Happiness.  Here, now, in this moment.  What is happiness for you?  


I have found myself and now everyday I find my happiness.  I have become true to my work, to inspire others along the way, and to allow my real self to surface without fear of what anyone might think.

Did you know our Declaration of Independence guarantees us as a right the pursuit of happiness?  It does.  I find that truly amazing.  But of course, the kicker is that we have to pursue it.  


Ultimately, genuine happiness can only be realized once we commit to making it a personal priority in our lives.

My question is this:  Are you pursing happiness in your life?  Do you appreciate happiness when it comes or do you push it aside, feeling unworthy of its presence?  Did you know you can be happy throughout any circumstance in your life?  Would you commit to pursuing happiness this year, if you knew you would really discover it?

Would you like to know what makes me happy?  Simple things:  reading, doing yoga, writing, being warm, speaking French, singing, impromptu hugs from my children and their friends at school, sunshine, watching geese fall gracefully into a still pond, seeing the sun rise and set, watching the clouds in the day and stars at night, fishing, talking and laughing, taking a great picture, making people smile, enjoying a good meal, riding my bike, traveling across the country or across the world...taking time to savor life and all its many blessings.

While I own many things that make me happy in the form of material comforts, my lasting contentment comes more from being grateful and open to everything in life.  Once I began to sow gratitude into my daily life, everything seemed to make me happy because I began to notice how much I already had.

I'm convinced if you begin to seek gratitude in your pursuit of happiness, it may be the only thing you really need to do to open your eyes to what makes you truly happy.

How do you cultivate gratitude?  One of the easiest ways I was taught is to be thankful for what exists in your life right now, writing it down daily, tell yourself out loud, giving thanks as often as you can.  The harvest gratitude brings will come if you are diligent in this process.  For days it may seem as if nothing has happened and then suddenly it will transform your life in a twinkling of an eye.  And then it will seem as if everything will in turn bring you a sense of happiness you may never have experienced before.

I wish happiness finds you today but more importantly, I wish for you to pursue gratitude and happiness will be present in your life always.