“The secret of Happiness is Freedom, and the secret of Freedom is Courage.” ~ Thucydides (471BC – 400BC).

The following video, from a recent TedTalks in San Francisco, is both stunning in it’s cinematography and powerful with it’s simple message of giving gratitude.

I encourage you to take a few moments out of your day to enjoy!

Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning cinematographer, director, and producer whose notable career spans more than three decades providing breathtaking imagery for feature films, television shows, documentaries and commercials.

As a visual artist, Louie has created some of the most iconic and memorable film moments of our time. He is an innovator in the world of time-lapse, nature, aerial and “slice-of-life” photography – the only cinematographer in the world who has literally been shooting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week continuously for more than 30 years.

Happiness to me is a flow… it’s a relaxation into accepting and being ourselves regardless of what is happening externally.

So how would I describe unhappiness?
Thoughts, belief patterns, perceptions arising that create sensations (feelings / emotions) that we are not comfortable with, that we are not enjoying, which leads to resistance of what is and a subtle wanting to move away from them.

So if yesterday I was “not happy” and today “I am happy” ~ even though my outer circumstances have not changed ~ all that has happened is that I have stopped fighting with myself … my perception has shifted.

This is all an internal process ~ there is a shift of attention from focusing on external sources as the cause of our unhappiness to bringing attention and awareness to the internal mechanism that is operating within us … the perceptions / thoughts / belief patterns that are there.

By relaxing into this, observing what is really happening within us and taking full responsibility for how we feel, think and respond ~ this is the beginning of transformation, not through trying to change external circumstances to become happy, but by consciously bringing attention and awareness to seeing what is within us … being with it … accepting it and taking full responsibility for ourselves.

Take a moment now to notice any subtle tension in the body, invite it to be there and just hold it, tenderly, welcome it as a friend … embrace it!

In the following video I speak about the self-acceptance model that I use when working with clients … the more we accept ourselves, the happier we become!

   

Blessings!

Thank you for watching and I wish you a Beautiful day!

I love this innovative idea from KULA that: “lets you support the causes you care about without ever dipping in your pockets to do it!”

An innovative idea and beautifully simple: Find something of value that is going to waste and utilize it for the greater good! a win/win!

The meaning of the term ‘Kula” is: “ceremonial gift exchange based on the belief that the more one gives, the richer one becomes (Kilivila)” and “community of the heart (Sanskrit)”.

KULA is the world’s first global currency for charitable giving who “serve over 2 million causes, are based in 5 countries, and operate in virtually every corner of the earth”.

Watch the following video for an introduction:

For a world of connection, understanding and peace.

The following video is from TED Talks in Edinburgh, Scotland 2011.

In our louder and louder world, says sound expert Julian Treasure, “We are losing our listening.” In this short, fascinating talk, Treasure shares five ways to re-tune your ears for conscious listening — to other people and the world around you.