The Church of Happy Thoughts
the one truly unorganized church
How to Have a Happy Thought
From yesterday, here is where we are.
In this moment we have everything we need.
we have noticed something around us we like.
This morning, I like this ivy plant in the sun on the fire escape,
just outside the window where I am sitting.
and a white candle on the windowsill.
We are not thinking about our trip to the grand canyon tomorrow,
a happy thought indeed,
we are noticing something around us right this moment that we like.
the wind on our face,
anything.
Even if we have to resort to something like
the sky, the stars, somewhere in the vast universe.
But something you hear, feel, taste, touch, see.
right this moment.
We've started to breathe intentionally
though not necessarily ritually.
Just naturally, 1,2,3, in
4,5,6,7 out, pause.
1,2,3, in
4,5,6,7 out.
OR
how ever you do it.
it's all good.
start with deep breaths if you want.
wherever you are this moment.
This may sound, at the very least, elementary.
But, I have found that people sometimes make things hard.
Let's say, actually, I sometimes make things hard.
that aren't, really.
So. Then. The most important thought right now:
At this moment, I have everything I need.
Here we are.
in this moment. really IN it. How if feels, tastes, sounds, looks.
and what we like about it.
(there may be things we HATE about it, but, that's
emergency happy thinking, we will get to that.)
Then, this is where a Happy Thought isn't necessarily visual thinking, or imagining,
although it CAN be...those can be very happy thoughts.
The car you want. how it would feel to drive it.
the life you want, how it would feel to live it.
the person you may want to experience life with, how it would feel to dance with them.
all good.
All visual thinking is probably a happy thought.
but
not all happy thoughts are visual thinking.
A Happy Thought
according to the Church of Happy Thoughts
is envisioning the life you have
right now.
that's actually a huge difference.
When you get done envisioning the life you WANT, and KNOW you can have it because
technically
it is also here and now.
But that gets into another sort of gray realm
for some of us
about not ACTUALLY having that car or life or person
at this moment.
and, well,
that's sort of when you need a happy thought.
So, once you are breathing, happily walking down the street,
or wherever you are
being thankful for whatever you are experiencing,
whatever that is,
that's the perfect time to think about something in your life
that you actually HAVE or Do.
Recently, I had a rather huge disappointment. Of course it involved money.
Money I knew I'd earned, and had been happy about it
and believed I would get and envisioned the trip I was going to take with it,
all good.
Then, something happened completely out of my control that made it not happen.
I was mad, disappointed. confused. somewhat victimized,
I HATE that,
but mostly really really really disappointed.
It actually was rather an emergency happy thinking situation.
I want to share it HERE because it is somewhat important at this point.
I have a grand-daughter. She is perfect in every way.
she lives in Bozeman Montana.
I live in New York City.
A few days before this disappointing money thing happened,
my daughter was telling me about taking her to a little river that they pass
every day on the way to the park.
It's sort of amazing. there are all these little rivers everywhere in Bozeman.
She was not quite one year old.
They stop at this favorite place by a favorite river and put their feet in the water.
The water is clear.
The stones are flat and friendly.
and they just sit there with their feet on the stones and the river running by.
When I think about those almost one year old feet, those darling toes, in the river,
on the flat and friendly stones,
sitting on the lap of my very own baby girl,
it is an amazingly happy thought.
Now, I bring this up because, technically, they aren't HERE, with me in New York
right now.
But, they are right this moment in my thoughts, sitting with their toes in the river.
They are something I HAVE at this moment.
It is possible to actually BE with them,
as soon as tomorrow.
But, knowing that, I can be with them completely today. Right now.
The toes in the river.
I cannot tell you how many times in those several days, dealing with the disappointment,
I went to those toes in the river.
Together with,
"in this moment. I have everything I need."
And, I am loving that ivy plant and the wind rustling it.
the wind I can feel through this open window.
I have coffee.
a candle. Actually it's the little flame I really love.
I have some organic almond butter and a piece of toast.
I can breathe.
Julie
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