Happiness

This week's blog challenge

Happiness comes from the capacity tofeel deeply,to enjoy simply,to think freely,to risk life,to be needed."-Storm JamesonYour assignment is simple. Take all or part of this quote, and let it inspire you. Write about where you find happiness. What is your strongest capacity? Your weakest? Write about people you know who excel at each of the points mentioned in the quote. Tell about someone you know whose inability to live out any one of the points has kept them from happiness.

All in all, I'm a pretty darn happy person. My blog probably gives the perception that I"m happier than I really am because well, I just don't feel like this is the right forum for me to share my frustrations in life. Oh sure, a bit here and there, but for the most part, I try to keep my entries on the lighter, happier side.

I think what makes me such a happy person is the balance I try to create in my life. As much as I love my roles as Mom and Wife, I still find a great deal of happiness being me, Martha. Yes, it is good to be needed, but also to know that if I'm not around they can still get through the day, or the weekend (as will be the case this next weekend).

If I give too much of myself to my family, without taking time for myself, then I become unbalanced and the happy state starts to fade away. Taking time for the things that I like, such as my crafting, my reading and my girls night out helps me maintain my sense of balance and keepy me happy.

I've struggled with the concept of balance in my professional life as well. Before Thing Two arrived, I enjoyed my work as a nurse practitioner. But, once he came on the scene, Hubby and I realized it was more important that we concentrate on the family rather than the added income to be gained by having me continue working part time. Now that they are older, I'm looking again at my professional side and trying to find balance. Yet, some of the options I've contemplated, and even tried out, haven't given me the balance that I need to stay in my preferred state of happiness. These days I seem to have found balance in my work as a TA at the school. Sure, it is about only 1/4 of what I could be earning if I were working in nursing. But, it still fuels the professional side of my self while offering me flexibility that nursing just isn't capable of providing.

When I feel a bout of the blues, or the blahs coming on, the first thing I try to do is look at my life and see what seems out of balance. And yes, there has been a time in my life when lifestyle changes weren't enough and I had to take a "happy" pill to help restore the balance. These days, I'm pretty much able to reflect on myself and see what needs to be adjusted.

The real challenge is in having the courage to make those adjustments. But, hey, I'm getting better now that I"m past 40.