DIY Happy.... possible?

 I Googled "How to be Happy" which, at age 69 is kinda like Googling "How to be rich" - ie, if I ain't figured it out by now, I ain't gonna.

In a world where we are, most times, our harshest critic, sometimes happiness just ain't on the forefront.  Don't get me wrong, I AM HAPPY, I love life, wouldn't wanna be anywhere else, it's just that I am the King of Overthinkers... and I guess I wonder if I travel in that boat alone.

One site broke it down into "Daily Ways" and "Weekly Ways", not to be confused with Weakly Ways........

1. Smile. (Then there's that song, See the Funny Little Clown)

2.  Exercise.  Maybe I'm trying to impersonate Erma Bombeck here. Band camp, a bit ago, I set a goal to exercise 100 days straight. I made it 95, then, bronchitis, followed by 7 inches of snow that closed the gym, set in.  I GAINED 8 POUNDS.  Next suggestion please.

3. Get plenty of sleep.  I do this quite well thanks.  I sleep from 10p to 11p, then from 11:30 to 1am, then from 1:30 to 3pm, you get the idea.  I recently went to Doc for Annual Checkup.  Had my speech planned.  I have a buddy, he takes some kinda 'edible' an hour before bedtime, sleeps like a baby (I assume not a newborn.)  We now have medicinal Marijuana in Missouri.  "So Doc, in my entire lifetime, I have bought 3 joints (which is true, one time, band camp, Denver, CO).. any chance......? The reply, "Marijuana is great for short term depression, in the long run proves to be a depressant." So, I guess that answer is to pay one of those online quacks $500 to be approved. This aint making me happy.

4. Eat with mood in mind. Huh? There was speech about simple carbs, lean meat, poultry, legumes, as well as things to avoid.  I ain't never really eaten good.  I eat to make me happy, which, confuses me even more. I usually eat with 'moo' in mind. ($2.99 five ounce bacon wrapped sirloins at HyVee are the bomb.)

5. Be grateful.  I think, hope I am.

6. Give a compliment. You mean like "Whatsup with you?  Did you get laid last night or something?"  No Victor, that ain't it. I know I know.  My most favorite boss ever, an Elementary Principal where I taught, used the saying "Catch 'em being good."  One of the best pieces of advice I've ever received.

7. Breath deeply.  Ahm, cinchy, I've smoked for 40 years, checking this one off.

8. Acknowledge the unhappy moments.  You mean like start a blog titled, oh, I dunno, checkenginelight.blogspot? Next idea.

9. Keep a journal.  Ok, petted my dog Gabe when I was 17, that was happy. Struckout in Slow Pitch, always promised I'd hang it up if that ever happened, now what?  That ain't happy.  I actually suppose, blogging mebbe is one in the same.  What's #10?

10. Face stress head on.  The last two girlfriends I've had said something about "You exhibit avoidance behavior."  I disregarded what they said, no idea what they're talking about!

WEEKLY HABITS:

1. Declutter. I need help here.  I have a tendency to save things so my son will have to toss them when I keel, no idea why. We usedta have Bulky Item Pickup twice a year in our fine town, was a wonderful thing.  All the metal hawkers would swing by, folks down on their luck might grab a chair or a sofa. You could put almost anything out there for pickup.  It was win-win, except for maybe the trash company, which must be why they stopped.  Next idea.

2. See friends.  I watched that show years ago, now I'm more into the Discovery Channel, HGTV, National Geographic, yada.

3. Plan your week. Honest to goodness, until I realized there was an organization app available, I would put sticky notes on my billfold. "Golf Wednesday at 2." "Dr appt, March 7, 3pm", etc.  Sadly, long range planning for me is lunch today.

4. Ditch your phone.  This kinda likens someone saying "Watch black and white TV". WE ARE ADDICTS, DON'T  YOU KNOW?

5. Explore meditation. My mind races, can't.  Deep breathing?  Scroll to the years and years of smoking, next.

6. Consider therapy.  I'm reminded of that commercial with the really pretty lady, "What's in your wallet?" Not much. Some old reminder notes.  A George or two. Therapists are as expensive as a Vegas brothel. (That's what a friend told me anyways.)

MONTHLY:

1. Give back.  I've tried, and do try.  Did the pay for the guy in line behind me thing a few times, scroll to "A George or two" in my wallet.

2. Take yourself out. I do do (can you say do do in a sentence) this once in awhile.  I'd like to travel to places, but, I find when I go alone, I talk to myself.  Hence, the overthinking, back to square one here.

YEARLY

1. Take time to reflect. How are you? What have you been up to?  Are you happier than you were a year ago? OK, I'll start this.  Next year.  I set a reminder for November 12, 2022, the Good Lord willing.

2. Reevaluate your goals.  I have a Little Tykes basketball goal in the yard that's laid on it's side for at least 6 months.. I got ridda a soccer goal the last Bulky Item pickup we had eons ago. Not real sure what these things have to do with happiness.

3. Take care of your body. This challenge gets bigger every year, ha ha.

OK, MY OWN PERSONAL LIST:

Worry is wasteful.

Pet a dog, or cat.

If you see a nice derriere in the Piggly Wiggly, wait till she's past, then turn around and look again. You laugh, this makes me happy.  Oink, all men are pigs.

Eat bacon...and sausage.

Frequent your grandchildren.

Have work at fun.

Sing, wherever, whenever you wanna.

I get a kick outta laughter.  One way I do this.. it's really really rare that I get to tee off first with my buddies.  The guy who has the low score on the previous hole, goes first.  Again, that's rare. So, when I do, after I hit, I try to sneak out some silent flatulence, then I go sit in the golf cart, happy, smiling.

Use that word love, lots. To whomever, whenever.

Put it in your brain, when you see someone, and they demonstrate a trait that you really admire, and they always have, TELL THEM JUST THAT.  Begin with "I've always admired.... this/that.. about you." To me anyways, seeing happy rubs off on me, makes me happy. The Doublemint twins, two.. two feel goods.

Keep your eyes open at night until you absolutely can't any longer.  ie, time is precious. Use it.

Get up before anyone else.  I dunno if this works, but I do it every day anyways even if I don't wanna, thus, included here.

Hug. High five.  Fist bump.  All that stuff is yummy.

Don't be so hard on yourself.  Very difficult for me, thus, I frequently tap myself on the shoulder to remind me.

Be thankful for what ya got, not what ya ain't.  Thankfully, I am.

John 3:16

Simply, happiness beats the alternative, so choose it.  If you really really know me, you will realize this ain't no uppity "do as I say" thing. I/we struggle from time to time. Life has a way sometimes of doing that.  Human shock absorbers recommended. 

Pretend you live life in the mirror.  Peek at the mirror.  Smile.  Don't smile.  Which one do you like?  Uh huh, me too. We must remind ourselves that 24/7 people are checking out our mirror.  Except for those times in Piggly Wiggly when you must stop, turn around and take one more look, always consider what your mirror is telling people.

Reflections.

Happy day (if we choose so)..

By Henry Hallmark Gibson...forward by Bobby McFerrin

Love, Victurd