Another Secret

I told Patrick that I wanted to post about thinking positively.  He was quick to relate my idea to the most recent you-are-what-you-think trend.  "You mean The Secret?" he asked sardonically. But that's not what I meant at all (though in the long run, I'll admit to some similarities).  The Secret is for people who want more than they currently have from life.  I'm talking about having the kind of perspective on life that allows for happiness today, no matter your circumstance. Sometimes it means taking a step back to regroup.  I have to do this when I find myself going into Survival Mode; when everything becomes a checklist and I forget to savor the moments that are meant to be enjoyed.  Though most people have to work at being happy, the effort is worth the result.  Happy people get more done, experience more, laugh more, are more healthy, help other people, love more, have lots of fun, and aren't so hard on themselves.  Being happy is a quality.  And it's one that is apparent to other people, probably most apparent to our children.

Currently, my example of optimism is Marjorie Hinckley.  I've been engrossed in the biography of her husband this week and one of the most striking lessons I've learned from the two of them is the importance of loving life now (and not waiting for retirement).  So, I leave you with one of many excerpts from the book on this subject:

Life in the Hinckley home was rarely monotonous, often lighthearted, and almost always noisy.  On October 30, 1947, Marjorie and Gordon were blessed with their fourth child and second son, Clark Bryant.  Now the mother of two boys and two girls, Marjorie couldn't imagine being any happier with her lot in life.  The demands of rearing children seemed to energize rather than discourage her.  Though she was often left to manage her brood alone while Gordon attended to his responsibilities.... she was comfortable with his stewardship and happy about hers.  (from The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley: Go forward with Faith, by Sheri L. Dew, page 140)