Happiness a la Primavera 2017-03-27

| March 27, 2017

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Pictured above: Spring, NM by Gustave Bauman

Happiness Factor as a F[x] of Weather: 3.25

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Arrrgghhhhhh. March is almost over - will that be the end of the wind?

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Looking for Happiness in all the Right Places

To Organize or Not to Organize?

Opinions really differ on this subject - so there's good news for everyone: If you live in total chaos and your space looks like a hurricane just hit, don't worry - that mess may not be standing in the way of your happiness. On the other hand, if you are a little OCD on the tidiness front, it may be just the therapy your happiness-craving soul is seeking.

Where do you fit on the Organizational Chart?

The Con:

A Secret to Happiness? Don't Get Organized.

Gretchen Rubin thinks getting organized is just about the last thing you should do in pursuit of happiness. "One of my favorite things to do is to help my friends clear their clutter. It’s less emotionally taxing than clearing my own clutter, plus I don’t have any delicious, horrible piles left to tackle (okay, maybe I do have one messy pile of shirts in my closet). As a consequence, I’ve seen a lot of clutter and heard lots of people talk about their thoughts about clutter. And I’ve reached an important conclusion: Don’t get organized."

Read her article in Psychology Today: click here

The Pro:

How Cleaning and Organizing Can Improve Your Physical and Mental Health

Is it a stretch to equate improved physical and mental health with happiness? To use the lingua franca of the day: Nyet. Actually, this might qualify as a bonus article - because there are so many benefits: lessens stress and depression, better sleep, better eating, more workout stick-to-it-iveness,better relationships, productivity, etc. Who knew? You get all that for just putting your dirty clothes in the hamper. What a mitzvah! Is your curiosity piqued? Read the full article here

VOTE HERE:

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THE ORGANIZER AS ACTIVIST

This weekend many happy and unhappy citizens sought happiness at the grassroots level and showed up at their Ward,Precinct and County Central Committee elections. And why did they do that? Because doing something gives us a better shot at happiness than doing nothing or sitting around complaining. Whatever is your current gripe...the Edith Waste Transfer Station...the yet unpaid for ART that is destroying retail venues along the Central Avenue corridor...the spectre of maybe not last week but one of these weeks losing affordable healthcare...or empty precinct and ward chairs begging to be filled - on Saturday you were given a voice and this year it was A LOT louder, if the number of participants is a good indicator. There were organized activists and activist organizers aplenty. And to my eye, most looked happier when they left than when they entered. You've heard it before: Activism is the rent we pay to live on the planet. Be Happy, Pay the Rent

Grassroots activism brings a community together. Done well, we meet our neighbors, share our concerns and work together to get the best results. Al Gore cautions us that Democracy's auto-immune system, its checks and balances, isn't in great shape.Plug in to this most basic governmental unit: your local precinct and take a temperature. Chances are your involvement is just what the doctor ordered.

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