Happiness Amongst Weeds
“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present”
Jim Rohn
I was inspired by a brilliant post on happiness from fellow RVer and blogger live.work.dream the other day. It got me thinking about life, joy and positivity, all of which led me to weeds. It’s a convoluted thing my brain, at times, but somehow it all makes sense. You see I’ve always been very happy in nature. Like a pig in mud I thrill at the joy of dirt under my nails, the sounds of birds chirping in the air, the brilliant splash of color hidden in the ground. The more in tune with all that I get, the better I feel and this rings true all the way down to the weeds on the ground.
As insignificant and annoying as they may be, weeds can be some of the most brilliant, most beautiful and most fascinating things around. Wild and wonderful, they bring a dash of color as wildflowers, an element of sculpture as dried and sustenance to thousands of other species who depend on their existence. I can easily lose myself in the wonder of it all, especially with my trusty camera in tow.
And that brings me back to happiness. I’ve never been a naturally happy person (being rather prone to the serious side of life), but I work at it everyday, and for that reason I’m most certainly a naturally happy person. As paradoxical as that seems it’s absolutely true. I learned about affirmations in my 20’s, after a rather difficult period of depression, and from there progressed to meditation, yoga and the exercise of daily mental optimism. I consider it a work-out for my brain. In the same way that your body gets stronger by lifting weights your mind becomes happier via the practice of rejoicing.
So now you understand why weeds make me happy. By sharing that little piece of paradise with you, I’m hoping it’ll rub off and bring cheer to your day too. So, whatever your bliss may be, wherever your joy is found go out there and make it happen. For happiness is something that’s worth doing now.
Hurrah for Dandelions
It occurs to me
that the official, honest-to-goddess
woman-bearing flower is most likely the dandelion,
one fantastic creation what got piss poor press,
and has yet to recover full flower status.
Howsomever and nonetheless,
it goes on going on (to the chagrin of many)
painting grass with sunshine,
making tea, salad, chains, wine
and carrying wishes on the wind.
What else but a woman,
(or one dumb dandelion)
could withstand chemical warfare,
decapitation, widespread denigration,
being yanked out by its roots
and other decidedly unfriendly acts-
not to mention the piss poor press-
and go right on blooming her fool head off?
–Copyright 1986 by JG Masters
LOVE it! Thanks for sharing! Nina
love the pics…some of my faves to photograph…..
Thanks Jil! I had so much fun out there. Nina
Hi Nina,
It’s so refreshing to read your posts. I always look forward to seeing a new ‘Wheeling It’ pop up in my Inbox.
Reading your most recent submission, I thought I’d introduce you to someone you might already know about ……. Matthieu Riccard (http://www.matthieuricard.org/). I’ve met him twice … here in Hong Kong ……. and have three of his books. You’d like ‘Happiness’, based on what you wrote. You’d also like his mountain photographs. I certainly did …… which is how I first happened to meet him.
I’m off to Nepal Tuesday and will meet Ann Damrau in a week’s time.
Go well.
Leo
Leo,
Cheers for the link and the lovely comment. I hadn’t come across his site, so very happy to discover it!
Can’t wait to hear all about the Nepal trip. Have a wonderful trek and come back
with lots of your great pics!
Nina
There is no better place to be happy, than in tune with nature. Beautiful photos.
“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”
— WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Indeed! Thank you for the inspiration! Nina