For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don't enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are you're not going to be very happy. If someone bases his happiness or unhappiness on major events like a great new job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn't going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness.
~Andy Rooney
This is the essence of the Wabisabi philosophy: finding beauty (and peace and happiness) in the small and simple things - the fleeting things that don't last forever but have the power to make an impression for eternity. Perhaps Andy Rooney was a Zen Buddhist?
But to take this even further, happiness should actually come from within and not be dependent on external circumstances. It takes a certain amount of will to find happiness and to notice the beauty in the world around you. As a mom I want to teach Mayumi not to be disappointed by rainy days, but to find the beauty in it and be grateful for it in the moment. And as a human being I want to embody that kind of attitude.
Hopefully this week, even if you are surrounded by chaos, you are able to notice those small bits of beauty in your life and find happiness in them. And then come back and leave a comment here to share what that bit of happiness was - we could all be uplifted by it!
My happiness right this minute? Okay, I'll admit it - a sleeping baby!
My own little pumpkin
MamaM as a babe.
MamaD as a babe.
2 comments:
I, too, am enjoying the wonderfulness of a sleeping babe right now. Can I extend that happiness into cleaning the kitchen and folding the laundry? Oh, and I have an OB appt. this afternoon. Will work hard to make that a happy moment.
Love that quote!
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