Inherently Happy

Inherently Happy

By Geoffrey Bennett UlrichSociety & CultureHealth & FitnessMental HealthEducationSelf-ImprovementPhilosophy
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Inherently Happy episodes

  • Happy Better - Ep. 476

    Being sorry doesn't mean you can't still learn to be better, 

    To avoid the same mistakes, like a real go-getter,
    And set an example—if just for yourself, be your own pacesetter.

    [full text below]

    Ep. 476 - Happy Better

    We begin as always

    with the Happy Creed.

    We Believe in Happy,

    in Balance and Growth,
    of being Mindful and Grateful, 
    Compassionate and Understanding.

    Yowza

    Haha
    My Happy Friends!

    Some will apologize for things not their fault, 

    Others won’t say sorry even for assault,
    But apologies are just words, not precious items in a vault.

    The real value comes from not just saying sorry, but in making amends,

    That’s the kind of accountability and respect that can turn enemies to friends,
    And keeps mindful growth intentional instead of made from odds and ends.

    Sometimes, however, the damage is done,

    You can’t undo the past, or go back to square one,
    There’s no way to fix it, for the race has been run.

    But that doesn’t mean you can’t still learn to be better, 

    To avoid the same mistakes, like a real go-getter,
    And set an example—if just for yourself, be your own pacesetter.

    Haha

    Yowza

    2 min
  • Imperfectly Happy - Ep. 475

    You can be a good person without saying Yes to every request,

    Spreading yourself too thin keeps you from doing your best,
    And sometimes goofing off can help you recharge and reset,
    Even telling people No when needed can be the safest bet.

    [full text below]

    Ep. 475 - Imperfectly Happy

    We begin as always

    with the Happy Creed.

    We Believe in Happy,

    in Balance and Growth,
    of being Mindful and Grateful, 
    Compassionate and Understanding.

    Yowza

    Haha
    My Happy Friends!

    I have never, nor will I ever claim to be a saint,

    And anyone who thinks I am one—well, I assure you, I ain’t.
    Sainthood takes sacrifice, making it too tough a gig, of course,
    Only doing those things that register as being a positive force.

    For the rest of us we just do our best and sometimes a little less, 

    Aiming for perfection is a great way to make an utter mess,
    But that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily broken, crazy or bad, 
    Like everybody else we’re just trying to keep from going mad.

    You can be a good person without saying Yes to every request,

    Spreading yourself too thin keeps you from doing your best,
    And sometimes goofing off can help you recharge and reset,
    Even telling people No when needed can be the safest bet.

    You can have bouts of bitter, grouchy, cranky spite, 

    Be all out of smiles for a while, ready to pick a fight,
    And it doesn’t suddenly make you unworthy or wrong,
    Just don’t start thinking it weakens what makes you strong.

    Haha

    Yowza

    3 min
  • Happy Obstacles - Ep. 474

    A Happy Obstacle isn’t something that is necessarily easy to overcome, 

    It’s something you understand before tackling either in part or total sum.
    Like, a door is a wall, until you find the handle.
    The night an abyss, until you light a candle.

    [full text below]

    Ep. 474 - Happy Obstacles

    We begin as always

    with the Happy Creed.

    We Believe in Happy,

    in Balance and Growth,
    of being Mindful and Grateful, 
    Compassionate and Understanding.

    Yowza

    Haha
    My Happy Friends!

    A Happy Obstacle isn’t something that is necessarily easy to overcome, 

    It’s something you understand before tackling either in part or total sum.
    Like, a door is a wall, until you find the handle.
    The night an abyss, until you light a candle.

    At my day job, I was told a student employee would work “the end of Summer,”

    I took it to mean “and then no more,” but it meant “then Fall, Winter and Spring.”
    So, I separated them before they were done—oops, bummer,
    And had to do some extra steps to try and undo the whole thing.

    No big deal, granted, though I still don’t like making extra work, of course, 

    But I made a joke about it, saying “I blame the English language for being vague!”
    “Damn English!” I said, quoting Joan of Arc—probably—atop her war horse,
    Leading France into battle to push back the occupying English plague.

    So, rather than consider every misstep an omen of disaster and doom, 

    Try to check and see
    If it really is what it appears to be,
    And not just an unlocked door into a poorly lit room.

    Haha

    Yowza

    3 min
  • Happy Suffering - Ep. 473

    Happy Suffering is not enjoying pain,

    But knowing that it can remain, 
    And living on despite the strain.

    [full text below]

    Ep. 473 - Happy Suffering

    We begin as always

    with the Happy Creed.

    We Believe in Happy,

    in Balance and Growth,
    of being Mindful and Grateful, 
    Compassionate and Understanding.

    Yowza

    Haha
    My Happy Friends!

    If something hurts today, it may just go away, 

    If it hurts tomorrow as well, it can start to feel like hell, 
    But if it’s there every time you wake, it becomes a background ache.

    Sudden pain demands attention, but ongoing pain barely gets a mention.

    It’s something you learn to accommodate, not surrender to but habituate,
    Which means becoming accustomed, like it’s a lifestyle, not just once or once in a while.

    So, first you have to discover what type of suffering you’ve got, simmering or very hot,

    Then you determine if you need treatment or a coping skill, a fix or strength of will,
    If treatment, then it may improve, but if you must cope, it doesn’t help to mope.

    If you have discomfort that’s always there, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care,

    But that you can learn to ignore, like closing a window or shutting a door, 
    It carries on while you live out front, living large not like a runt.

    Happy Suffering is not enjoying pain,

    But knowing that it can remain, 
    And living on despite the strain.

    Haha

    Yowza

     

    3 min
  • Deadline Happy - Ep. 472

    Ever notice how a deadline can be just the thing

    To focus your attention when going for the brass ring
    And all the excitement that that can bring?

    [full text below]

    Ep. 472 - Deadline Happy

    We begin as always

    with the Happy Creed.

    We Believe in Happy,

    in Balance and Growth,
    of being Mindful and Grateful, 
    Compassionate and Understanding.

    Yowza

    Haha
    My Happy Friends!

    Ever notice how a deadline can be just the thing

    To focus your attention when going for the brass ring
    And all the excitement that that can bring?

    Sometimes what makes you bleed, 

    Pushes you to what you need, 
    At low drag and high speed.

    That’s what it means to be Deadline Happy, 

    To do the work and make it snappy
    And keep it all from getting sappy, 

    But, like with anything, it can be overdone, 

    Robbing the peace and stealing the fun,
    Then the kind of joy you’ll have is none.

    Haha

    Yowza

    2 min
  • Obsessively Happy - Ep. 471

    I have a tendency to obsess,

    And while I know this very well, 
    It changes little (and sometimes less).

    The grind of deadlines can be hell,

    Resulting in turmoil, noise and stress,
    Imposing my own exile in a dungeon cell.

    But then I think of Happy, yes,

    And its power to both uplift and dispel
    The joyous and the horrible, both of which I possess.

    [full text below]

     

    Ep. 471 - Obsessively Happy

    We begin as always

    with the Happy Creed.

    We Believe in Happy,

    in Balance and Growth,
    of being Mindful and Grateful, 
    Compassionate and Understanding.

    Yowza

    Haha
    My Happy Friends!

    I have a tendency to obsess,

    And while I know this very well, 
    It changes little (and sometimes less).

    The grind of deadlines can be hell,

    Resulting in turmoil, noise and stress,
    Imposing my own exile in a dungeon cell.

    But then I think of Happy, yes,

    And its power to both uplift and dispel
    The joyous and the horrible, both of which I possess.

    Haha

    Yowza

    2 min
  • Risk Happy - Ep. 470

    I became Risk Happy as it instilled a sense of leaning into danger and fear,

    I used to be afraid of everything, because I thought it kept me safe and secure,
    Dog bite? Fearing dogs can help! Unless you panic when even puppies draw near,
    Now I see risk as something to learn from, not avoid just because it feels unsure.

    [full text below]

    Ep. 470 - Risk Happy 

    We begin as always

    with the Happy Creed.

    We Believe in Happy,

    in Balance and Growth,
    of being Mindful and Grateful, 
    Compassionate and Understanding.

    Yowza

    Haha
    My Happy Friends!

    What if the thing you're too scared to risk losing gets lost anyway?

    Once you realize how little control you have it can actually be quite freeing.
    When I was a kid I went from popular to outcast in what seemed like only a day,
    I thought if I toned myself down they’d like me, but they despised my entire being.

    So, there was nothing to be done, I wasn’t going to stop existing for their sake,

    And it allowed me to actually be the me I had always been too afraid to be,
    I wanted to fit in—up until the moment I realized I never could—unless I was fake,
    And no one’s acceptance is worth that—I was gonna be nothing but me.

    I became Risk Happy as it instilled a sense of leaning into danger and fear,

    I used to be afraid of everything, because I thought it kept me safe and secure,
    Dog bite? Fearing dogs can help! Unless you panic when even puppies draw near,
    Now I see risk as something to learn from, not avoid just because it feels unsure.

    Haha

    Yowza

    3 min
  • Train Happy - Ep. 469

    Training yourself to see Balance and Growth takes practice and drive,

    Sometimes that train is easy to catch, and other times it feels like bad luck,
    But luck isn’t good or bad, it’s an opportunity even if you don’t know when it’ll arrive,
    But you can improve your prospects by showing up and not letting yourself get stuck.

    [full text below]

    Ep. 469 - Train Happy

    We begin as always

    with the Happy Creed.

    We Believe in Happy,

    in Balance and Growth,
    of being Mindful and Grateful, 
    Compassionate and Understanding.

    Yowza

    Haha
    My Happy Friends!

    Training yourself to see Balance and Growth takes practice and drive,

    Sometimes that train is easy to catch, and other times it feels like bad luck,
    But luck isn’t good or bad, it’s an opportunity even if you don’t know when it’ll arrive,
    But you can improve your prospects by showing up and not letting yourself get stuck.

    And even when you do catch it, the ride might be bumpy, or uphill,

    You might slow down and wonder why this is happening to you,
    But it’s just a train, it’s not out to get you, it harbors no ill will,
    Instead it may be a chance to reorient yourself and focus on what you can do.

    I may seem like the conductor of this express, but I’m actually a passenger too,

    I wasn’t sure what to write about tonight, I didn’t feel that I had a thing to say,
    But I knew that if I just showed up, looked for Balance and Growth, and stayed true,
    That whether or not the train came into the station I’d still somehow find my way.

    Haha

    Yowza

    2 min
  • Clarity Happy - Ep. 468

    You might say I’m Clarity Happy, because I consider it essential, 

    To be forthright, upfront and dependable without being mean,
    If someone seeks a candid critique, my review becomes preferential,
    Because I consider it a kindness to clear away the world’s smokescreen.

    [full text below]

    Ep. 468 - Clarity Happy

    We begin as always

    with the Happy Creed.

    We Believe in Happy,

    in Balance and Growth,
    of being Mindful and Grateful, 
    Compassionate and Understanding.

    Yowza

    Haha
    My Happy Friends!

    I love me a good bit of the old clarity, I do, it’s true,

    Honesty, integrity, trust and all that good stuff,
    It builds a strong foundation of reality, through and through,
    And keeps the world stable and clear without a lot of fluff.

    Folks may claim to despise liars, but they’re often looking for flattery and praise,

    They may even fish for compliments and get mad if you don’t take the bait,
    I knew a girl who claimed to give bad backrubs and never was there a truer phrase,
    So I showed her some tricks and she later admitted that it filled her with hate.

    But it only came out when she was angry about something unrelated,

    See, most people won’t tell you the truth unless they’re on the attack,
    Then you get a big ol’ dump of brutal disclosures they’ve accumulated,
    Letting you see them clearly as they finally reveal their most sincere feedback.

    But I say that you don’t need to be cruel to be clear, 

    I consider clarity to be essential for connection,
    It’s a grace you can share with others without fear,
    And should be welcomed without objection.

    You might say I’m Clarity Happy, because I consider it essential, 

    To be forthright, upfront and dependable without being mean,
    If someone seeks a candid critique, my review becomes preferential,
    Because I consider it a kindness to clear away the world’s smokescreen.

    Haha

    Yowza

    3 min
  • Happy Conversation - Ep. 467

    Whatever the topic, you can ask people about what they like,

    Which gets them involved in the discourse and adds to the flow,
    Then, before you know it, talking doesn’t seem like such a hike,
    And you start engaging more deeply, the more you get to know.

    [full text below]

    Ep. 467 - Happy Conversation

    We begin as always

    with the Happy Creed.

    We Believe in Happy,

    in Balance and Growth,
    of being Mindful and Grateful, 
    Compassionate and Understanding.

    Yowza

    Haha
    My Happy Friends!

    There’s nothing worse than a forced conversation,

    Where you struggle for words and just wish it were done,
    While the best discussions have no such aggravation,
    But float and bounce around and are nothing but fun.

    And they can start from pretty much anywhere,

    Movies, art, books, music, food, or even the weather,
    Begin by asking questions to show that you care,
    Without being too nosy, keep it light as a feather.

    Whatever the topic, you can ask people about what they like,

    Which gets them involved in the discourse and adds to the flow,
    Then, before you know it, talking doesn’t seem like such a hike,
    And you start engaging more deeply, the more you get to know.

    People might downplay their hobbies, but you can give them a boost,

    Others may brag a bit, which could be your chance to lightly poke fun and kid,
    You can also volunteer your own interests, once a subject’s been introduced,
    Each time it gets easier, and if afterwards you still think you can’t—you just did.

    Haha

    Yowza

    2 min

About Inherently Happy

From the publisher's feed

Quick reminders about Balance, Growth, and the Everyday Divinity within ourselves. More or less. With your pal Happy Lord Geoffrey. HaHaHappy.org