Happiness is for the birds!

April 9, 2008
BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

Today, I experienced a couple of traffic jams that delayed me on the highway and caused me to get home later than normal. When I got home, I found out that we had no heat and hot water. I called the oil company and they sent someone to our home to repair it. Does all this make me unhappy? It doesn't, because I dealt with all of it at the time. I exercised my best options and choices by remaining happy, while confronting these obstacles to happiness. As a result, I solved all my problems for the day. The fact is that it is all in the past, it is over and I can think about the things that bring me happiness.

For the very first time in my life I had a Tufted Titmouse, (a tiny cute grayish colored bird) land on my hand the other morning to have a little breakfast. Until now, I have only had Black-capped Chickadees landing on my hand to be fed. Every morning, I have a large group of wonderful birds join me outside my kitchen window. I am greeted by Chickadees flying back and forth in front of me by my window. I open the door and feed them, as well as Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatches, European Starlings and one American Crow as well as many other kinds of birds.

What does all this have to do with happiness? It makes me happy to connect with nature. I really appreciate the natural beauty right in my own backyard. How fortunate I am to be able to see all these wonderful animals so close to me while enjoying their freedom. Each of us has our own connection to something that brings us happiness. If being in nature brings happiness for you, than you know exactly what I am writing about.

I guess you might say that my happiness is "for the birds." I know that's a play on words, but birds are a beautiful natural form of happiness for me. In fact, I love seeing all animals. I find that it is such a feeling of being connected to the world we live in, to be close to animals and nature. Some of the greatest times of my life have been spent outdoors. Now that spring is here, it is a great idea to get out and take a hike on a nice day.

Give yourself a chance to get closer to nature, because it is a very refreshing and liberating thing to do. We should all spend time doing things we love to do. It is also important to spend a little time by ourselves. Taking a walk outside is a wonderful way to do that. I know people who go to the beach for fifteen minutes, just to connect with themselves, nature and their spirituality.

Spending time in nature is a wonderful way to relieve ourselves of stress. There seems to be a special flow of energy from the natural surroundings we put ourselves into and the connection to our inner being. For many of us, the world of nature is right outside our doors. We have to let ourselves out to be part of it. I think it is a good thing to think about nature and enjoy it. Think about how important nature was for us when we were kids growing up. We were fascinated with everything that moved. It is never too late to be the kid we used to be again and immerse ourselves in the world of natural beauty.

We don't have to find a flower to see the beauty of nature. Beauty is all around us if we learn to look for it and let it in. The beauty of a leaf on the ground can be just as beautiful as a flower. If we don't compare things, we can find beauty in everything. As human beings, we can translate all this beauty into a gratitude for life. I have found nature to be a wonderful teacher. All I had to do was keep my mind and my eyes open, feel connected and it was all revealed to me.

Happiness is for the birds and it is also for you to enjoy! May you experience happiness in all you do and share it with all you meet! It is in your nature to be happy.

Our next Happiness Club meeting is Thursday, April 17, 2008, from 7:00-9:00 P.M. The presentation will be Balance: The Key to Happiness by Barbara Scala JD. Barbara will speak about living a life in balance and being true to yourself. Discover 5 ways to find balance and bloom! Join us to explore how to find your "center" to have better relationships, optimal health, enhanced productivity, greater personal satisfaction and more joy in your life. Barbara is the co-author of Sanity Savers and is a Transition Facilitator with Bloom Services LLC. The meeting will be held in the Rotary Room, at the Fairfield Public Library, located at 1080 Old Post Road. There is no charge for the meeting and everyone's welcome!

Lionel Ketchian is the founder of the Happiness Club and can be reached at PrintLRK@aol.com. The website is www.HappinessClub.com