{"id":11816,"date":"2015-06-08T15:58:34","date_gmt":"2015-06-08T20:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=11816"},"modified":"2015-06-08T15:58:34","modified_gmt":"2015-06-08T20:58:34","slug":"happiness-a-z","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=11816","title":{"rendered":"Happiness A-Z"},"content":{"rendered":"

$\"\"$ Just as the title implies, \u201cHappiness A-Z\u201d is comprised of alphabetical chapters and each letter begins a word associated with happiness. For example \u201cB\u201d is represented with the chapter \u201cBliss\u201d and \u201cO\u201d is \u201cOpen-Minded\u201d. Then the chapter begins with an introduction by the author about why the word is significant with happiness, what it means to her, and other associations. What follows after that is a great variety of quotes from different sources that play off that theme to inspire. Not to get picky, but \u201cR\u201d doesn\u2019t stand for Rebecca OR rum, so I\u2019m not entirely sure we can call this a \u201cdefinitive\u201d list. For those of you playing along at home, \u201cR\u201d is represented with \u201cRelax\u201d. Relax? Without rum? I suppose anything is possible.<\/p>\n

I was given permission to excerpt a portion of the book that I enjoyed. I choose the introduction to \u201cJoy\u201d. The amusing part is that a large portion of her intro features some writing by Mark Nepo (who you may remember was featured on the site back in 2013<\/a>). So this is kind of an excerpt, featuring an excerpt. I just loved Harmon\u2019s description of joy and then the Nepo just sealed the deal.<\/p>\n

Joy: This Lovely Lightness of Being<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joy is an emotion that bubbles up inside you, an irresistible sensation of happiness that comes upon you unawares. When you hear people talk about this blissful experience, they frequently speak of being filled with joy. I really love the idea of us all being vessels for this feeling of felicity. May our cups runneth over with this lovely lightness of being. Mark Nepo, who happens to be Oprah Winfrey\u2019s favorite inspirational writer, has a unique perspective on joy that is utterly fascinating:<\/p>\n

Often, what keeps us from joy is the menacing assumption that life is happening other than where we are. So we are always leaving, running from or running to.
\n\tWhat keeps us from joy, then, is often not being where we are and not valuing what is before us.
\n\tWhile happiness is a fleeting mood, joy is larger and more lasting than any one feeling. If each feeling is a wave of emotion, then joy is the ocean that holds all feelings.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"