Category: happy

“Maybe Happiness is Sometimes.”

I just finished the book, “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” by Lori Gottlieb. It is a great book!

I loved the statement one of her patients made to her “Maybe happiness is sometimes.”

Too often, we humans think in absolutes and extremes.

I am happy or I am sad.

I am “all in” or I am doing nothing.

I am successful or I am a failure.

Life doesn’t work that way.

In fact:

————————————-The spectrum between extremes is long and beautiful—————————–

I believe that when we focus on the extremes, it gives us a reason to gravitate toward one end of that spectrum, and more often than not, it’s the side we want to be on.

The truth is, life is full of ups and downs, big wins, small failures, big failures, tiny victories, extreme jubilation, crippling depression, laughing out loud’s, chuckling very quietly’s, overwhelming fear, extreme confidence… and everything in between.

When we give too much power to the extremes in life, it renders our true existence powerless.

We need to realize that life is a conglomerate. And it is ok to be happy or victorious or depressed or successful SOMETIMES.

We can even substitute “sometimes” for “most times” on many of these things (and if we looked at our lives, we probably would realize we gravitate more toward the positive side than the negative) and that is truly O.K.

In fact, that is why we are alive.

So, today, try not to focus on extremes. Realize that being somewhere along the scale is where we are supposed to be that moment, and that we can tip the scales in the direction we choose.

We don’t have to be successful or happy all the time (in fact, if that is our goal, we are doomed for failure).

Realize, life is a journey and no matter where we are right now, we can choose to get back on the ride and enjoy ALL OF IT.

Have a wonderful Wendesday!

-Dr.Lindeman

You cannot be too big to do the small things…

A little tongue-in-cheek but the message rings true.

If you have big dreams and aspire to accomplish a lot, you most definitely need to pay attention to how you do the “little things.”

In fact, the path toward a huge success is over with hundreds/thousands of small steps.

And if you can’t devote attention, drive and passion to the little steps, the big success will always remain just a dream.

Get busy on the little things today 🙂

Happy Monday

-Dr Lindeman

You life is what you carry

Taken from “Maybe You Should Talk To Someone” by Lori Gottlieb

The other day, I was driving with my son. It had been one of those days where I was lost in thought, thinking of what I needed to get done before Christmas.

He interrupted my thoughts to point out a house that was wonderfully decorated and lit up with Christmas lights.

It was an amazing sight. (Well, maybe not as amazing as our very own Christmas Llama on our front lawn, but still…)

The point is, our world at any given moment is what we choose to observe.

Our world is made up of what we bring with us.

If we are negative because of a crappy morning, the world is going to be dulled, less beautiful.

If we are in a soaring mood, we will notice the beauty all around.

The good news is we can choose what we bring with us.

We can decide to imbibe all the craziness that is social media, relish in nasty comments.

We can decide to fume over some slight that happened to us yesterday.

We can decide to listen to music that only makes us cry more.

We can decide to switch the playlist and listen to joy.

We can read beautiful poetry.

We can fuel our souls with good food, good company and positivity.

We can decide how beautiful our world will be today by bringing whatever amount of beauty we want with us on today’s journey.

Have a BEAUTIFUL Monday!

-Dr Lindeman

The space that allows choice

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms- to choose ones attitude in any given set of circumstances”- Viktor Frankl, from Man’s Search for Meaning

If you haven’t read the above mentioned book by Viktor Frankl, I highly recommend that you do.

It is a wonderful book. Viktor Frankl was a doctor/psychologist who was also Jewish and because of that second fact, he was placed in a concentration camp by the Nazis. His family was murdered while he was in captivity.

His stance is that a human being’s number one motivation is not to seek pleasure (as Freud and many others postulated), but to seek MEANING.

When we can find meaning in any situation, we will overcome any obstacle.

The good news is almost 100% of the time, if we look hard enough, there is meaning to be found either within the struggle or on the other side of it.

So today, when facing a hurdle, large or small, look for meaning within and you will overcome.

Happy Thursday!

-Dr Lindeman

Time and Patience

“Speed is about time, but it’s also closely related to endurance and effort. The faster the speed, the thinking goes, the less endurance or effort required. Patience, on the other hand, requires endurance and effort.”- Taken from Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, by Lori Gottlieb

Later, in the same book (about a page later), she quotes the psychoanalyst Erich Fromm: “Modern man thinks he loses something-time- when he does not do things quickly; yet he does not know what to do with the time he gains except kill it.”

Our world is filled with a lot of hurry, hurry, now, now.

We want results/things/growth/success/our haircut/our food/our dose of dopamine (social media, I’m looking at you)/our purchases/our everything as soon as we give even the thoughts our energy.

Patience is not modern human’s virtue.

The conundrum is that the time spent waiting, the time spent in patience, the time spent just BE-ing bears more fruit for the soul than the actual “getting.”

Spend some time in a cam state today. Revel in the patience, it will bring much better dividends than the pressure-filled moments do.

Happy Thursday!

-Dr Lindeman

Never a victim

Just a friendly reminder: we are NEVER victims of circumstance. We are only victims of our decisions/what we do/think/feel in any circumstance.

Life can throw some pretty crazy curveballs at you.

I think a lot of us would agree that 2020 has been one giant spitball/curveball.

The fact remains though, our lives are not created by circumstances, but rather how we CHOOSE to react to those circumstances.

We always have numerous choices in any situation and those decisions are what pave the way to a thriving, vibrant existence (or not).

So today, regardless of what the world has set out in front of you, take some time to notice all your options.

And then choose wisely.

Happy Wednesday!

-Dr Lindeman

Let’s pretend…

I love this quote.

Substitute “sales” for any word you want really and it still rings true.

The key to happiness/success/a positive life is to help others feel important.

Seriously.

That’s the key.

A wonderful side effect is that in doing so, you feel better yourself too.

Have a wonderful, IMPORTANT day 🙂

Happy Wednesday!

-Dr. Lindeman

You never truly know

This is all truth!

The “little acts of kindness” we are all so very capable of, may in fact equate to huge sums of impact for the people we share them with.

You never know how much a simple smile, a cup of coffee, a thank you note, etc will impact the receiver(s).

We also don’t know how much better doing them will make US feel.

There really isn’t a reason NOT to try to brighten someone’s day, even a little bit.

That little bit can pay HUGE dividends in the lives of others and in our own happiness.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

-Dr. Lindeman

Fulfillment

“Fulfillment is not born of the dream. Fulfillment is born of the journey.”-Simon Sinek

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating.

The journey is more important and more fulfilling than the destination.

Our goals surely matter.

But the processes of achieving them: the “grind”, carries more weight.

If we don’t love the journey (even the hard parts), we will not be fulfilled at the finish line.

The struggle is where progress is born and that progress leads to success.

Do what you love and love doing it with each step.

Don’t make the (all-too-common) mistake of thinking you’ll be happy when you “get there.”

Be happy now.

Enjoy the process.

The goal is but a stepping stone on the journey.

Find your fulfillment in what you do today!

Happy Thursday!

-Dr Lindeman