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A place you fear can become a sanctuary, What once was dark and filled with fright, Turning your imagination into something scary, Can look completely different in a different light. [full text below]   Ep. 477 - Pleasantly 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! There’s a cemetery at the end of Pleasant Street, A place that terrified me when I was a kid, I feared the ghosts and monsters I might meet, So after dark, staying far away is just what I did. But the living scared me more than the dead ever could, And one evening some bullies chased me home from school, So I ran as fast as possible through a damp and tangled wood, Until I reached that cemetery—thus breaking my cardinal rule. I ran inside just as the streetlights came on, Then turned around and saw my pursuers stop short, They stalled beneath the light, while in the darkness I was gone, Because, unlike with me, the dead weren't their last resort. The place I'd feared had suddenly become my sanctuary, Not because the cemetery had somehow changed that night, But because sometimes what seems frightening and scary, Looks completely different when seen in a different light. Haha  Yowza

Being sorry doesn't mean you can't still learn to be better,  To avoid the same mistakes, like a real go-getter, And set an example—if just for yourself, be your own pacesetter. [full text below] Ep. 476 - Happy Better 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! Some will apologize for things not their fault,  Others won’t say sorry even for assault, But apologies are just words, not precious items in a vault. The real value comes from not just saying sorry, but in making amends, That’s the kind of accountability and respect that can turn enemies to friends, And keeps mindful growth intentional instead of made from odds and ends. Sometimes, however, the damage is done, You can’t undo the past, or go back to square one, There’s no way to fix it, for the race has been run. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still learn to be better,  To avoid the same mistakes, like a real go-getter, And set an example—if just for yourself, be your own pacesetter. Haha Yowza

You can be a good person without saying Yes to every request, Spreading yourself too thin keeps you from doing your best, And sometimes goofing off can help you recharge and reset, Even telling people No when needed can be the safest bet. [full text below] Ep. 475 - Imperfectly 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 have never, nor will I ever claim to be a saint, And anyone who thinks I am one—well, I assure you, I ain’t. Sainthood takes sacrifice, making it too tough a gig, of course, Only doing those things that register as being a positive force. For the rest of us we just do our best and sometimes a little less,  Aiming for perfection is a great way to make an utter mess, But that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily broken, crazy or bad,  Like everybody else we’re just trying to keep from going mad. You can be a good person without saying Yes to every request, Spreading yourself too thin keeps you from doing your best, And sometimes goofing off can help you recharge and reset, Even telling people No when needed can be the safest bet. You can have bouts of bitter, grouchy, cranky spite,  Be all out of smiles for a while, ready to pick a fight, And it doesn’t suddenly make you unworthy or wrong, Just don’t start thinking it weakens what makes you strong. Haha Yowza

A Happy Obstacle isn’t something that is necessarily easy to overcome,  It’s something you understand before tackling either in part or total sum. Like, a door is a wall, until you find the handle. The night an abyss, until you light a candle. [full text below] Ep. 474 - Happy Obstacles 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! A Happy Obstacle isn’t something that is necessarily easy to overcome,  It’s something you understand before tackling either in part or total sum. Like, a door is a wall, until you find the handle. The night an abyss, until you light a candle. At my day job, I was told a student employee would work “the end of Summer,” I took it to mean “and then no more,” but it meant “then Fall, Winter and Spring.” So, I separated them before they were done—oops, bummer, And had to do some extra steps to try and undo the whole thing. No big deal, granted, though I still don’t like making extra work, of course,  But I made a joke about it, saying “I blame the English language for being vague!” “Damn English!” I said, quoting Joan of Arc—probably—atop her war horse, Leading France into battle to push back the occupying English plague. So, rather than consider every misstep an omen of disaster and doom,  Try to check and see If it really is what it appears to be, And not just an unlocked door into a poorly lit room. Haha Yowza

Happy Suffering is not enjoying pain, But knowing that it can remain,  And living on despite the strain. [full text below] Ep. 473 - Happy Suffering 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! If something hurts today, it may just go away,  If it hurts tomorrow as well, it can start to feel like hell,  But if it’s there every time you wake, it becomes a background ache. Sudden pain demands attention, but ongoing pain barely gets a mention. It’s something you learn to accommodate, not surrender to but habituate, Which means becoming accustomed, like it’s a lifestyle, not just once or once in a while. So, first you have to discover what type of suffering you’ve got, simmering or very hot, Then you determine if you need treatment or a coping skill, a fix or strength of will, If treatment, then it may improve, but if you must cope, it doesn’t help to mope. If you have discomfort that’s always there, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care, But that you can learn to ignore, like closing a window or shutting a door,  It carries on while you live out front, living large not like a runt. Happy Suffering is not enjoying pain, But knowing that it can remain,  And living on despite the strain. Haha Yowza

Ever notice how a deadline can be just the thing To focus your attention when going for the brass ring And all the excitement that that can bring? [full text below] Ep. 472 - Deadline 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! Ever notice how a deadline can be just the thing To focus your attention when going for the brass ring And all the excitement that that can bring? Sometimes what makes you bleed,  Pushes you to what you need,  At low drag and high speed. That’s what it means to be Deadline Happy,  To do the work and make it snappy And keep it all from getting sappy,  But, like with anything, it can be overdone,  Robbing the peace and stealing the fun, Then the kind of joy you’ll have is none. Haha Yowza

I have a tendency to obsess, And while I know this very well,  It changes little (and sometimes less). The grind of deadlines can be hell, Resulting in turmoil, noise and stress, Imposing my own exile in a dungeon cell. But then I think of Happy, yes, And its power to both uplift and dispel The joyous and the horrible, both of which I possess. [full text below]   Ep. 471 - Obsessively 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 have a tendency to obsess, And while I know this very well,  It changes little (and sometimes less). The grind of deadlines can be hell, Resulting in turmoil, noise and stress, Imposing my own exile in a dungeon cell. But then I think of Happy, yes, And its power to both uplift and dispel The joyous and the horrible, both of which I possess. Haha Yowza

I became Risk Happy as it instilled a sense of leaning into danger and fear, I used to be afraid of everything, because I thought it kept me safe and secure, Dog bite? Fearing dogs can help! Unless you panic when even puppies draw near, Now I see risk as something to learn from, not avoid just because it feels unsure. [full text below] Ep. 470 - Risk 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! What if the thing you're too scared to risk losing gets lost anyway? Once you realize how little control you have it can actually be quite freeing. When I was a kid I went from popular to outcast in what seemed like only a day, I thought if I toned myself down they’d like me, but they despised my entire being. So, there was nothing to be done, I wasn’t going to stop existing for their sake, And it allowed me to actually be the me I had always been too afraid to be, I wanted to fit in—up until the moment I realized I never could—unless I was fake, And no one’s acceptance is worth that—I was gonna be nothing but me. I became Risk Happy as it instilled a sense of leaning into danger and fear, I used to be afraid of everything, because I thought it kept me safe and secure, Dog bite? Fearing dogs can help! Unless you panic when even puppies draw near, Now I see risk as something to learn from, not avoid just because it feels unsure. Haha Yowza

Training yourself to see Balance and Growth takes practice and drive, Sometimes that train is easy to catch, and other times it feels like bad luck, But luck isn’t good or bad, it’s an opportunity even if you don’t know when it’ll arrive, But you can improve your prospects by showing up and not letting yourself get stuck. [full text below] Ep. 469 - Train 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! Training yourself to see Balance and Growth takes practice and drive, Sometimes that train is easy to catch, and other times it feels like bad luck, But luck isn’t good or bad, it’s an opportunity even if you don’t know when it’ll arrive, But you can improve your prospects by showing up and not letting yourself get stuck. And even when you do catch it, the ride might be bumpy, or uphill, You might slow down and wonder why this is happening to you, But it’s just a train, it’s not out to get you, it harbors no ill will, Instead it may be a chance to reorient yourself and focus on what you can do. I may seem like the conductor of this express, but I’m actually a passenger too, I wasn’t sure what to write about tonight, I didn’t feel that I had a thing to say, But I knew that if I just showed up, looked for Balance and Growth, and stayed true, That whether or not the train came into the station I’d still somehow find my way. Haha Yowza

You might say I’m Clarity Happy, because I consider it essential,  To be forthright, upfront and dependable without being mean, If someone seeks a candid critique, my review becomes preferential, Because I consider it a kindness to clear away the world’s smokescreen. [full text below] Ep. 468 - Clarity 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 love me a good bit of the old clarity, I do, it’s true, Honesty, integrity, trust and all that good stuff, It builds a strong foundation of reality, through and through, And keeps the world stable and clear without a lot of fluff. Folks may claim to despise liars, but they’re often looking for flattery and praise, They may even fish for compliments and get mad if you don’t take the bait, I knew a girl who claimed to give bad backrubs and never was there a truer phrase, So I showed her some tricks and she later admitted that it filled her with hate. But it only came out when she was angry about something unrelated, See, most people won’t tell you the truth unless they’re on the attack, Then you get a big ol’ dump of brutal disclosures they’ve accumulated, Letting you see them clearly as they finally reveal their most sincere feedback. But I say that you don’t need to be cruel to be clear,  I consider clarity to be essential for connection, It’s a grace you can share with others without fear, And should be welcomed without objection. You might say I’m Clarity Happy, because I consider it essential,  To be forthright, upfront and dependable without being mean, If someone seeks a candid critique, my review becomes preferential, Because I consider it a kindness to clear away the world’s smokescreen. Haha Yowza

Whatever the topic, you can ask people about what they like, Which gets them involved in the discourse and adds to the flow, Then, before you know it, talking doesn’t seem like such a hike, And you start engaging more deeply, the more you get to know. [full text below] Ep. 467 - Happy Conversation 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! There’s nothing worse than a forced conversation, Where you struggle for words and just wish it were done, While the best discussions have no such aggravation, But float and bounce around and are nothing but fun. And they can start from pretty much anywhere, Movies, art, books, music, food, or even the weather, Begin by asking questions to show that you care, Without being too nosy, keep it light as a feather. Whatever the topic, you can ask people about what they like, Which gets them involved in the discourse and adds to the flow, Then, before you know it, talking doesn’t seem like such a hike, And you start engaging more deeply, the more you get to know. People might downplay their hobbies, but you can give them a boost, Others may brag a bit, which could be your chance to lightly poke fun and kid, You can also volunteer your own interests, once a subject’s been introduced, Each time it gets easier, and if afterwards you still think you can’t—you just did. Haha Yowza

Happy Behavior is that which stems from the balance and growth within us all, Hatred and spite are learned reactions to pain and bitterness when we forget That humanity isn’t just a category, but a built-in feature of both great and small, Now this may seem like wishful thinking, but I’d like to believe there’s hope for us yet. [full text below] Ep. 466 - Happy Behavior 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've hinted at this before, but now I’ll make it the main topic of conversation, People sometimes talk a bigger game than they actually play in the day to day, I’ve known folks who’d tell you all the people they hate without hesitation, But when it came right down to it they sure didn’t live that way. They may claim to despise an ideology, a lifestyle, a culture or a trait, But when they actually meet someone from such a group, who knows? They may actually find things in common that get in the way of all that hate, And before you know it they may actually be the one who changes and grows. I knew a guy who liked to preach about his beliefs and what he considered good, Then he met some so-called bad people who were decent, hard working and kind, They had hopes and dreams and inner lives deeper than he ever thought they could, And trying to maintain his beliefs in the face of this made him just about lose his mind. I’ve experienced it myself, when I’ve had to deal with a bully or a mean boss, Where they showed a rare moment of humanity and we actually got along, Sometimes it was only a temporary break in their hateful routine, so no great loss, But other times they actually turned into a person who knew right from wrong. Happy Behavior is that which stems from the balance and growth within us all, Hatred and spite are learned reactions to pain and bitterness when we forget That humanity isn’t just a category, but a built-in feature of both great and small, Now this may seem like wishful thinking, but I’d like to believe there’s hope for us yet. Haha Yowza

Happy Persistence is not about winning at any cost, It’s about keeping and working towards a clear goal, One that you constantly reassess, so you don’t get lost, In some stubborn attempt to fill some unfillable hole.   [full text below] Ep. 465 - Happy Persistence 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! Today marks the anniversary of my decision to become a writer, It was when I was eighteen, and I thought of a shining story, But knew I would first need to live a full life to make it brighter, And now I’m as old as I guessed I’d need to be for such glory.  Never giving up and not taking “no” for an answer has its time and place, But it can also backfire, so, while you can be tenacious, also be wise, I have been known to be wildly dogged in my pursuit of a pretty face, Only to discover that going by looks alone rarely results in a worthy prize.  Served me right, of course, putting value on something so shallow as looks, And so I don’t do that anymore, but let a person’s attractiveness slowly build, I get to know them and their story, looking deep past the cover of their books, And as their allure grows, I go from being merely interested to fully thrilled. And, yes, there’s a persistence at play there as well, but of a more patient sort, There are many flavors and intensities of persistence, of course, and I’ve tried many, More than once I have engaged in debates with corporations almost as a sport, One was for a ticket exchange, and another was for a gift card—and I got every penny. It took 40 emails and three weeks for the ticket, 50 emails and six weeks for the card, I was never rude, never cruel, never petty—I simply never relented, until they blinked, And then I was gracious, grateful, and gone, for I’d already pushed them way too hard, I wasn’t there to gloat, I was just glad it had all worked out before we both went extinct. I find myself in another situation where patient persistence could serve me well, I’m trying to help a vendor see the benefits of becoming licensed to use our brand, I work for a state university and so the red tape is extensive to allow them to sell Items with our logo, but the opportunities it could unlock for them are simply grand. We earn no money from the process, we simply wish to buy their branded stuff, But they question the process and wonder if the expense will be worth it, I can’t promise them future orders, but the current one should be more than enough, So I’ll keep trying to convince them of the value of it all, because I’m not one to quit. Happy Persistence is not about winning at any cost, It’s about keeping and working towards a clear goal, One that you constantly reassess, so you don’t get lost, In some stubborn attempt to fill some unfillable hole.   Haha Yowza

Happy Tension has no power to crush you—it’s completely in your control, You can use it to meet that deadline, run that race, or stand your ground, Without worrying about fatigue or collapse—not when you have a clear goal, To choose strength over worry, confidence over dread, that’s where Happy is found. [full text below] Ep 464 - Happy Tension 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! Ever notice how your body reacts when you feel anxious or stressed? Clenching up, getting tense, and maybe even holding your breath? Trying to relax seems impossible because everything feels so compressed? And when you finally do calm down, you avoid tension like grim death? But avoiding it doesn’t make it go away—in fact, it makes it much more scary, So that the next time you feel pressure, you also have that fear to deal with too, Then what do you do? Well, you do those things when they don’t feel necessary, Hold your breath, clench your fists, spin around, but then stop before you turn blue. Learn the feeling of being able to go from calm to tense, and back to calm again, Train your body and mind to recognize the feeling without fearing what you’ll lose, You’re the one who decides how you react—it’s not a question of if but when, When will you take charge of yourself? After it’s too late? Or when you choose? Happy Tension has no power to crush you—it’s completely in your control, You can use it to meet that deadline, run that race, or stand your ground, Without worrying about fatigue or collapse—not when you have a clear goal, To choose strength over worry, confidence over dread, that’s where Happy is found. Haha Yowza

Now I’m not saying that we should never try to get things right—I proofread, And still find myself looking up punctuation rules all the time, but so what? It’s humanizing to acknowledge that we’re not perfect, so take heed! And forgive yourself, forgive others, and maybe even make light of the scuttlebutt. [full text below] Ep. 463 - Happy Humanizing 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 normally record these episodes over and over until I can get them just right, But as this one is about forgiving ourselves for being human, I’m only doing it once, So, even if I mess up, I’m going to try to keep going and hopefully still keep it tight. This is take number one, so let’s see if I can do this without looking like a dunce! I make mistakes all the time—usually small ones, but sometimes not so small, I’m a writer, so you’d think my grammar and punctuation would always be great, But I average about one typo every paragraph, I don’t claim to be a know-it-all, And while I don’t like it when I misplace a letter or a comma, I don’t get irate. I’ll fix it if I can, or make a quick apology if I must, or sometimes make a joke, Like if I misspell a name in an email, which people have also done to me, I know it’s not the end of the world, we’re all human, it’s merely a keystroke, But I want it known that I like getting names right, though I give no guarantee. What really cracks me up is when I encounter someone who hates mistakes, It might not be obvious at first because they may not say anything about yours, But the second they make the slightest error themselves, they slam on the brakes And apologize up and down, begging forgiveness, just short of crawling on all fours. I like to mess with them most of all, being mindful that it may stem from trauma, I’ll start off by letting them know it’s nothing that can’t be fixed—if that’s indeed true, Or if not, that it’ll be a valuable lesson for next time, and that it’s no cause for drama, Then I might throw in a cheeky little “is there anyone tougher on you...than you?” Now I’m not saying that we should never try to get things right—I proofread, And still find myself looking up punctuation rules all the time, but so what? It’s humanizing to acknowledge that we’re not perfect, so take heed! And forgive yourself, forgive others, and maybe even make light of the scuttlebutt. Haha Yowza