Stumbling into Happiness...4 New Sources Sophie Found!

So there I was on a Monday night after a delicious dinner crafted by Chef ME and am sitting up in my tiny lil apartment's window ledge (my absolute fav place in this city apart from the park at Breach Candy) overlooking the sea-link feeling all content and full of smiles. I found these smiles in different forms - spoken to me, read out to me, staring at me on my computer screen, as melodies in my ears - and I decided to scribble down the 4 new things that I discovered recently that made me so happy!

Ok before you guys freak out, am so not going philosophical on you. You have to keep an open mind and read, watch, listen...and then let it sink in...whatever that IT is. For me it was a realization that happiness is a state of mind and that you achieve it by being yourself, having faith in yourself, recognizing the beauty around you, enjoying one task at a time, meeting new people and spending time with old friends...so here goes...

1. Mary Angelou: WHATTA WOMAN! If you don't believe me...click on this link and you will know what I am talking about. I love her lil quotes...some funny, some very insightful but all full of light energy..as I like to call it. She is an author, poet, civil rights activist, social worker, so much rolled into one. This is power...with words.

“I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 
― Maya Angelou
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3503.Maya_Angelou

2. Gothic Music: Yeah for me Goth was black, red, blood, sinful...and then I stumbled onto these songs and I have since been captivated by the music, the Celtic tunes, the native language in some...this music has funnily increased my concentration power while I work. Give it a listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5absmIJN24&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=EDySgeN3l7A&feature=endscreen


3. Thich Naht Hahn - he is Thay ("Tie" - means teacher in Vietnamese)
A spiritual leader, a monk and touted as the calmest man on earth. I read some of his words and was blown away.
http://www.plumvillage.org/letters-from-thay.html
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Thich-Nhat-Hanh-Quotes-Calm


4. The Ultimate Heart Reads:

- Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shefak
If there is one book you have to buy, this is it. A tale of friendship, love, faith and resilience. It teaches you through Shams beautiful words on life and love and Rumi's dedication for the wandering dervish.

- Single Girl's To-Do List by Lindsey Kelk
 Kick off your shoes, grab a cold coffee and read this heart warming and funny account of a young woman's journey into self discovery and moving on from heart break.

- The Power Of NOW by Eckhart Tolle
A bit heavy on words but you don't have to read it chapter by chapter which is what makes this book awesome. Read the Index and decide what you wanna know and learn about and then go for it. 

I think what it all boils down to is how open is your mind to new experiences,  some that teach you about yourself, some that show you new ways of dealing with things and some that make you realize you have far more than you realized.  So find your 4 things that will get you in touch with the happiness that exists in you. Let it shine. Just like that.