Tips for Happiness

Hello all,

Do any of you need a pick-me-up today?

For the last 4 years I had a print out on my wall that outlined "10 Tips for Happiness". Since my original posting of these tips, a few of my friends took the liberty to add some new tips that we discovered also worked rather efficiently. (My favorite of these tips was "11. Cuddle with Naomi >^w^<".)

Unfortunately, when I made my move to Chicago I lost the original copy with all of our additions. Luckily, recently I have found an even more extensive list that is a little bit more universal.

actionforhappiness.org

The website listed above offers a plethora of happiness tips as well as some advice for living a more fulfilling life. I highly recommend that everyone check this site out if they have the time. Also, If even these tips don't work out for you, remember that you have a friend who will do whatever she can to help you (even if we have never met).

Be well, everyone.

Namaste and goodnight,
Luna

Revelations 2: Owning Your Feelings, Embracing Imperfection, and Being a Good Leader

Hello All,

I would just like to share another note I wrote for Facebook.

In this midst of all of my love bombing this week, I ended up having a fantastic conversation with a good friend of mine in which I discussed my fews on feelings, perfection, and leadership stemming from my own understanding of the theatrical realm. I wanted to share these thoughts and my friend game me the okay. So I have organized them into a clearer format and copied and pasted them below. 

"Don't ever feel sorry for how you feel because regardless of whether or not it is "right" for you to feel sad or angry or upset or defensive, the fact of the matter is that those are your feelings. They are reflection of the truth behind your thoughts and memories in a period in time. Those feelings belong to you. 

When you are hurt it doesn't matter if it is right for you to feel that way or not because the fact of the matter is whether or not it is right it won't change the feeling. Struggling against the feeling is like trying to deny that you have been stabbed. You will only work to strengthen the pain if you ignore it.

Now, that being said, while it doesn't matter whether or not it is right for you to be hurt, it does matter whether or not the actions you take in response to the hurt are right.

Also, sometimes people are filled with a profound sense of duty. If someone gives them a task they take it upon themselves to complete that task perfectly (or at least to the best of their abilities). However sometimes perfection can be a limitation in an of itself. By creating standards that we believe we must fulfill, we end up eliminating the possibilities of all of the wondrous events that can emerge from the mistakes and detours and trials that we do not want to face.

Furthermore, sometimes if we set our goals within perfection in mind, and know the ends which we need to achieve, we can forget that certain means that we may choose to use to achieve said goals undermine other important aspects of the journey. For instance:

Let’s examine the idea of working on a theatrical production with a group of people. Whether it be a 24-Hour Play Fest or a Broadway musical, every member of the production team has a responsibility as an artist to create a product that they are selling to an audience. The end goal of the whole team should be to perfect this product as much as possible. By doing this they share an experience with the audience that creates life long memories and affects the audience in some way. The show may offer them a window into a world they might not have experienced. It may cause them to think in new or different ways. However, we must not also forget that being on a team in the theatrical realm is not too different from being on any other team.

Yes, everyone has specific responsibilities and, yes, people should be reminded to respect each other and do their jobs. However, cohesion and morale are just as important. When people are happier they work better and the team is looking for an experience as well.

If we keep in mind the fact that lives are not equal in the sense of the fact that you cannot trade one for another, but that everyone is equal in the sense that they all deserve happiness, respect, kindness, compassion, and love then we realize that the happiness of the entire team is just as important as the happiness of the audience.

Now, that being said, people are not perfect. Egos and frustration and anger do get in the way and words are sometimes thrown wildly and randomly at people who really did not cause the harm.

However, a truly good leader is not so much of a loud commander as a quiet, patient, and flexible problem solver, one who must learn to look past the egos when they are confronted, but who also must know when to grill someone about the lack of kindness and respect they are showing others. A good leader also knows when to be flexible if someone is late or doesn't have the normal energy that they usually do because unfortunately we do not have a window into everyone's soul.

All people are much deeper than we give them credit for, whether they know it or not.

You will never know every incident affecting a person at any given moment. Sometimes a simple reminder not to be late might be the 100th thing that they have heard that they have done wrong that day. It may be the tiny thing that sets them over the edge.

Now, I would like to get to the point that not only does the audience matter and the team matter but also the leader matters. You cannot do your best to share happiness and love and kindness or help others if you are not kind to yourself. This is something I am also still learning to do. It is a simple idea really. Of course it is hard to be easy on someone when you haven't slept in days and you are at your wits end.

In cases such as this I urge you to push through and try to provide those around you the support they need, but as soon as you are done make sure to take care of yourself.

Do something that relaxes and renews you so that you can be stronger the next day.

Finally, remember that the heart is a muscle. Don't expect to go from exhaustion one day to selling your car to feed the homeless the next. We get better at being kind to others by starting with small acts of kindness. Tell someone you appreciate them or give someone chocolate. Then work your way up."

I don't know if these thoughts will be of use to anyone else, but feel free to use this advice if you so see fit. 

In any case, I hope you have all been well. Please let me know if any of you need anything. 

Much love to all of you. 

Namaste and goodnight,
Luna

Something Beautiful I Came Across Today

FAREWELL LETTER WRITTEN BEFORE HIS DEATH:

If for an instant God were to forget that I am rag doll and gifted me with a piece of life,
possibly I wouldn't say all that I think,
but rather I would think of all that I say.
I would value things,
not for their worth but for what they mean.
I would sleep little, dream more,
understanding that for each minute we close our eyes we lose sixty seconds of light.
I would walk when others hold back.
I would wake when others sleep.
I would listen when others talk,
and how I would enjoy a good chocolate ice cream!
If God were to give me a piece of life,
I would dress simply,
throw myself face first into the sun,
baring not only my body but also my soul.
My God, if I had a heart, I would write my hate on ice,
and wait for the sun to show.
Over the stars I would paint with a Van Gogh dream a Benedetti poem,
and a Serrat song would be the serenade I'd offer to the moon.
With my tears I would water roses,
to feel the pain of their thorns,
and the red kiss of their petals.

My God, if I had a piece of life...
I wouldn't let a single day pass without telling the people I love that I love them.
I would convince each woman and each man that they are my favorites,
and I would live in love with love.
I would show men how very wrong they are to think that they cease to be in love when they grow old,
not knowing that they grow old when they cease to love!
To a child I shall give wings,
but I shall let him learn to fly on his own.
I would teach the old that death does not come with old age,
but with forgetting.
So much have I learned from you, oh men...

I have learned that everyone wants to live on the peak of the mountain,
without knowing that real happiness is in how it is scaled.
I have learned that when a newborn child squeezes for the first time with his tiny fist his father's finger,
he has him trapped forever.
I have learned that a man has the right to look down on another only when he has to help the other get to his feet.
From you I have learned so many things,
but in truth they won't be of much use,
for when I keep them within this suitcase,
unhappily shall I be dying.

~GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ~

Namaste and be well,

Luna

True Strength. True Love.

Hello All,

Sometimes things are too beautiful for words. You can try to explain how wonderful something is or how much it matters to the world or how much it means to you, but it just can't really describe how deeply it makes you feel.

I can't really tell you how important the message I am about to share with you today is. The following is an absolutely beautiful video of a girl sharing the love she has for her mother, and extending her love to all those suffering. The girl's mother recently passed away due to suicide. In her message she gracefully shares a message of love and support to all those suffering, and makes a request that those contemplating suicide seek help.



As someone who has attempted suicide in the past, I cannot express exactly how beautiful and important her message is. Please, if you are reading this blog and you are contemplating ending your own life, know that you are important and you matter.

Even though I may not know you, I truly and deeply love you. If you ever need anything please let me know. I will find a way to contact you and help you in absolutely any way I can. I know this may sound crazy, but I will even provide you with a couch to sleep on and a warm meal if you need to run away from whatever situation you are in.

Everyone should receive kindness and compassion. Everyone should be loved and have a chance to love. Everyone deserves the right to be happy.

No matter what know that you are loved.

Please be well everyone. Take care of yourselves and do let me know if you need anything.

Namaste and Goodnight,
Luna

Revelations: Kindness and Compassion are things that we create.

As promised here is the note I posted earlier tonight on Facebook:

The world is currently a mess. I cannot think of many people who are completely satisfied with the way things have been going recently. I can't blame them. Much of the world is in the middle of political unrest. The world economy is in shambles. Freedom still isn't equally shared amongst all humans even within a country as free as the United States. Our environment had nearly been destroyed due to humanity's selfish disregard for the rest of the life on this planet. In fact, a sub species of Black Rhino even went extinct this week.

So amidst all of the chaos and confusion of this tumultuous time, how does one happily cope with simply living to survive in our fast paced, ever changing, modern world. Furthermore, how do we deal with the inherent unfairness, selfishness, and cold, uncaring stance that plagues what we pass of as "the human condition". Just thinking about these things can make walking outside one's apartment scary. These thoughts certainly left me paralyzed the last few months. I was afraid to leave my couch to travel into the uncaring world, certain that no one would care whether or not I were alive or happy or able to cope with my suffering or surviving in this world. 

What is even more ironic about my situation is that in the months before I moved to Chicago I began a blog attempting to share the random bits of subjective beauty I came across from day-to-day. This was all in an effort to find the diamonds of joy and happiness and truth that hide in the grime of everyday life. When I moved I had a hard time maintaining said blog. This was not because beauty no longer existed. There will always be at least a small ammount of beauty to life even if we have trouble finding it. I did not update my blog because I was so bogged down in my sadness that I lost my ability to look for the diamonds. What's more, even when I came across them I had no will or strength to share them with others. I saw no point in the exercise anymore. Very few people read my blog. Why scream into the hollow wind about my discoveries? Why even attempt to pass on a message of hope? Then this afternoon as I was meditating I realized that the concepts of happiness and kindness and compassion and beauty are nothing like diamonds. In our modern world they may seem like rare treasures: hard to find, fleeting in time, and easy to lose. However, unlike diamonds, kindness and compassion - gifts which in turn create love, happiness, beauty, and understanding - do not need special conditions and large amounts of time in order to be created. Anyone can share kindness and compassion. Furthermore, these gifts can and should be shared with everyone, even those we do not know or may initially deem unworthy of said gifts. The only things that make these gifts appear rare to the human eye are situations in which the societies we are living are not working actively to create them.  

Kindness and Compassion are things we create. It takes nothing, but a small amount of extra will in order to make gem of kindness and compassion. There is a potential for humanity to create an infinite supply. When you imagine this as the case, if we all work actively to spread kindness to others then we will be more likely to come across kindness and compassion in our own lives. In this way we can create a new process in which gifts that seem rare in our current chaotic situation, become so abundant that they actually become a free and endless resource. 

Furthermore, unlike diamonds, regardless of the size of the act or the amount being spread throughout the world, the gifts of kindness and compassion never diminish in value. No matter what they create a positive energy that only helps to heal and repair our damaged world, never hurt or harm it. So, please if you find it in your heart to do so, help me in spreading kindness, compassion, love, and happiness. It all begins with you. If you can help to spread good will, even to just one person or within your close circle of friends, kindness, compassion, love, happiness, peace, and equality will no longer seem rare or unknown to the world. Soon we will be looking for specs of dirt hiding in a mountain of gems instead of digging through the mud to find rare diamonds. Just Remember:

You must be the change you want to see in the world.

- Mahatma Gandhi

Or if this suits you better:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.Where there is hatred, let me sow love.Where there is injury, pardon.Where there is doubt, faith.Where there is despair, hope.Where there is darkness, light.Where there is sadness, joy.O Divine Master,grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;to be understood, as to understand;to be loved, as to love.For it is in giving that we receive.It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.

- The Prayer of St. Francis 

Thank you to those of you who have read this message. Please, if you feel so inclined to do so pass this on. Never forget to spread love and peace and kindness. The more you share it the more likely you are to receive it. 

Be well. You are loved. 

Namaste and Goodnight (For real this time),

Luna 

Beautiful Theatre

Hello All,

Sorry that it has been such a long time since my last post. I was adjusting to a new city, my head was kind of fogged up, and to be honest I wasn't noticing as much beauty as I was before my move. I just wrote a very long note about my recent mindset on Facebook that I will copy and paste and repost here... right after I share something beautiful first. :)

My dear friend, Zach, recently shared a wonderful delicate piece of theatre with me over the internet. The following link is to a website for this tiny portable theater called:

"The Icebook"

Their website describes the theater as:

"a miniature theatre show made of paper and light. An exquisite experience of fragile paper cutouts and video projections that sweep you right into the heart of a fantasy world. It is an intimate and immersive experience of animation, book art and performance."



Unfortunately, as of now there are no tour dates planed for The Icebook to travel to visit us in the US, but if anyone who reads this blogs lives in or visits the UK, India, or Turkey. You should check it out and let me know how it was. For the rest of us we will have to make due with simply watching the recorded video clips of the show.

I hope you have all been well. Take care of yourselves. You are loved.

Namaste and Goodnight,
Luna