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Thursday, September 15, 2011

What Makes You Happy?

I was listening to a radio interview with Mellen-Thomas Benedict and in the interview he said that eventually our machines will free us from living to survive. He says that eventually we will no longer have to work to survive. How fantastic, right? He posed the question: What would you do if you didn't have to work to survive? Technically I don't work to survive anymore, my husband does ever since I became a stay-at-home mom. But what if I didn't have my husband to support me and our daughter? What then? When I posed this question to myself of what I would do if I didn't have to work to survive and money was not a factor in any choice I made, I completely drew a blank.

So I pondered, what makes me happy? Once upon a time all I wanted to do was create music and if money had never been an obstacle, I probably would have pursued it wholeheartedly starting at the age of 14. I wanted to go to performing arts school but my parents couldn't afford to send me. I settled for singing along with music in my car. It became obvious to me really quick that a stage career probably wasn't my destiny when I got up to help some band friends test the audio on the mic and my lips trembled just saying "testing" on the stage. It is hilarious to think about, but it is the moment that I realized I had terrible stage fright and there was probably no way in hell I would ever be able to get up on a stage and perform in front of people. I did karaoke once and that was only after I was extremely drunk. I still had to have a friend come up and sing with me even though I was so drunk I really should not have been conscious.

Despite my stage fright, I love to sing. It is food for my soul. I may never do it for anyone else but myself, but the very act of singing brings me joy and makes me feel alive. So I guess that is one thing I can say makes me happy.

Writing would also be on my list of things that makes me happy. I hadn't started writing again until very recently and it is only in a journal, but I love the feel of putting pen to paper. I love pouring my heart and soul onto a piece of paper.  I used to write poetry and maybe one day I will again. There was a time that blank paper made me smile because I knew all the possibilities of what it could become.

I'm a crap painter, but I think if given the opportunity and unlimited paint and canvas, I would enjoy creating that kind of art. I have always been crafty and enjoy all types of art. I can easily spend hours creating things.

Singing, writing, and art & crafts...


...that is my top 3 things that make me happy which I would choose to do. Now it is your turn. What would you do if you didn't have to work to survive? What makes you happy?

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