45

Easy to do today, since it was my birthday. Time is flying by...just seems like yesterday was the big 4-0. Now I am half way thru my forties.

photo credit

Things That Make Me Happy

A clean house. Saturday is my cleaning day. By Sunday you wouldn't know it. But this past Saturday, I cleaned everything. I mean a "on your knees scrub the floors clean" clean. It was especially gratifying because Mister worked all day Saturday. I wan't cleaning around him, it was a full on clean.

The happy part is that we've managed to keep it clean ALL week long. And by clean I mean everything in it's place. Nothing laying around. Bliss.

I am not sure everyone was on board at first or realized the happiness it was bringing me until I got up out of bed on Sunday night to clean up the kitchen, which is usually left a mess, when Mister came to bed. I think the clanking of dishes said all there was to say and it's been clean sailing since...

photo credit

Reading Material

I usually have a pile of books to read during Spring Break. Simple, quick, easy reading chick lit. But this break I was totally unprepared with reading materials. Lucky for me two days before leaving for Indiana I received an advance copy of Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh. I don't know Tony but he makes me happy. Over the last year or so I've been fascinated with Tony, Zappos, and finding happiness at work.

I work for a great company, first and foremost. However, something is missing in my current role that I am looking to fill from the inside and I'll just leave it at that.

I loved this book. I am actually getting ready to re-read it. It makes me happy to know that my views and opinions on business, companies, recruiting, and pipeline are shared by others. Very validating. It's also really making me ask questions about my view on happiness. What does happiness mean to me?

If  you wonder the same thing, check out Delivering Happiness. If that's not your thing, you're already happy, or you don't want to get that deep do a little shoe shopping Zappos.com . New shoes make everyone happy.

Who Will I Be Tomorrow

I watched Nights In Rodanthe last weekend. Thank goodness I knew the ending or I would have been a sobbing mess. Diane Lane's character talks about how when you get married and have children at some point you give up who you are and become who you think you should be. I think there is so much truth in that statement. In the movie that hasn't really worked well for her. Richard Gere's character tells her to stop being who she thinks she should be and be what she wants to be, or something to that effect. I think that takes her by surprise. That she has a choice.

All this is very timely for me, in that November is my birthday month. I always find that I seem to re-evaluate and take stock of the what, where, why, and what's next in my life during this month. This really has me wondering have I lost part of me. I think so. Not on purpose. I use to be funnier. I use to be clever. Now I am caught up in the mundane. I hope to spend the next year working on getting rid of those things about me that bog me down and invite in more of things that bring me joy.

Oh I also tend to go on spending sprees in November. I have a sneaky suspicion that may be directly related to the exercise of taking stock of my life...

Secret to Happiness

On Memorial Day we went to see Night at the Museum: The Battle of the Smithsonian.

The theme of the movie: the secret to happiness is to love what you do.

Something, I am always telling Lolly when we talk about future careers for her. Something I haven't lived except for about a 5/6 year time frame. Something that eludes me now*.

Strange that I recieved the secret to happiness is to love what you do message several times over a three day period. So I am currently working on a " What do I love list" right now. Have you found the secret to happiness? What do you love?

* I don't dislike what I do now, I just don't love it. I don't look forward to it. I do love my company though