Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Perfumes & Happiness

30 Day Blogging Challenge

War Chest Wednesday! From the War Chest and a previous challenger...
Write the first thing that comes to mind when you think of one of these three smells: spearmint, paint remover, or strong perfume/cologne

Strong perfume or cologne gives me a headache and I wonder why anyone would want to wear such cloying stuff. I had a teacher who would wear heavy perfume in a class with Autistic children. Some children are triggered by strong odors - luckily these kids did not have that, but two of the four staff had allergies to the stuff. We kept our distance.

Blog City – Day 920

Prompt: Happiness is our birthright. It is a sacred gift. What are your thoughts on this?

Hmmm. Our birthright. I can agree with it being a gift, but a birthright. Sure we all want happiness, but is is possible to hold onto it? What is happiness anyway? I find it is something we long for, but never seem to attain, or if we do it is fleeting.

I'd say happiness is savoured in moments, moments of pure delight. Contentment is not as flashy as happiness, but it can be attained for longer periods of time - particularly when it is mixed with gratitude and an open heart.

Joy is another word that shimmers in the moment. Intense and fiery. A burst of energy.

Wikipedia defines happiness as:
"Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Happy mental states may also reflect judgements by a person about their overall well-being."

I suppose if one maintains a positive, optimistic attitude one can attain and maintain a level of happiness in life. That is a choice, not a birthright.
We all must go through challenges and trials, but in the morning the sun comes out again and we can overcome. It is in the overcoming of these obstacles that we appreciate the good things in life and find happiness in the tiny and the small moments of our life.

Life is darkness and light. It is love and hate. It is a dichotomy of dances. Never static, always changing. How you perceive things colours your world - you can live in paleness with dark edges or you can push for vibrancy that comes, then goes; or you can live in the gentle ebb and flow of day and night, darkness and light. It is all choice. It is practicing gratitude and celebrating and embracing all of life.