What a weekend to remember! I got involved with KISSpdx because I love helping people do what they first thought to be impossible and while Jennifer Davidson never had a doubt, there may have been a few skeptics out there when she described her vision of bringing so many high caliber women together at one time.
What actually came to pass was even better than I had expected. If you were there, you know what I’m talking about. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Hear what some others had to say, including heartsparklers Cindy Tortorici and Diana Jordan.
If you weren’t there, you missed out on something special, but don’t worry, because there’s more to come. The seed has been planted, roots are taking hold and look out Portland because this amazing group of women is going places.
Before you know it, we’ll all be looking back with pride as we boast, “And I’ve been there since the beginning!” It’s not too late to join in. I’ll keep you posted on upcoming events.
Congratulations and thank you to Jen and her cast of talented and wonderful volunteers. You are a breath of much-needed fresh air!
Thanks to a little inspiration from alumna Kelly Blunt, heartspark proudly hosted a table at the 18th Annual YWCA of Greater Portland Leadership Luncheon today.
All 10 of us were moved by the keynote speaker, actor Victor Rivas Rivers, as he spoke of his own history of domestic abuse and how the YWCA provides resources to help others feel safe enough to break the cycle and turn their lives around.
We didn’t let the serious mission of the fundraiser dampen our mood. As you can see from the photos on heartspark’s FaceBook page – a good time was had by all.
Today is the first day of spring break at my house. That may explain why this article, Why a Vacation Will Make You Happier than a New Car, caught my eye this morning. I’m not in the market for a new car, but taking a trip always makes me happy. I also am pleased whenever science agrees with me. Today I get to enjoy both.
Bon Voyage!
I often enjoy Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project blog. This post offers tips that are particularly timely for people dealing with change and are also good advice for anyone wanting to feel happier. Who wouldn’t want that?
I’m touched by how many people reacted to last week’s the heartspark way post on how “Altruism’s as Good as Sex” by giving to the Haitian earthquake relief effort. Thank you for letting me know how you interpreted the message as a timely reminder to Give it Back. Your response is yet another example of what big hearts you have!
It’s been a week since my last Habitual Happiness class, so I have happiness on the brain. Not a bad thing to be thinking about during the holidays (or any time for that matter.) This morning I ran across a map that was published in The New York Times in March which shows survey results from a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index which attempts to “measure what it is that people believe constitutes a good life, who is feeling good about life, and who is in need of a helping hand.”
Overall the west coast reports being happier than people living on the east coast. No surprise there. But Oregon is ranked less happy than California, which I attributed that to rain and gray skies until I noticed that Washington is happier than Oregon as well. So, by the west coast’s higher happiness standards, we aren’t doing quite as well as our neighbors to the north and south. Any ideas on why that might be?
Knowing that there is a growing number of people in Oregon who are becoming “habitually happy” makes me optimistic that we can affect future results of this survey. Are you with me? What are you doing to contribute to the happiness of the state?
A new friend of heartspark, Rebecca Sterbenz, sent me an e-book conceived by Seth Godin that speaks to “what matters now” according to some of the biggest names across disciplines (think author of Eat, Pray, Love meets Adrianna Huffington.) She thought I might appreciate the broad-mindedness of the entries, the simplicity of the set-up and the resulting action that comes from thought-provoking points that stay with you long after the first read. She was right.
It’s not a book that you have to read cover-to-cover. Though you might be moved to. Flip through and see what grabs you. Becca pointed me to “evangelism”. For those of you who know me, I’ll bet you’ll understand why after you read it.
As we move into a brand new year, it’s important to ask yourself, “What matters now?”
Thank you Becca.
I taught a Habitual Happiness class last Friday. It was a great group of people and we had lots of fun. Since we were talking about what it takes to make being happy a habit, the inevitable question was posed: “How long does it take to create a habit?”
This article by Oliver Burkeman challenges the commonly held assumption of 21 days and offers interesting food for thought for anyone trying to change or create a new habit.
It’s humbling to be asked, “Who do you inspire and how?” but that’s exactly what Toni Reece of The Get Inspired! Project is asking 365 people over the course of the next year and I am fortunate to be one of the people she will be interviewing.
Gee whiz, that’s a loaded question. How would YOU answer it?
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