Skinny, Rich and Happy

Skinny, Rich, and Happy. 

This is the headline of a recent ad, I didn’t even read the ad, but the title caught my eye. I like the idea of all three, a truthful confession however I consider myself happy albeit the skinny and rich do not apply.

doctor_check_up_chart_sm_whtFirstly it struck me that health issues aside,  the idea of being skinny as a goal or requirement to being happy is a sad comment about our society’s lack of self confidence and judgmental nature.  I’d love to fit into the jeans I wore ten years ago, but my self worth doesn’t rely on whether someone else’s critical eye. Who care’s what the anonymous person thinks? I care what my family thinks, and they see the real me, and want me to be skinnier for health reasons.

richSecondly being rich is very subjective.  I have written about this before, a huge proportion of the world works and tries to survive on LESS THAN 2 DOLLARs a day, they lack food, they lack sanitation, they lack medicines, and hope is hard to come by for the future – forget about driving the last model of Ford.  If you compare yourself to the very rich, yes, you may feel disadvantaged, but if you compare yourself to the tens of millions who will go to sleep after only one meal today, and being lying on a dirt floor – maybe you will enjoy a more positive perspective. LINK TO POVERTY STATISTICS

I felt happy today because I met with an acquaintance of mine, Terry. Terry about 16 months ago was struggling, he was close to being on kidney dialysis to survive.  A friend of his wife offered to donate a kidney to him and she was a good match. He’s now had his transplant about 14 months, first time I’ve seen him since his transplant. Terry is happy,  content, and it added to my day to visit with him.

I choose happiness each day,  don’t let the ads fool you, you don’t have to be skinny and rich to be happy. Happiness is a decision, and it is up to you.

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this post, I’m just thinking out loud.

 

 

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The secret life of Elgin Park

I recently blogged on Elgin Park also, this blog showcases the pictures very nicely so you can see the photos taken, and then again the same photo from a different perspective.
Perspective changes everything, Perspective and attitude.

hovercraftdoggy's avatarhovercraftdoggy

Michael Paul Smith is the perfect example of an artist with a passion for what he does. For the last 25 years, he has spent some of his spare and much of his professional time making miniature models and photographing them, creating a gallery of vintage car photographs from a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park. Michael Paul Smith is the perfect example of an artist with a passion for what he does. For the last 25 years, he has spent some of his spare and much of his professional time making miniature models and photographing them, creating a gallery of vintage car photographs from a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park. Michael Paul Smith is the perfect example of an artist with a passion for what he does. For the last 25 years, he has spent some of his spare and much of his professional time making miniature models and photographing them, creating a gallery of vintage car photographs from a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park. Michael Paul Smith is the perfect example of an artist with a passion for what he does. For the last 25 years, he has spent some of his spare and much of his professional time making miniature models and photographing them, creating a gallery of vintage car photographs from a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park.   Michael Paul Smith is the perfect example of an artist with a passion for what he does. For the last 25 years, he has spent some of his spare and much of his professional time making miniature models and photographing them, creating a gallery of vintage car photographs from a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park. Michael Paul Smith is the perfect example of an artist with a passion for what he does. For the last 25 years, he has spent some of his spare and much of his professional time making miniature models and photographing them, creating a gallery of vintage car photographs from a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park. Michael Paul Smith is the perfect example of an artist with a passion for what he does. For the last 25 years, he has spent some of his spare and much of his professional time making miniature models and photographing them, creating a gallery of vintage car photographs from a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park.   Michael Paul Smith is the perfect example of an artist with a passion for what he does. For the last 25 years, he has spent some of his spare and much of his professional time making miniature models and photographing them, creating a gallery of vintage car photographs from a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park.              Michael Paul Smith is the perfect example of an artist with a passion for what he does. For the last 25 years, he has spent some of his spare and much of his professional time making miniature models and photographing them, creating a gallery of vintage car photographs from a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park.

Welcome to the City of Elgin Park.

Michael Paul Smith is the perfect example of an artist with a passion for what he does. For the last 25 years, he has spent some of his spare and much of his professional time making miniature models and photographing them, creating a gallery of vintage car photographs from a fictional 1950s American town called Elgin Park.

As a professional model maker, Smith’s models are detailed enough to withstand the scrutiny of close-up photography. Smith places them in miniature dioramas and uses forced perspective to make parts of the real world lend his pictures additional realism. The result is a quirky sort of historical fiction – faithfully and authentically reproduced scenes from a small American town that never actually happened (but could have).

What’s also great about his Elgin Park collection is that the magician is willing to…

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We’re Out’a Here!

Is that sarcasm? Sheldon wants to know 🙂

Brian's avatarEverywhere Once

Small European Coffee

We’ve been in Europe for exactly one week and we can’t wait to get back home. We just can’t take it any longer.

Everything is so different from what we’re used to. The television channels are all in some strange language and it’s impossible to get something to eat at a proper dinner hour. Of course when we finally do get served, sometime around 10:00 p.m. (or should I say 22:00 – which is metric, I think) the portions are so small that we have to order three plates each. And don’t get me started on the thimble-like coffee cups. What’s with these tiny little servings? Haven’t they heard of Super Size here?

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Top 14 Physical and Psychological Benefits of Meditation

This is inspiring me to meditate today, and certainly would be a healthy practice to adopt, don’t you think?

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What does it take to be wise?

Multiple Choice (My favorite type of questions)

What does it take to be wise?  Is it?

  1. Read Calvin and Hobbes faithfully and meditate, or
  2. Mars bars and Caesar salad, or
  3. learn from your mistakes, or
  4. learn from other peoples mistakes?

That’s what is tough about multiple choice, they’re tricky, and sometimes more than one answer is right. However the person asking the question only accepts one answer as correct, but it that right?

The correct answer is #4 – learn from other people’s mistakes. (maybe I’m wrong though in this case because Calvin and Hobbes are really cool).  (the coloured font is a link if you don’t know about Calvin & Hobbes)

wisdom

What prompts me to write this post?

If you go to youtube and input a search “dutch and cycling” it comes up with some interesting youtube videos about the Dutch and their cycling paths.

My quickie summary – After World War II the Dutch economy improved and cars became more plentiful, cars and car parks, cars and accidents, cars and decreased cycling, and all of problems that come with lack of exercise.

Eventually the Dutch rebelled and told their government they wanted change and they protested.  The government listened and it lead to the safe and plentiful cycle paths in the Netherlands now, copied in many other European countries but not (sadly) in North America.

Read more here – link to How the Dutch got their cycling infrastructure

Here is where I wonder what you think. I am interested because I live in a delightful little city roughly 8 kilometres between the lakes.  In my opinion it is ideal in length and lack of hills for the most part for non motorized vehicles, and the encouragement of all the benefits that are derived therefrom.

Are we wise enough to learn from the Dutch?  I hope so,  if we can’t learn from other people’s mistakes then can we learn from the millions of Happy Dutch who are happy on healthy on their bikes and bike paths?

dutch cycling

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Be like a child, dive in

This gallery contains 12 photos.

According to my memory, there was never (as a child) a lake that was too cold to run into, usually with gusto, about 10 steps, and then a horizontal dive under the cool cool water.   The decision as a … Continue reading

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