Thoughtful Thursday: Lots to Think About

You may have noticed that I missed a day blogging. (In all actuality, you probably didn't notice, but I like to think that someone out there reads this blog daily!! Hi, Janice!) Yesterday was spent at work after staying at work because we had a significant icing of all roads, and I have bad tires right now that don't really grip the road the way they should. So, I spent the night at work, sleeping on the music therapy room floor in my sleeping bags and on my carpet squares. It was a pretty comfortable experience, and I am glad that I stayed since the reports of what was going on outside were pretty scary (lots of people's cars sliding into ditches, others shooting off the shoulders, and still others ramming into those others). I've adopted a "stay put" type of attitude when it comes to snow and ice.

Anyway...

This has been the quotation that I have glanced at over the past couple of weeks. I've not paid much attention to this sentiment over said couple of weeks, but as I think about it more intentionally for this post, I think I agree with this. Happiness is not something that you can manufacture. If you set out with a goal of makings others happy, you may fail. Happiness is more mindful than that, and each of us makes our own happiness.

Have you ever thought, "if I could/would just do/get _____, I would be completely happy," done exactly those things, and then found out that you really weren't as happy as you thought you would be? I have. I've thought about changing my place geographically (though, on winter days, I do think I could be much happier in Southern California than here), changing my job, changing my friend base, changing my hair style, changing the food I am eating, you name it - the list goes on and on and on. Then I change something and find that my happiness perception doesn't change with the new circumstance. I think this comes from an idea that things and situations outside of myself are more important to my happiness than the things that live within myself.

Many magical music therapy moments go unnoticed by me when I am wrapped up in making happiness changes in my own life. When I slow down and spend time simply being in those moments, I can see happiness in things that I don't often perceive. The smirk that a student gives when they think they've stumped me. The teenage girl who blushes after she receives a compliment on how she sings. The small child who sings his first words ever and then gets startled by how everyone else responds. These are things that are happiness for me. Not the new car or the new job or the stuff that I continue to buy, but the smiles, the blushes, the singing. By paying attention, I find my happiness.

There are times when paying attention to others is a struggle. I am a social introvert - I enjoy being around people and seek out opportunities to do so, but still need time away from people to relax and recharge. When I do not take the time I need to recharge, I start to miss those magical music therapy moments and my happiness level with my job starts to decrease. When I do take time to refresh away from others, I go into my job responsibilities with more attention to what is happening with the others around me.

So, part of these moments of happiness is intentional thought. The other part is self-care.

There you go.

Happy Thursday, friends!