 "People are as happy as they make up their minds to be." ~Abraham Lincoln I've spent most of this cold November Tuesday cooking and contemplating the state of happiness. What does it mean to actually be happy, anyway? Is happy the same as thankful? How do you know when you're happy? How do you get there if you're unhappy? All of these questions fluttering around my head while I make apple fritters, homemade potato soup and cornbread. Who knew chopping fruits and vegetables could be so philosophical?! As I popped a slice of Honey Crisp apple into my mouth, I wondered if these answers could be quantified with any degree of accuracy. I mean scholars, philosophers, and social scientists have been trying to pin these answers down for a very long time. My favorite professor, Dr. Safford, would be proud that all these years later I am still "thinking about my thinking", but there is a real danger of me getting lost inside my own head, not a good thing to do when one is holding a very sharp knife, using it to chop stuff. No fingertips are included in my recipes for today; but I digress. For me, happiness involves living a life with purpose, while surrounding myself with people I love, who love me in return. Happiness about being able to be my messy self among those who accept that wholeheartedly. Being happy and being thankful are not the same thing, although they are kissing cousins. You can be thankful for the positives in your life and still be very unhappy (...been there, got the t-shirt). My answer for "how do you know when you're happy" is lame...you just do. Your smile comes easily. When negatives creep in, your ability to banish them post haste is almost second nature (...and you do this because spoiling the "happy mojo" is completely unacceptable). And when I'm unhappy, the first two things that immediately kick in are my desire to indulge in simple (often silly) pleasures, and to do something spontaneously kind for someone else. I'm not sure any of these bits of "Amy Wisdom" are revolutionary, or even particularly helpful, but hopefully they've given you some food for thought. I know they've certainly added all kinds of "flavour" to my cooking! Bon Appetit! *Images at pinterest & parade.condmast.com. 
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About The Author
I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter. Archives
June 2019
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