Utilizing Multiple Strengths Brings Joy!
Aug/Monday/2008 11:30 PM Filed in: Happiness
and positive emotion
See previous blogs regarding Signature Strengths
and how using them can improve happiness.
My husband and I are known for our spontaneous vacations-due in part to his very unpredictable business. We rarely plan far in advance. But this past weekend we did what felt like the ultimate in spontaneity. Staring at the unknown of recovery from upcoming major surgery, we decided to have one last hurrah for the summer on Tuesday (we left Friday). We had special tickets we’d been holding onto for just such a moment. In looking at SW Airlines destinations, about the only place I had always wanted to go but never had been, was Los Angeles/Hollywood.
At the very moment I was making reservations, little did I know, LA was having its first major quake in 10 years. The news about aftershocks was scary. Could this be a precurser for the BIG one? A feeling of fear came over me. Then another stronger feeling. Courage. We are going! You only live once! Zest! Since I was little, I had been intrigued by Hollywood and being an actress. Here was my chance to see the epicenter of acting. Millions live there, in spite of the earthquakes. If they can do it, I can. You see, at 40 years young, I took acting lessons (CREATIVITY) at an urging from a close friend who had Stage IV breast cancer. I now have an agent, and do occasional commercials, industrials, independent film or theatre, here in NC. Its small time, but most importantly, its about doing what you love!
So when we arrived, we rented a car and proceeded to discover Los Angeles. BRAVERY :-) CURIOSITY
First stop, Bevery Hills Hotel for lunch. No, we didn’t plan it! We just happened to come upon it as we headed to Hollywood. It took a little courage to walk in this swanky place, but so glad we did. It was beautiful, from the bathrooms, to the cabanas at the pool, to the outdoor restaurant covered in bougainvillea! Appreciation of Beauty
WOW.
Then onto Hollywood Blvd. to see all it offered. I was stabbed by some strange characters in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Here are Jane Russel and Marilyn Monroe’s imprints:
We stayed until we couldn’t walk another step down Hollywood Blvd.
The next day we woke up and decided to drive up the coastline. We’d heard Santa Barbara was beautiful. We knew nothing of what we would encounter. CURIOSITY We fell in love immediately with the beautiful cove/beach, ocean view restaurants and outdoor patios, with a sidewalk festival and other oudoor activities going on. Huge appreciation of beauty.
We rented bikes and started in a direction away from the beach... which was really perfection... no real reason to leave the area. My husband said, “Let’s go back (to the beach)!” I said, “Just one more street...I want to see something.” More Curiosity. We had no idea what would await us. We came over a hill and discovered what seemed like hundreds of outdoor restaurants, endless shops, and beautiful tree lined streets with bike lanes against a back drop of a gorgeous blue sky, mountains, and 75 degree weather! Appreciation of Beauty. We learned it was FIESTA weekend, and there was a party going on with thousands of visitors. We LOVED every minute we were there.
If we had turned around, we’d have missed the fun discovery of this beautiful part of the town, and the amazing joyful people.
If I hadn’t stopped to ask questions of a local (more curiosity), we’d never have seen this RAT, CAT, AND DOG with their homeless owner. YES, it is real. Unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it.
The owner’s answer as to how he gets them to do that? “Animals are simple, people are complicated.”
No doubt, we are complicated. But what I know for sure, is that if you go outside the box and open up youself to new experiences, joy is there for the taking. I am grateful (gratitude) that my husband has been my spontaneous, joyous partner in taking on life for the last 27 years! Tomorrow when I have to take on the medical world with some unexpected surgery, I will have some great memories to use when I need to change my focus.
Coaching questions:
What are the things you love? What gives you energy? How can you balance the good with the not so good in your life?
Make sure to not put off, what you’ve been meaning to do, TODAY!
My husband and I are known for our spontaneous vacations-due in part to his very unpredictable business. We rarely plan far in advance. But this past weekend we did what felt like the ultimate in spontaneity. Staring at the unknown of recovery from upcoming major surgery, we decided to have one last hurrah for the summer on Tuesday (we left Friday). We had special tickets we’d been holding onto for just such a moment. In looking at SW Airlines destinations, about the only place I had always wanted to go but never had been, was Los Angeles/Hollywood.
At the very moment I was making reservations, little did I know, LA was having its first major quake in 10 years. The news about aftershocks was scary. Could this be a precurser for the BIG one? A feeling of fear came over me. Then another stronger feeling. Courage. We are going! You only live once! Zest! Since I was little, I had been intrigued by Hollywood and being an actress. Here was my chance to see the epicenter of acting. Millions live there, in spite of the earthquakes. If they can do it, I can. You see, at 40 years young, I took acting lessons (CREATIVITY) at an urging from a close friend who had Stage IV breast cancer. I now have an agent, and do occasional commercials, industrials, independent film or theatre, here in NC. Its small time, but most importantly, its about doing what you love!
So when we arrived, we rented a car and proceeded to discover Los Angeles. BRAVERY :-) CURIOSITY
First stop, Bevery Hills Hotel for lunch. No, we didn’t plan it! We just happened to come upon it as we headed to Hollywood. It took a little courage to walk in this swanky place, but so glad we did. It was beautiful, from the bathrooms, to the cabanas at the pool, to the outdoor restaurant covered in bougainvillea! Appreciation of Beauty
WOW.
Then onto Hollywood Blvd. to see all it offered. I was stabbed by some strange characters in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Here are Jane Russel and Marilyn Monroe’s imprints:
We stayed until we couldn’t walk another step down Hollywood Blvd.
The next day we woke up and decided to drive up the coastline. We’d heard Santa Barbara was beautiful. We knew nothing of what we would encounter. CURIOSITY We fell in love immediately with the beautiful cove/beach, ocean view restaurants and outdoor patios, with a sidewalk festival and other oudoor activities going on. Huge appreciation of beauty.
We rented bikes and started in a direction away from the beach... which was really perfection... no real reason to leave the area. My husband said, “Let’s go back (to the beach)!” I said, “Just one more street...I want to see something.” More Curiosity. We had no idea what would await us. We came over a hill and discovered what seemed like hundreds of outdoor restaurants, endless shops, and beautiful tree lined streets with bike lanes against a back drop of a gorgeous blue sky, mountains, and 75 degree weather! Appreciation of Beauty. We learned it was FIESTA weekend, and there was a party going on with thousands of visitors. We LOVED every minute we were there.
If we had turned around, we’d have missed the fun discovery of this beautiful part of the town, and the amazing joyful people.
If I hadn’t stopped to ask questions of a local (more curiosity), we’d never have seen this RAT, CAT, AND DOG with their homeless owner. YES, it is real. Unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it.
The owner’s answer as to how he gets them to do that? “Animals are simple, people are complicated.”
No doubt, we are complicated. But what I know for sure, is that if you go outside the box and open up youself to new experiences, joy is there for the taking. I am grateful (gratitude) that my husband has been my spontaneous, joyous partner in taking on life for the last 27 years! Tomorrow when I have to take on the medical world with some unexpected surgery, I will have some great memories to use when I need to change my focus.
Coaching questions:
What are the things you love? What gives you energy? How can you balance the good with the not so good in your life?
Make sure to not put off, what you’ve been meaning to do, TODAY!