Every January I re-examine my way of looking at what’s important in my life
Hello my friends
Welcome to another new year. I hope it finds you healthy and and continuing your quest for peace and happiness.
Last night as I was wandering around Youtube continuing my quest for research topics, I took a quick break to watch a compilation of the 10 most viewed America’s Got Talent stars. One that I had seen before, caught my attention again, and it stimulated some thinking relevant to these times in which we find ourselves. This woman’s name is Jane Marczewski. She has cancer in several areas of her body and has been diagnosed with a two percent chance to live. Nevertheless, she prepared and came on the show to sing her original song, “It’s Okay.” She has of course, a beautiful voice, and the message of her song was that even though bad things happen to us, it is all part of the natural human condition.
A poignant message in these times especially. But when she told the judges that she is doing this because she wants people to know that she is so much more than the worst things happening to her, she caught my attention. Then she said “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide feel to be happy.” And that was my reminder that being happy is a choice that we all make everyday. While we are all constantly bombarded with the tribulations of our lives, we can still make a choice to be happy, even if it’s only from moment to moment.
We may not have control over all that happens to us, but we do have control over our emotional responses to those stimuli. We have all witnessed what seems an insurmountable wave of anger and intolerance since the beginning of 2020. It seems to hang over our lives and take it’s toll on everything we do and say.
I know it sounds trivial and naive to say “choose to be happy.” It’s too simple a message, and how do we start? Many years ago I suggested answers to the love of my life with three simple rules:
Be Kind
Have faith
Be more in love every day.
Try to be kind always. Spreading kindness rewards us and everyone we meet.
Hold your faith in your ability to make the future better close to your heart. And, really believe that you can do this.
Try to remember that love is not a verb, it is a noun. It is a place in your being where you experience the joy of living.
I know I will lose some of you with this last one. You may argue that when you say “I love you” it is a verb. I would propose that “I love you” is a tragically abbreviated version of “I am in love with you.” We say things like “I love pie” or I love chocolate” and we all know what that means. I believe that to say “I love you” in this casual sense demeans the depth and sincerity of what we are trying to communicate.
Will that ever change? I doubt it. Using love as a verb has been in use for a very, very long time. Is it useful? Sure, just remember what you’re really trying to say when it’s most important. The abbreviation of language so common in our digital age has, in my humble opinion, diminished the meaning and beauty of how we communicate with each other.
There is a prayer of unknown origin that may help guide us all through these troubled times and those still ahead entitled “The Desiderata.” You’ll find the text with a simple search. It reminds us that we are human, with all the accompanying blessings and spiritual tests common in our times.
Quest for joy and choose happiness.
- Here is the information you’ll need to find the AGT performance I addressed.
Her name is Jane Marczewski. Professionally known as Nightbirde