Happiness Is...

This is my response to the @freedomtribe happiness challenge, which asks us "where is your happy place — do you go there often? Can you go there alone or do you need the help of others? Can or do you share your happy place? What stops you from going there every day?" This challenge is also raising funds to donate to a local Venezuelan charity, you can read the full details in this post.

^{Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash}

---

I've been offline a lot since returning from Japan (over a month ago now), and I haven't really been writing much for my Pandora's Lost Gift blog either. Most of my time has been divided between settling in to greater responsibility in my Disability Support work, and time with my family.

I can often sneak a few minutes catching what's on my feed, throwing the odd comment and manual vote here and there, and checking up what's happening in my favourite communities: Natural Medicine, The Alliance, PAL, EcoTrain, TSU, and Freedom Tribe.

But another reason I've been offline is that I have been making a conscious effort to spend some time every day immersed in the things which bring me the most happiness.

I was considering delving into the problematic nature of the concept of happiness and constantly seeking it from the Taoist/Zen perspectives... but instead I thought it would be better simply to write about "my happy places".

These places aren't necessarily 'happy' all of the time; sometimes there is sadness, and other times there is fear. In fact in any of what I'm calling my 'happy places' (yes, there are several), I can range through any number of emotions. From my perspective, a 'happy place' is a state where I can experience a state that is fundamentally authentic in some manner. I can be myself — unashamedly, and often brazenly.

Home

It's getting cold now in Melbourne. For example, as I'm writing this today, it's bloody cold, windy, and wet. I've got the heater on, I've made a big pot of veggie-bean soup, and sipping on a glass of red wine with my Ugg-boots on. It snowed up in Daylesford this morning; keep in mind that snow is rare in Australia.

In Western Astrology, I have the Sun in Cancer in the 4th House: you couldn't find a more archetypal homebody than this. It means I choose not to go out much, especially in this weather. Spending the day pottering around the home, and cooking up a feast in the kitchen is my ideal day. That's the other thing: I love to cook and feed people. Even in my Disability Support work, I love cooking hearty, nutritious meals for my client.

S/F: Science/Speculative Fiction

I have stated before that there is nothing more pleasurable than an S/F-induced braingasm (well, there is one thing more pleasurable than that... 😉). I love the sheer possibilities that come with imagination and speculation. S/F literature has always pushed the boundaries of human thought and endeavour since the 1930's, and S/F writers have been titillating our futurist wet-dreams and challenging our sacred own and culturally-conditioned beliefs and presuppositions since the time of Homer. The idea that there may be a planet where the Devil exists, or a galaxy where the Laws of Physics don't apply, or a parallel dimension where giant tardigrades travel space through trans-dimensional mycelial networks blows my fucking mind!

With these stories — whether I read them in a book, a comic-book, or watch them in a series or film — I get to place myself in different contexts and consider questions of life, the universe, and everything. My thinking is challenged, and my imagination is stretched. It's a wonderful way to test out how I may or may not react if I was outside of the comfort of my home.

^{image source}

Music

There is always a soundtrack to my life. Whilst learning music and playing an instrument is a wonderful creative outlet, playing music on the ol' hi-fi while I go about my business keeps me present.

It also activates my emotions moreso than any film or novel can. I'm fairly certain I have an audio-kinaesthetic synesthesia (meaning I feel sound), and this is why music of all genres and all types bathes me aurally so that my embodied-self can experience and express what I'm feeling. It's usually in this 'place' where I can also experience grief, loss, anger, frustration, fear, love, and ecstasy; sometimes within the space of an hour!!

In recent times, I'm exploring the way I could use music as a meditation, that is playing an instrument to help me get even closer to my true nature and have something akin to a completely authentic expression of my soul. I think only music can do this, but then someone like myself would say that (I'm sure my daughter who is an exceptional talent with art would disagree).

So imagine my sheer delight when two of my favourite things — S/F and Rock music — came together in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy... sheer bliss!!

^{image source}

It's also why most (but not all) of my stories and articles have a soundtrack (see below for my 'happiness' soundtrack for this story); because music and lyrics are just as evocative as literature, poetry, art, and film. For me, music can awaken my soul to express itself, especially when I spend so much time in heady, intellectual pursuits such as translating ancient texts and studying Taoist philosophy.

Family

More importantly, spending time with my loved ones is where I can also be me. Mostly a 'happy' me, but I can also experience frustration, loneliness, anxiety... well, all of the emotions (especially as a parent of a 13yo sensitive, artistic pre-teen girl growing up in a crazy, fucked up world).

My daughter is amazingly talented and gifted, and it makes me sad that our society is so rigid that it struggles to include her quirks and craziness. When she's around, the house lights up. The adventures we get up to with her are both incredible and bizarre; take our recent trip to Japan for example.

My partner is seriously the most amazing woman in the world. We are so similar in so many ways, with similar likes and dislikes. But she's also enough of an individual that we can share our lives but also feel completely safe to do our own thing as well as be radically honest with each other.

When they are both home, and I'm in the kitchen listening to music and cooking up a feast before we sit down to watch the latest episode of Doctor Who or Full Metal Alchemist... well, that's probably the most blissful place possible!

^{The 3 of us at some temple in Kyoto}

---

Yeah, so that's it I guess. My happy places, the places where I can truly be myself, and express myself consistently. Happiness for me is also about being able to experience all emotions, but also the capacity to transcend them so that attachment to them doesn't get in the way of authentic expression.

I hope you enjoyed reading this, now here's is some 'happiness' tunes I'd like to share.

Take care, y'all 😊🙏🏽❤️

LISTEN TO THE SOUNDTRACK HERE

---

^{_{CREATE YOUR OWN @REVIEWME PROFILE TO START EARNING CREDIBILITY STARS FROM THE COMMUNITY!
CREATING YOUR PROFILE IS EASY! JUST FOLLOW THE STEPS HERE ☜(ˆ▿ˆc)}}