The good news is, this week I was officially released from physiotherapy for my hand, and I'm allowed to do all the things I used to do before I broke it. This means I'll be able to try more new things, take more risks, and enjoy life with even greater enthusiasm!
First up? A 5K race on June 1st. I'm very excited about this event, and hopeful that I'll be able to run at least a portion of it (we'll just ignore the fact that I've barely trained for it). Not only is this my first race ever ... it's also a wonderful opportunity to raise money for a cause close to my heart. Stay tuned for more details post-event!
In the meantime, I thought it might be fun to share some impressions about an every day activity - one that doesn't fall within my chosen 40, but certainly offered me something to think about this week.
Here's a fun fact about me: I love quizzes. Not the ones that are graded and based on actual knowledge/learning, but the ridiculous quizzes that pop up all over Facebook. The ones that tell you where you should live, what colour you are, the type of superpower you should have. You know, the quizzes that are silly and irrelevant to every day life. They're fun in the moment, and that's what counts. I figure if I can get a momentary giggle from spending two minutes answering goofy questions, those two minutes have been time well spent.
So a few days ago, I took a quiz to find out my happy word. It included only five or six questions, and probably took me less than a minute to complete. Here's my result:
Your Happy Word is BLISS. You are happy because you don't need a lot to be content. You experience happiness in the best and worst of times. You see the divine in everything. You believe that every moment, person, and creature is unique and special. You are an oasis of calm in this chaotic world. You never lose your head. You can feel totally elated and exuberant from the smallest pleasures. You don't hold back when it comes to ecstasy.
Not all of this paragraph is true. I wouldn't consider myself an oasis of calm, unless whatever's happening isn't happening to me. And while it takes a lot for me to lose my cool, I do lose my head on occasion. But that part about not holding back? That's what I'm working on for my 40th year. Experiencing happiness even at the worst of times? I'm trying it. Feeling totally elated and exuberant from the smallest pleasures? That's what these 12 months are all about!
Aside from the description, there is the word itself: BLISS. I have always loved this word. I love the way it sounds, the feel of it as it rolls off my tongue. I love how this simple one-syllable word can be altered so easily by changing one's tone, or accent, or accentuating the ss. And then there's the meaning of the word. According to the dictionary, bliss is a feeling of "supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment. Euphoria."
I remember when I followed my heart to the Humane Society, and found my life's goal was working with animals. The simple pleasure in giving my time to animals and their welfare began to reshape other areas of my life. My outlook changed. I started seeing more beauty in my life, more excitement in the day to day. I remember saying to a friend, "It's amazing how when you follow your bliss, everything else seems to fall into place" ... or something to that effect.
And it is very true. I had been seeking that feeling for most of my adult life, and suddenly, I didn't long for change anymore. I just longed for that fantastic feeling - that euphoria - that followed me every time I spent a few minutes with animals in need. Now, in my 40th year, I'm looking for even more experiences to expand my world and help me to embrace that euphoric feeling in new ways. Living inside out, taking risks, being in the moment and experiencing life differently.
Bliss really is a state of mind. I encourage you to find your own ... and follow it. You never know where it may lead.
Great post! I love that word, Bliss, too! It's an awesome state of mind for sure! I took the quiz and my happy word is HOPE.
Pat Husmo.....Loved it I usually take the quizzes I see you post...this year my color is yellow....MY Happy Color!!!!!!