Quotation: On Happiness . . .

Today was the perfect lazy Saturday. The pouring rain, chilly temperature, and dark sky all beckoning me to hunker in on the couch with a pot of tea and a new magazine. And that's exactly what I did. Me and my May issue of O magazine. Cover to cover. A good three hours.

I bookmarked page 171 because I came across this quote that perfectly captures the spirit of good karma housekeeping:

"The essence of happiness is that feeling of engagement with the world and with other people."

Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes.

There's plenty of room in my memory for experiences--but my closets, drawers, shelves, and cabinets just can't take on any more stuff.

Maybe it's part of growing up, or maybe it's just me realizing that the people in my life aren't always going to be here, but I'll take a great time over a great sweater any day. . .

> Read the article, What Really Makes People Happy, on oprah.com.

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space--mentally and physically--to live happily ever after. (Photo (c) 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation)

The Haves and the Have Nots

I used to have this pink tee shirt when I was a kid that had a big, glittery iron-on patch emblazoned on it. In between an up arrow and a down arrow were the words "Everything's going up but my allowance."

I hated that shirt, mostly because I didn't get an allowance. Now, to be fair, I didn't do anything around the house to warrant an allowance. But still, the grown-ups all thought the tee shirt was hilarious and adorable. I just felt like an impostor and did everything I could to avoid wearing that ridiculous shirt. All it did was remind me what I did not have, which made me feel different. And when you're nine years old, different is not good.

I spent many years of my life thinking that more was better. More toys. More clothes. More friends. More books. More rooms. More vacations. More money. In a literal sense, I was pretty well off. But figuratively speaking I felt poor. Even when I had plenty, it didn't feel like enough.

Enough for whom?

A few years (and a few thousand down dogs) ago, it finally started to make sense: stuff does not equal happiness. Simple but true. It's hard to keep sight of that when everyone I know seems to have jetted off somewhere tropical this winter, or is dressed in a new pair of designer jeans, or heading out for dinner and drinks. Stuff does Not. Equal. Happiness.

It's why I could have a cashmere sweater in every color that J.Crew offers, or a love-it size scoop of Cold Stone Creamery's Founder's Favorite ice cream (in a waffle bowl) every day of the week and still want for something more. Less is more. The less I want and the less I try to "keep up," the more fulfilled I feel. Simple as that. And if I can find someone who will appreciate my unneeded things--stuffed bunny rabbits, a freshwater pearl necklace, a box full of holiday decorations, and so on--well, that's what good karma housekeeping is all about.

I watched Michael J. Fox speak on Oprah today about what it's like living with a degenerative disease. Something he said stood out to me so much that I hit pause and rewind a few times just so I could scribble it all down:

Happiness grows in direct proportion to your acceptance and in inverse proportion to your expectations. . . . This is what I have today. I don't have a choice about this, but I have a million other choices. And if I choose well, I am going to be a happy person.

If the only real way to find happiness is to accept the reality that is today and fill it with the best option for whatever choices are in your control, well that's what living rich is all about.

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Because less really is more.

Just Do It: Clear the Clutter

Decluttering FOO (Friend of Oprah) Peter Walsh claims all you need is  15 minutes a day, every day, to wrangle the piles around your house. The charmingly downhome FlyLady swears by the 27-Fling Boogie to rid yourself of all the junk that's bogging you down. Even my kindergarten teacher, Miss Panda, had a quick, effective technique that she called Chipmunk Clean-Up to get us to put away all the crayons, books, puzzles, and blocks that we had scattered about.

All three had the same idea: just do it. Chop chop. No dilly-dallying. All too often, however, I'll get sidetracked in my cleaning pursuits--simply because I don't have a plan of attack. I see messes, I see piles, I see some really boring tasks ahead of me and my instinct is to see what's on HGTV. Maybe if I watch just one (more) show about other people's houses, then I'll be inspired to tackle the clutter.

So, tonight, I turned on some rousing music, set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes, and went to it. I emptied the dishwasher, washed the pots, loaded the new round of dirty dishes, recycled that red wine vinegar bottle from three days ago, put last week's grocery list and some random receipts in the recycling bin, gave the stovetop a quick scrub and the countertops a wipe down, put away two pairs of my boots and three pairs of shoes, folded the reusable grocery bags, and yes--dear FlyLady--I even shined my sink. (To her standards, no, but anything is better than nothing, right?)

All in 15 minutes? Well, not quite. I tacked another 8 minutes onto the timer, but the kitchen is pretty darn spiffy right now, if I do say so myself.

So, what are you waiting for? Go clear the clutter--one pile at a time.

_________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space--both mentally and physically--to live happily ever after. (image from The Household Helper)