the things that all the rest of us are, that’s the deal.

My mom used to tell me not to get mad at my bullies for bullying me!
I thought she was cracked! I should pity the poor dears for being so mean?
But she insisted that they were only bullies because people bullied them, probably,
And so they deserved compassion and understanding, which I considered obscene!

But as I grew up, met more people, did a few mean things myself, I understood,
She was right! Meanness comes from meanness, whereas Humanity is our core,
And that’s where Happy lives--within each of us, sometimes hidden, but always good,
We can ignore it if we wish, wallow in our own cruelty, or recall what it was like before.

Before we let the world confuse us, frighten us, and make us think we don’t belong,
But Humanity is all of us--it’s for us, it’s by us and composed of us--we’re the same,
Some big, some small, some old, some young, but all of us Happy and strong,
Just trying to navigate Life moment to moment, which can seem like a shell game.

A scam, a trick, a fool’s gamble where suckers always lose thinking they’re so smart,
But that’s what I’m saying, it’s like that for everyone, for the haves and the have-nots,
We act mean not because we are mean, but because we think we’re playing our part,
Do unto others before they can do unto you, grab the golden apple before it rots!

Happy Humanity is that thing we all share, 
That balance and growth that comes from within,
It’s the part of us that feels and allows us to care, 
And shows us the Happy Human we’ve always been.

Haha 
Yowza

Happy Warning - Ep. 450

Sometimes trying to help by giving a Happy Warning can backfire,
But that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily the wrong thing to do, 
We can only do our best and learn from each pitfall and quagmire,
And if that can help even one person then that is a thing of great value.

[full text below]

Ep. 450 - Happy Warning

We begin as always 
with the Happy Creed.

We believe in Happy, 
in Balance and Growth, 
of being Mindful and Grateful,
Compassionate and Understanding.

Yowza
Haha
My Happy Friends!

I like all different kinds of people be they quiet or loud, normal or weird,
I’ve gone to events, scoped out conventions, and attended discussion groups,
I’ve made friends with all sorts, from the well-respected to the deeply feared,
I’m just looking for connection be it with scientists or touring theater troupes.

Because meeting people from all over allows you to learn from their perspectives,
Some are nice, some are mean, some are at times nice, and other times mean,
But I still consider it valuable and enriching to explore various collectives,
You might just find your next best friend in places you never would’ve otherwise seen.

I’ve met people at art and film festivals, writer’s circles and fanclubs of all sorts,
Some were kind and welcoming to everyone, and others were a little less so,
One such bunch had a truly diverse and respectful membership by all reports,
Until I found out that there were a few bad apples, who others wished would just go.

I try not to listen to gossip, of course, because you never know what’s true,
And this crowd seemed to take safety very seriously, there was even a committee,
If you wanted to attend their gatherings you had to prove you shared that view,
And then several newbies, all of them women, asked me to become a trustee.

I declined, not wanting to judge others or become some sort of guard or cop,
But they kept bugging me, it got to the point where I felt like I wanted to scream,
Why was it so important? And so they told me, and their answer made me stop.
Because, they said, we want at least one non-creepy guy on the Safety Team.

One? You mean there’s not even one? But, they all seem so perfectly cool.
Well, you’re not a girl, they said. Which I had to admit was true, since I’m not,
So, then I felt like I had no choice but to join and so I waded into the cesspool,
And almost immediately I was asked to evaluate others--really put me on the spot.

But that’s what I joined for, so I identified the predators as best I could,
Which the women appreciated, but oddly the guys were less keen on that point,
And pretty soon the word was out that I was spreading gossip--and that’s never good,
The guys turned on me and turned others against me too until I had to blow that joint.

But it wasn’t gossip, you see--if anything, I’d been trying to contextualize things,
Maybe the guys were lonely, or they hadn’t learned how to show respect,
But all they heard was that I was talking about them with all the suspicion that brings,
And I started to sour about the whole place, where I’d only ever wanted to connect.

Sometimes trying to help by giving a Happy Warning can backfire,
But that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily the wrong thing to do, 
We can only do our best and learn from each pitfall and quagmire,
And if that can help even one person then that is a thing of great value.

Haha
Yowza

 

Woefully Happy - Ep. 449

Letting yourself bend helps keep you from breaking, keeps you feeling scrappy,
Sometimes the taste of something bitter can make other things seem sweet,
So, rather than fighting every downturn, you could embrace being Woefully Happy,
And prove to yourself that feeling all your feelings needn't hurt, but makes you complete.

[full text below]

Ep. 449 - Woefully Happy

We begin as always 
with the Happy Creed.

We believe in Happy, 
in Balance and Growth, 
of being Mindful and Grateful,
Compassionate and Understanding.

Yowza
Haha
My Happy Friends!

While I don’t claim to have diagnosable sorrow, I still, from time to time, get sad,
I get tired, overwhelmed, I feel defeated, and wonder when glad times will return,
It’s usually short-lived because I aim for balance and growth even when things get bad,
But sometimes I just want to take a nap and let sleep relieve me of any and all concern.

I treat it like catching a cold because while it may not seem like it at the time,
I know that it will eventually pass and I’ll be okay again, even if I do feel like crap,
Life has a way of keeping things moving, each day there’s a new hill to climb,
Or a new waterslide to race down, a new adventure, challenge, joy, hardship or mishap.

I’ve also had my fair share of deep grief, where I was inconsolable and weepy,
Where everything set me off and I started to develop a phobia against woe,
At those times I didn’t think that anything would fix it, I was beyond sleepy,
I was exhausted and it felt like the world wanted me to give in to the undertow.

But I stuck it out because I always wanted to see what would happen next,
Was it the point just before the big windfall, or was it the end of the road?
Was I about to have all my wishes fulfilled, or was I about to get hexed?
Also I never wanted to give my haters the satisfaction of watching me implode.

So, letting myself bend helped keep me from breaking, kept me feeling scrappy,
Sometimes the taste of something bitter can make other things seem sweet,
So, rather than fighting every downturn, I could embrace being Woefully Happy,
And prove to myself that feeling all my feelings didn’t hurt, but made me complete.

Haha
Yowza

Furiously Happy - Ep. 448

Being a weapon of mood destruction, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,
For it obliterates friends, allies, bystanders and idle passersby,
Eating away at your sense of self, turning setbacks into insanity,
Making the world hate you as you're stuck wondering why.

[full text below]

Ep. 448 - Furiously Happy

We begin as always 
with the Happy Creed.

We believe in Happy, 
in Balance and Growth, 
of being Mindful and Grateful,
Compassionate and Understanding.

Yowza
Haha
My Happy Friends!

I am the son of a mad man, I don’t know if he was insane, but he certainly was mad,
He let every discouragement, frustration and setback drive him to maximum fury,
And while I never appreciated that tactic, there was one advantage that it had,
He could change his mood, to say nothing of other people’s, in a right quick hurry.

He’d be full of fire one moment, and then, once he unleashed it, perfectly calm,
Everyone else was still reeling, but he just went back to what he was doing before,
It’s like his explosive temper was some kind of restorative tonic or curative balm,
And he saw no downside, even as we feared him he thought he was winning the war.

It made me think that there must be something to it, I mean, it seemed to work for him,
So, while I didn’t decide one day to be angry, neither did I avoid it as it grew within me,
If someone picked a fight, I would go berserk and turn it into something rather grim,
And I didn’t care if I got hurt, just so long as when I went nuclear I made them see.

But turning yourself into a weapon of mood destruction, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,
Because it can obliterate friends, allies, supporters, innocent bystanders and passersby,
It can eat away at your sense of self, where every disappointment becomes insanity,
And you can no longer make sense of a world that hates you as you wonder why.

I used to be frequently furious--I thought it was my superpower, but it was an addiction,
So what if people thought I was harsh or caustic, able to burn away their peace of mind,
At least they wouldn’t walk all over me, and they didn’t, they’d avoid me and my affliction,
And then I had no one to blame for my isolation but me, for I had chosen to be unkind.

But it’s not easy to do an about-face and go against what you’ve been doing for so long,
I had to lose more friends, make more enemies, and crash more cars before it sunk in,
And I had to find creative outlets, ways to channel it, make right what I had made wrong,
So, instead of just furious, I became Furiously Happy, redirecting my grimace into a grin.

Haha
Yowza

Happy Burden - Ep. 447

Those things that we blame
For our troubles and our blues, 
Could do with a reframe
If we so choose.

[full text below]

Ep. 447 - Happy Burden

We begin as always 
with the Happy Creed.

We believe in Happy, 
in Balance and Growth, 
of being Mindful and Grateful,
Compassionate and Understanding.

Yowza
Haha
My Happy Friends!

Those things that we blame
For our troubles and our blues, 
Could do with a reframe
If we so choose.

‘Cause the mark of getting over something is not just that we can talk about it, 
But that we can laugh about it, find the humor, and break its hold.
Yet what if it was traumatic, painful and sad? That’s surely more than we can permit!
But that’s exactly how you reclaim your strength, take your self image and remold.

I used to be bullied as a kid, and there were many years when I had no friends,
It wasn’t fair, it made me bitter and angry, reckless, destructive and hateful,
I daydreamed about all my enemies meeting grotesque and violent ends,
But it eventually stopped and I found people I could talk to and I was grateful.

Yet I still obsessed about it, for still it held power,
I was keeping all that fury fresh in my mind,
It still lingered and festered and turned my heart sour,
Making me unpleasant, unfriendly and unkind.

It was stupid, it was silly! Other people had it far worse than I did and didn’t crumble,
Why were my wounds still so fresh, I wondered--even as I was picking at the scabs,
I was doing this to myself! Oh, how my bullies would’ve laughed to see me stumble,
I was doing their work for them, even years later I was leaving myself open to their jabs.

I had to laugh and in so doing I had to let some of that oh-so-familiar ache go,
Pushing off that crushing load became a new source of inner strength,
What had been a constant hardship was turning into a positive energy flow,
And I had to smile at my Happy Burden for it helped bring me to this new wavelength.

Haha
Yowza

Happy Wanting - Ep. 446

Happy Wanting is the healthy ambition that isn’t fueled by spite,
It doesn’t want to see others fail or to take shortcuts or cheat,
It wants a good game, a good challenge, a good fight, 
Because without Happy Wanting life would feel incomplete.

[full text below]

Ep. 446 - Happy Wanting

We begin as always 
with the Happy Creed.

We believe in Happy, 
in Balance and Growth, 
of being Mindful and Grateful,
Compassionate and Understanding.

Yowza
Haha
My Happy Friends!

Imagine something that comes easy to you,
Now think of something that’s much harder to do, 
Does achieving the easy thing mean quite as much
As winning the harder thing that needs just the right touch?

We all want to win things that take effort and skill,
Things that come too easy no longer give us a thrill, 
Even if what we now call easy used to be tough, 
We still strive to achieve more--old triumphs are no longer enough.

But wanting more doesn’t mean we’re doomed to be discontent, 
It’s just how the game is played, it gets harder as we get stronger,
We’d quit playing if it got too easy--there’d be no challenge any longer,
And so wanting more than you have isn’t bad--depending on the extent.

If you want more than you need just so that others can’t have it, 
Then that’s just trying to win by making other people lose,
But that’s not really winning and so it won’t last, you’ll eventually quit,
You’ll stop growing, you’ll turn bitter and become what others call bad news.

Happy Wanting is the healthy ambition that isn’t fueled by spite,
It doesn’t want to see others fail or to take shortcuts or cheat,
It wants a good game, a good challenge, a good fight, 
Because without Happy Wanting life would feel incomplete.

Haha
Yowza

The Happy Challenge - Ep. 445

The Happy Challenge is trying to keep your cool when someone else is running hot,
It’s not for the idle player, you have to be ready to take charge of your own fate,
The one thing each of us has is the ability to choose how we face the life we’ve got,
Do we let it run us? Or do we take control and decide whether we show love or hate?

[full text below]

Ep. 445 - The Happy Challenge

We begin as always 
with the Happy Creed.

We believe in Happy, 
in Balance and Growth, 
of being Mindful and Grateful,
Compassionate and Understanding.

Yowza
Haha
My Happy Friends!

One of the greatest tricks you can learn is how to stay calm when things get wild,
And even simply knowing this trick, doesn’t mean you can always pull it off,
Like anything, it takes practice and intention, you need to be mindful to be so mild,
Because the ability to not take things personally is a superpower--so don’t scoff.

I’m not even saying I can do it all the time, I try--for sure, but I sometimes slip,
I prepare myself for, say, driving by accepting that there will be challenges in store,
Not just maybe, but to expect them with my plans in place before I start my trip,
That way the inevitable difficulties arrive as predicted and I can avoid a war.

I come off as rather silly, high energy--someone you’d never think of as being Mean,
But that’s intentional for I know that even a single bad mood can be destructive,
Especially if that’s someone’s first impression of you--not exactly peachy keen!
And even if no one’s around, bad moods tend to be highly reproductive.

So, here’s a challenge for you--the next time someone is Mean to you, be Nice,
I know you won’t want to--they cut you off, they were disrespectful and rude, 
Are you supposed to just get pushed around? Forget it, pal! No dice!
People can’t just go through life thinking they can give you attitude!

But that’s exactly the whole mindset I’m trying to address here, don’t you see?
Part of the Meanness you attribute to them is actually just a guess on your part,
They might not’ve even noticed you, and were just trying to avoid a bumble bee,
But since the world revolves around you, of course you take everything to heart.

So, maybe it’s better to start small,
Take note of people acting carelessly, but don’t engage,
Start a running count--try to collect them all!
Make it into a little game instead of flying into a rage.

Then build on that practice so that the next time you encounter trouble
You can be ready, you can almost expect it, so it doesn’t turn into a fight,
You’re not the only one who can take things personally--not to burst your bubble,
Are they striving for Balance and Growth? Are they Happy? Or hurt, and filled with spite?

Can you be Nice in the face of someone Mean?
Is it too much to ask? The hardest task you’ve ever seen?
Conversely, have you been Mean in the presence of someone Nice?
It’s okay, I have too, I just try not to do it twice.

The Happy Challenge is trying to keep your cool when someone else is running hot,
It’s not for the idle player, you have to be ready to take charge of your own fate,
The one thing each of us has is the ability to choose how we face the life we’ve got,
Do we let it run us? Or do we take control and decide whether we show love or hate?

Haha
Yowza

Sitting Wisdom - Ep. 444

When life gets fast and you get stressed,
Remember to take a moment to rest,
Take a deep breath, and a good look around, 
Mindfulness is often where peace can be found.

[full text below]

Ep. 444 - Sitting Wisdom

We begin as always 
with the Happy Creed.

We believe in Happy, 
in Balance and Growth, 
of being Mindful and Grateful,
Compassionate and Understanding.

Yowza
Haha
My Happy Friends!

I sat on a bench in town one day 
And could see the shop across the way, 
The sign on the door said “Push” but it had a pull handle too,
So when people walked up to it they pulled because that’s what people do.

From where I sat, I could see the folly of their ways,
For I had a kind of Sitting Wisdom with a calm and steady gaze,
If I were the one in a rush, I might’ve pulled on the handle as well, 
But thanks to my sitting there, the difference I could easily tell.

So, when life gets a bit fast and you start to feel stressed,
There’s nothing quite like taking a brief moment to rest,
So, take a deep breath, and a good look around, 
For mindfulness is often where peace can be found.

And if that doesn’t work, then you can watch people run to and fro, 
And giggle to yourself for they know not where they go,
They pull when they should push, and cry when they could laugh,
The world is far more manageable when you slow it down by half.

Haha
Yowza