The Happy LIFE is trying to teach me a lot of lessons – and I think I’ve got some work to do, becoming open enough to learn a couple of them.
Even though I’ve been learning about celebrating and how important it is, I’d be forced to admit having become an old curmudgeon about holidays. Oh, in my younger years, I did go through a spell of investing much time and talent into very tasteful and, dare I say, elegant Christmas decorations. I’m kind of over it, though, partly because I’m all old and partly because, let’s face facts here, Christmas decorations are a pain in the buhdunkadunk. This is tragically true when your family subscribes to the theory that, when it comes to Christmas decorations, too much is too much, but WAY too much is just right.
And, it’s not Christmas that I have a hard time with. It’s all the hoopla surrounding Christmas. You know, for unto us this day a child is given, cut down a tree and get me an Xbox. Sorry, Lord. I hope you know what I mean.
And, as long as I’m ‘fessing up, I might as well admit that I’m especially curmudgeonly about holidays that seem to be pure inventions of the greeting card industry. But, you know, even if it’s the most artificial and manufactured “holiday” or celebration ever in the annals of consumerism, it’s meaningful to someone and for good reason.
I need to learn to recognize that fact and here’s why. First, some people are just so sweet they genuinely enjoy greeting card opportunities, both giving and receiving. Second, others of us are not so sweet and could use reminders to express our gratitude. Third, still others of us are very sweet and could use reminders to accept expression of gratitude. And, lastly, there are others (thankfully few) who just want to hold it against someone because they didn’t get a card.
Fortunately, though, the first three are basically positive and only the last one is clearly negative. So, numbers work out if that 3-to-1 positivity ratio that Dr. Barbara Fredrickson has researched holds up. According to Dr. Fredrickson, in order for us to have a sense of happiness and perhaps even flourish, we need three positive experiences for every negative one. Now, in no way am I implying this as a literal application of Dr. Fredrickson’s ratio, but I think it conveys the principle. To “counteract” anything negative I put in the world, I have to put at least three times that in positives. Here’s what I’m saying: Ain’t nobody got time for all that. Act right in the first place, save lots of time.
As for celebrations, if it came printed or as a default holiday on the calendar, it’s important to someone. If I can’t celebrate it, I can at least respect it.
Positively happy 