The Happy Day Campaign

My Minister, Barbara Waterhouse, has been on a campaign for over a year to get all of us to begin each day by claiming that "Today is a Happy Day!" Every Sunday morning over 200 people in Asheville follow her lead and yell this out - sometimes more than once. I think it worked - in his new book, The Geography of Bliss, Eric Weiner has declared Asheville the happiest city in the US.

There's another person who lifts Ashevillians up on a regular basis - Elder John Hayes - whose radio station WRES must be the Soul of Asheville. He especially cranks up the Positivity around rush hour - it's impossible to have road rage while singing along.

So, yes, Asheville is a happy place and a blessed place. We have things to work on like all towns, but most of us truly love this town and are willing to work together to get even better. We have a diversity here that makes us truly rich and most of the people that live here really respect each other as individuals.

It's easy to get busy and stressed out and forget how lucky we are. That's the secret to the Happy Day Campaign - remember to be happy - claim it now!

The Law of Attraction and World Events

There is a misconception that in order to have happy, fulfilled lives we should ignore problems or lie to ourselves about events going on in the world in order not to give more energy to the problems. I do believe that focusing solely on problems just increases them, but I don't believe that we have to put our fingers in our ears every time the news comes on. I just believe that we do more good by focusing on solutions.

I personally don't watch or listen to the news - there seems to be too strong of an emotional hook on most commercial broadcasts - but I do read a few newspapers. I'm very political and I like to form my own opinions about what's happening in my community and around the world. I'm not comfortable totally ignoring the news as some people advise, but I also know that there's a huge amount of good news that never makes the front page.

If there is something in our world that is tugging on your heart - then by all means do something. Just pay attention - is the world hunger group you joined actually sending food or technology into the world or do they just complain that other people should change? Is your environmental group involved in real solutions (actually doing something) or are they just another PAC? I think that if we really want to change the world our time is better spent reading to a child or planting a community garden than writing letters calling for someone else to change.

Governments Rarely Change the World - Individuals Do

Proud of Iowa

Yes! I'm so proud that a mostly white, fairly conservative state can see past race and labels into a man's heart and choose a leader based on where we want to go as a country. Our country really has come a long way in the last half century. We still have lots of work to do - but that's one of the things I really like about Obama - he says let's all roll up our sleeves and work together to improve everyone's life. I think that his vision of what our country can be comes closer to mine than any of the other candidates.

“We are one people, and our time for change has come.”
- Barack Obama

My Daily Prayer

I am reclaiming my time and space with this new year. While cleaning and purging I rediscovered this prayer that I wrote when I first started studying The Science of Mind:

My Daily Prayer

I now have everything I need
I am surrounded by Love & Joy,
Beauty & Harmony, Order & Abundance
My Path unfolds easily before me
I Give & Receive Freely & Joyfully
I am Strong & Powerful, Healthy & Safe
I am Loved and Valued for all that I am
I am One with the Universe
All my Loved Ones are Healthy, Happy & Safe
We are all Blessed
Life is Sweet
And So It Is!

So for 2008 I am making this prayer - staking a claim for what this new year will be. Even the word resolution seems to reek of compromise and settling. Let us all aim higher than resolve - Let's go for Joy and Glory and Love and Laughter - Let's go for our deepest desires.

Happy New Year - May all your dreams come true