Since the month is half over, I thought I would report on how I have begun my happiness project. I chose to focus on music this month for some very simple reasons. 1. Music makes me happy and that is what the project is about. 2. It is something very easy to do for my first month that doesn't require a lot of preparation.
I would love to say that I've decided to take up playing my violin again or start vocal lessons. I do want to do those things, at some point. Right now, though, I am realistic enough to know that I just don't have the time or the energy for many new endeavors. What I can do is make music a bigger part of my day.
About ten years ago, I began listening to NPR and, until a couple of weeks ago, it has slowly become the only thing that I listen to in the car. (Unless I am forced otherwise, which means my husband is in the car with me.) So, yes, I know a bit about what is going on in the world. However, there isn't much fun and laughter when you are listening to things like politics and world calamities. (If you do want to get a good laugh listen to NPR on Saturday mornings because they do have some very funny shows, though!)
Somewhere in all of this I forgot that I'm not a seventy year old. Somehow, I forgot how I used to hate it when my dad would listen to talk radio. I also only vaguely remember how fun it is to sing Disney and movie soundtracks at the top of my lungs. Or how fun it is to hear a two year old sing their own words to children's tunes or dance like crazy. I want to remember the peace and clarity that listening to spiritual music has brought to me in the past. And the fun I have when I turn on upbeat music and dance when everything around me is chaotic.
And so I will make sure that everyday this month I listen to music. I will listen to MORE music than I do NPR. I will make sure that I re expose my kids to fun kids music and church music and that we dance to some fun loud music at least once a week. This is how I will bring more happiness into my life this month.
8 comments:
Music should be a part of everyones life everyday. It lifts the spirits and soothes the soul.
Sounds great. Music is part of our night time routine. The kids will rock out to anything. We play Mozart and they still run around like crazies but it has been a blast to hear Ben (4.5) randomly sing songs. The best is when he would hum the william tell overture. Now it's mostly preschool songs.
Hurrah! That sounds like a lot of fun. I hope you had a great birthday! Sorry I couldn't email from the ship! Did jack like his gift?
What a fantastic goal! My favorite memories with my kids when they were little revolve around disney cd's in the car. They will be so happy you have switched too. :)
My comment is kind of related to NPR and music. PBS has run some specials by a group called Celtic Woman. Cal and I went to see them in Baltimore last St. Patrick's Day. They have a lot of You Tube videos you can look up and listen to. I think you'd really like them so IF you have a few minutes you can listen to them while checking out blogs on another tab of the computer. I love music too. If Petra was still here (or Carole) I'd ask for piano lessons. Maybe when I retire...
I do the NPR thing a lot too...we listen to music at home though, and sometimes in the car.
That is a great idea Denise, and I need to do that too. Sister Cynthia is right, the Celtic Women are amazing! I love listening to them. They have incredibly clear voices.
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