One Little Word for 2012

Fullness
full·ness \ˈfo͝olnis\

noun : the state of being filled to capacity

• the state of having enough or more than enough


• the state of being complete or whole


• (in or alluding to biblical use) all that is contained in the world

Phrases — the fullness of one's heart : POETIC/LITERARY overwhelming emotion; in the fullness of time : eventually

Synonyms — plenty, abundance; completeness, wholeness

Antonym — emptiness

(NOTE: There is more information in the original post on my "regular" blog.)

Resolution: An Attitude of Gratitude

On the first day of November, it is a good time to think about "liv[ing] in thanksgiving daily" (Alma 34:38). As I did last year, I am resolving to make a "gratitude journal" post on my blog every day this month.

Quote of the Day

"Seeking happiness outside ourselves is
like waiting for sunshine in a cave facing north."

~Tibetan Saying

God Wants Me To Be Happy!

"This is the day which the Lord hath made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

My friend Holly has another post that reminds me about seeking happiness and joy: My Happiness Manifesto. The principles she lists could be considered her personal commandments!

"Give Me Patience, and Give It to Me Right Now"

I've been feeling frustrated the past few days by the lack of resolution to a situation in my life. So this afternoon I am appreciating this reminder from my friend Holly - in a form of a prayer in a blog post - to be patient and content with the present, to let go and let God.

Lord, teach me to be patient—with life, with people,and with myself. I sometimes try to hurry things along too much, and I push for answers before the time is right. Teach me to trust Your sense of timing rather than my own and to surrender my will to Your greater and wiser plan. Help me let life unfold slowly, like the small rosebud whose petals unravel bit by bit, and remind me that in hurrying the bloom along, I destroy the bud and much of the beauty therein. Instead, let me wait for all to unfold in its own time. Each moment and state of growth contains a loveliness. Teach me to slow down enough to appreciate life and all it holds. Amen.

Getting Enough Sleep

‎"Happiness consists in getting enough sleep.
Just that, nothing more."

~ Robert A. Heinlein

Last weekend I attended my annual women's retreat. The theme this year was "Earth, Air, Fire, Water: Embracing Wholeness" - and one of the workshops was on creating a happiness project!

For the introductions on Friday, we were each to select one of the elements - earth correlating to body, air to mind, fire to spirit, and water to emotions/relationships - and tell, in one minute or less, what we're doing to embrace wholeness through that element.

I choose earth, or body, because I've realized that that element is the one I neglect most and which I most need to embrace if I'm going to be whole. For my introduction I told the group about my Early to Bed resolution and shared Robert Heinlein's quote. I got a good laugh - while also sharing a great truth!

A More Methodical Approach

"When life was taking its ordinary course,
it was hard to remember what really mattered."

~ Gretchen Rubin

Last Sunday, as I was sitting in church, I was reflecting on the fact that I've been working on my happiness project for about a year and yet I haven't spent a lot of time on making and keeping resolutions. I certainly recognize the truth of Gretchen Rubin's statement in my own life, especially since I started working full-time again at the end of December.

Over the next few months I'm going to take a more methodical approach to developing and implementing some new resolutions to help me focus on what really matters and to have more happiness.