UPBEAT TIMES, INC. • January 2017 • 21 JOKES & Humor # 7 Living the Upbeat Life
ing in the world in a life-affi rming way. Inspiration will follow. Tune in to what liſt s, deepens and brings you (back) to life.
Setting an actual intention keeps
us on the path, fi nding positive frames through which to walk the Beauty Path.
Santa Rosa, CA. ~
Q: A:
Can you teach somebody how to be an upbeat person? List things you need to do to stay mo- tivated when things seem uphill?!
Being “upbeat” is a habit.
Why not cultivate the lifestyle? Adopt the philosophy. Live “la vida animada,” a Spanish expression that points to “a life animated” by love and respect for all creation. Make it a New Year’s resolution. My personal practice led to my new class for Windsor Parks & Rec in January –and your question has inspired me to make a list of ten essen- tial keys for living an upbeat, animated 2017 –thank you!
KEY 1: INTENTION. Commit to be-
“Challenges are giſt s that force us to search for a
new center of gravity. Don’t
fi ght them. Just fi nd a new way
to stand.” Oprah Winfrey
Williebird’s Restaurant 1150 Santa Rosa Ave
Santa Rosa • 707-542-0861
Restaurant Hours: Monday - Saturday 7:00AM - 9:00PM Sunday 7:00AM - 8:00PM
Williebird’s Retail Store 5350 HWY 12,
Santa Rosa • 707-545-2832 “If a man has character, he has also his typical experience, which always recurs.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
KEY 2: MINDFULNESS. Breathe! Be present. Pay attention to the moment. Bear witness to your thoughts, actions and feelings in a non-judgmental way. Our feelings help us know if we’re on or off track. Cultivate Awareness. Exercise conscious choice.
KEY 3: FOCUS. Develop the habit of focusing energy towards the positive end of the stick. When you focus on what you DO want to experience, Life delivers the goods more readily. Con- sider the notions that “like attracts like,” and the “law of attraction.” If we do live in an ‘attraction-based universe,’ we ‘at- tract’ and manifest into our lives the es- sence of what we deep down, most ex- pect from it. Keep focusing back onto the ‘upbeat’ side.
KEY 4: APPRECIATION. Be grateful for being alive. Count bless- ings.
supports, liſt s, inspires, comforts, eases the way. What you praise, stays.
Appreciate whatever, whoever Say
thank you, go on “rampages of appre- ciation.” Notice how good you feel, and
by Marcia Singer •
www.lovearts.info “LA VIDA ANIMADA “ what that attracts.
KEY 5: KINDNESS. Starting with yourself, intend to do as little harm and as much good as you
can. Practice
‘random acts of kindness.’ Court a felt connection to all living things. Notice kindnesses being done around you. Seek out stories (www.goodnewsnet-
work.org) Do Metta kindness medita- tion. Enjoy a cheerier, more peaceful, kind existence.
KEY 6: SELF-NURTURE. Nourish
your body, mind, heart, spirit. Discov- er what self-care means for you one day at a time. Today is it a walk in nature, a stroll in a garden? Petting a kitty? Is it taking a hot mineral bath, getting a massage, having a quiet cup of tea, or communing with someone you hold dear? Aaaaahhhhhh… that’s better.
KEY 7: COMPASSSION. EMPATHY. FORGIVENESS. T ese
acts, these
qualities begin at home within our- selves. T ey arise naturally as we let go of feeling guilty, resentful, fearful, stressed. What relief, renewal, sheer en- ergy we release in the process! A new lease on life! If you intend to be a com- passionate, empathic and forgiving per- son, life will show you how. Every time.
KEY 8: SENSE OF HUMOR. Culti-
vate your comedic sensibilities! Seeing a more universal, bigger picture than our daily soap opera --relieves worry and stress. Create your own stand-up comedy act about something you’ve been embarrassed about. What a relief just to laugh! Genuine humor is one of life’s surest giſt s to keep us sanely on an upbeat path. Find something to laugh about –today.
KEY 9: PLAY. Reclaim your inner kid energy, your joi de vivre. Revive a sec- ond childhood. Get lost in doing some- thing you love for its own sake. Watch kids, dogs playing. Remember in your bones how natural it is to be spontane- ous, feeling free to be –you. Express the heck outta yourself: make room for heaven. Improv-ise!
KEY 10: FAITH. Discover what means the most to you, what gets you up each day, and Be that, on purpose. Know what you value, and treasure it. Live a life that lets love fl ow. As you do, your faith in yourself, in others, in the world will be sustained, quite naturally, even during the tough times.
In a word, or three, here’s to “La Vida Animada”! Shining delight, Marcia
Happy New Year, each and every one. ~ Marcia
www.williebirdsrestaurant.com
A Sonoma County Tradition! “Turkey always and turkey all ways!”
A friend of mine had resisted efforts to get him to run with our jogging group until his doctor told him he had to exercise. Soon thereaf- ter, he reluctantly joined us for our 5:30 a.m. jogs on Mondays, Wednes- days, and Fridays. After a month of running, we decided that my friend might be hooked, especially when he said he had discov- ered what “runner’s euphoria” was. “Run- ner’s euphoria,” he explained, “is what I feel at 5:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.”
Services Support services are offered FREE to any individuals in our community who are currently or have ever gone through cancer treatments:
Art from the Heart
1st Tuesday of each month, 5-7pm
Gentle Yoga
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30-noon
Please contact Sharon at (707) 525-6131 or
Sharon.Doughty@
stjoe.org with any questions and to sign up for FREE classes.
UPBEAT TIMES, INC. • January 2017 • 21
Free Cancer Support
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