You Can CHOOSE To Be HAPPY ANY TIME!

This is very similar to last month’s post about accentuating the positive (Johnny Mercer)- it just goes even further because, I’ve made progress in this area. When I mention seeing “good” in my life right now, I realize I’ve made up what “good” is. Now I’m working on defining what happy is not based on what I’ve been taught. My eyes are opening to the truth that Happy just is. I (you) can be happy anywhere at any time. It’s my (your) choice.

To make the record clear: I have no license to be an analyst. I had a teaching license, I’m a Certified Image Consultant, a Reiki Master and I completed the 14 Week CTI course in theater production – as well as having studied acting for years. (My major acting teachers being Stella Adler, Gene Frankel and Jose Ferrer.  I even took a semester in Lee Strasburg’s Master Class.) However, I’m not a licensed analyst.

I find that I can write the character I’m (me, Bobbie Horowitz) is playing at any moment.  I only act the way I do in situations because I was taught to act that way. I do believe that I was born with a brain and a body that would be happy and would naturally go for the best this planet has to offer.  It is kind of “faking it till ya make it”, which I spoke about that in my last post too. But, it’s even more than that.

Now I’m not even thinking about playing the part of “happy”.  At the beginning of the month I was concentrating on using Stella Adler’s technique of being in the circumstance the character is in and knowing the life that character had led up till that point. Then, as Stella coached us to do, I’d ask myself, “Where am I? (In truth I’m on a stage.) What do I want (what does this character want) to get from this particular circumstance? What might be in the way of my getting it (as the character) and what actions might I take do to go for it? The script would, of course, have many of the answers.  This technique had actors looking real on stage.

As June progressed I realized what A Course In Miracles was trying to convey to me. We perceive the circumstances we’re in in each day as being “real”. However their reality is something my mind has created.

This weather this past week in New York City was, what most humans (including TV weather forecasters) would call hot and muggy with sever spot showers. I carried my umbrella every day.  Some days I even schlepped (that’s Yiddish for carrying an annoying bundle) a long rubber raincoat. I practice saying, “I love this!” in my apartment every morning. I also say, “I’m committed to learn this!” Okay, this is like faking it till you make it. However, the more days I practiced it, the more quickly my mind would naturally go to that thought and by the end of the month I didn’t have to think about thinking it. I only had to practice once or twice last week.

I learned to, automatically, love the different circumstances of my life. I didn’t have to think about thinking: “Wow this is so much fun! I love muggy and I love bouncing down the street with my leopard umbrella and all my gear –and I especially love when it starts pouring and blowing! I did truly love bouncing down the street with my rain gear and tucking my hair into a hat.  I even got a kick out of my hair the day before yesterday when I hadn’t put my hat on yet and my hair became, what I call, “Beach Hair”.When I first began trying this I thought people would be asking themselves, “Who’s this nut?” Now that it’s natural for me to be bouncy and happy, no matter what’s going on, – i.e., now that I’m accepting my circumstances of the moment (I can’t change them at that moment – I’d have ot take action) people are smiling at me and I’m even seeing a few people who were scowling look at me (actually look into my eyes) and start to smile. One or two even started laughing at themselves and shared a head nod or wink with me.I live in Manhattan where there’s a lot of “street life”, so I can see this more closely. However, I bet that when you’re driving and come to a light if your radiating happy energy the driver next to you may well “get it” and feel more comfortable and, even, smile. Energy travels.

I found that learning to be happy without even thinking about, “Is this a happy circumstance?” is the same as learning any other “habit”. That dirty word “habit” keeps coming up.  I’m learning that all of life is about “habit”.

I made up the term mini-Qs to avoid the dread word habit, when it comes to getting healthier and in shape.  Mini-Qs are the smallest quantity of things you “get” to do each day, that are optimum for the body you were born with, that will lead you to and then keep you at your optimum weight, health, etc. In time (usually a short time) your actions become natural and you enjoy them and you’re in shape.

My mini-Q for being happy is simply to practice thinking “Happy” all the time. Take one second to think, “This is great!” every time you begin a new activity. In my case, I just say to myself.  “I’m happy” and – guess what? I’m happy. You can be too.

I’ll discuss, what many of us call “dire situations” in August.