"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." ~ Confucius

I realized after receiving a few comments from people who have read my blog, that, to quote Gandalf the Gray, "Dark have been my thoughts of late." I've been in one of those valleys that can be described as depression. Realizing that you are depressed can be a little hard. Knowing why you are depressed in the first place can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. In the end, the only way to break out of that depression is to decide that you are going to be happy. Sticking to that decision can be a little hard too, because you never know if something will nudge you over the edge back into that depression.

Take Judy Garland, for example...the last song that she ever performed for MGM Studios was a song called "Get Happy." It was used during the film, "Summer Stock" that also featured Gene Kelly. During the entire filming process, Judy was hardly able to stand up, she was highly unpredictable and was very hard to work with and around. But she pushed through and gave the film world a gem that she could be proud of. I recently watched "Summer Stock" and was reminded that no matter how rough life gets, it doesn't do you any good to sit around moping. Smile, get happy!! Not to sound like a Pollyanna, but when you start looking for the good stuff in life, you'll find plenty to be happy about.

Perhaps the biggest wakeup call regarding this, I received this week, while from reading "Woodlands" by Robin Jones Gunn. The book talks about this woman who has given all of her life for everyone else, and she doesn't know who she is or what she should do with her life. She is very defensive and doesn't believe that she means anything to anyone. She meets someone unexpectedly and her entire life turns upside down. She receives a large inheritance, she wins a cruise to Alaska, but most of all, she finds out that God's love, above all, can bring her the most happiness. The book refers to Zephaniah 3:17 - "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

I realized that I had lost the joy in my life and I needed to focus on joy. Taking pleasure in the simple things, like flowers and walks in the woods. Joy that comes on the heels of a hearty belly laugh that comes from seeing something funny or reading a joke...So, my goal in the next few days and weeks is to focus on the wonderful things around me. To see the beauty in life that so often goes unnoticed, but is so integral to my daily life that I would be lost without it. I think I will bring my camera along for the ride and will try to post pictures every day of the things that bring me joy. And I think before long, I will be doing exactly what Zephaniah 3:14 says: "Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem."



"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." ~ Victor Frankl

"It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not." ~ James Gordon

"One's destination is never a  place, but a new way of seeing things." ~ Henry Miller

"To be happy, it first takes being comfortable in your own shoes. The rest can work up from there." ~ Sophia Bush

"Life is short, and it's up to you to make it sweet." ~ Sadie Delaney