August 2011 Happiness Hotline

Happy August

Goodness me, another month is flying by. Here we are almost half way through August, and here I am, back in Melbourne after a month of travel that really saw the time and the miles fly by.

I don’t know the name of the lady I have to thank for this month’s happiness tip. We met a week or so ago as I was on my daily walk and our conversation brought home to me the importance of perception as a tool for happiness.

I live near a freeway. To cut down the noise the roadway is walled off from the surrounding suburb. On one side there’s a storm water drain that’s been landscaped to resemble a natural creek bed and a shared walking and cycle path runs between the wall, the creek and the back fences of the houses that line the freeway route. It’s winter here and it’s been unusually wet so the creek is full, the paths are muddy, and in places there are puddles that don’t get time to drain between the showers.While I’m walking I always stop on the bridge that crosses the creek to check out the water and see if the ducks have arrived. I was watching the water rush beneath the bridge when a woman stopped beside me. I started our conversion with a cheery “good morning” and I was a little taken aback by her response. She questioned how I could say it was a good morning and angrily told me to “have a good look around”. She pointed out the rubbish in the creek and complained about the overhanging trees and the overgrown grass. Then it was the sky’s turn, it was dark and heavy and apparently it was stopping her getting her washing out! Her final comment made me smile in a sympathetic way. She looked straight at me and asked “How can you be so cheerful? Can’t you see this place is a disaster zone! Can’t you see the mess that’s right in front of your nose?” and she turned as was gone.I didn’t add to the conversation. I couldn’t fit a word in edgewise as my mother use to say. This stranger had an issue with all she saw and she clearly needed to vent. In my house we call this kind of one way conversation ‘the wall of sound’.

I always try to see the positive in everything and this angry stranger made me think....... here we were, on exactly the same path but how different our perception of our surroundings was. She saw doom and gloom. She actually called out beautiful park a disaster, while I saw a park that was changing with the weather – beautiful and different every day, and I smiled and thought about how lucky we are to have such wonderful parkland right on our doorstep. Where she saw rubbish in the creek I saw rushing water making tiny waterfalls and rushing over the usually dry rocks. Where she saw overhanging trees I saw wattle and apple blossom and new growth. Where she saw overgrown grass I saw plants in seed regenerating the park land, bulbs beginning to shoot and the tracks of the creatures who share the park after dark. Yes, the sky was dark. I was hoping that the rain would hold off till I got home but the water tanks were full and the parched earth was soaking up the much needed water like a sponge, preparing for the hot summer months. I didn’t particularly want to get rained on but I also believe that we can’t complain about things that we are unable to change, and I began to sing that sea shanty from the musical version of Alice In Wonderland – ‘I never ever ever care a thing about the weather, for the weather never ever cares a thing for me!’

As I made my way home I treasured the thought that I was lucky enough to live in a place where I could head out safely on my own and walk in peace and tranquillity. I passed the woman again as I headed over the foot bridge that crosses the road way. She was sharing her complaints with another walker. I listened to the one sided conversation and smiled. What you see, what you get in your day, how you spend your time really does depend on how you perceive things.

You might like to try this simple exercise over the next few weeks: When you find yourself unhappy with something stop and think if you can see a brighter side. Take a deep breath and pause to think – ‘is there another way to look at this?’ ‘Am I missing something?’ ‘Is it as bad as I perceive it to be?’ ‘Can I do anything about it? – and if I can, what? - and if I can’t how can I change my thinking to something more positive?’What you see really is what you get! How do you see your day?

A big thank you and welcome to all our new Happiness Hotline members. I hope you, and all those who have been with us for some time enjoy this month’s offering.

A big thank you must also go out to all our new clients. I don’t know if it’s thanks to my new staff, Bob, my IT guru, and Jayne, the books wiz, or if it’s simply word of mouth, but over the last few months I’ve had the pleasure of working with 41 ‘new’ organisations. The last 5 weeks have been my busiest yet, with 51 workshops in just 40 days. Another 4 Laughter Yoga presentations were forwarded onto other Laughter Yoga professionals because, sadly, I couldn’t fit them into my busy schedule.

Keep well, keep laughing (they go hand in hand) and don’t forget – if you would like to comment on the Happiness Hotline, discuss a workshop for your organisation or simply share your happiness story, you are welcome to email me at bronwyn@letslaugh.com.au
Bronwyn Roberts
Chief Happiness Officer
Let's Laugh
bronwyn@letslaugh.com.au
www.letslaugh.com.au0421 335 197

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August 2011 Happiness Hotline

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