Have you ever noticed how so many people seem to pursue happiness? They work tirelessly to achieve something that seems just barely beyond their grasp, thinking to themselves, "If only I can reach this goal or make this amount of money or lose ten pounds......I will have happiness."

As they task and toil, working themselves past fatigue, people often rationalize that their efforts are the necessary requirements to finally reach the state of happiness. Silly people.

I don’t know about you, but I have yet to see a road sign that points me directly to Happiness.  I've never seen it on a map, nor do I expect to input any certain coordinates into my GPS and hope that the wonders of technology will lead me to this desired destination.  (But I've come close:  Go to Maui and turn left!) 

My question remains, then: How do you find the road leading to happiness? I regret to inform you that there is no road, no path. You just can’t take off to find a place when you are already there.

Yes, you are already there. Open up your eyes and wake up your heart. Happiness has always been inside of you.  You won’t find it outwardly. You can only look inwardly. It’s been there all along. Perhaps it has been dormant for some time, crowded out by life's complexities and stressors.  But it’s there, just begging to get back to work for you and create a more meaningful, productive, abundant life.

Happiness is not a place just beyond the next horizon, or somewhere over the rainbow.  It doesn't exist in the future, it exists now.  It is a state of internal being, and one that you can tap into 24/7. Once you understand that you can exist in the ambiance of such a positive and uplifting feeling, happiness becomes your essence. YOU are happiness.  Look in the mirror. I guarantee that when you listen to your heart and open up your mind, you will realize that happiness has been staring back at you all along.

Your responsibility, however, is to recognize it, live it and share it with others. Here's to finding yours!

Wisdom that Works

Typically when a writer begins to take pen to paper, or, in this case, fingers to keyboard, inspiration is not only delivered to a potential audience, but it is delivered unto ourselves, from a deeper place within that we knew existed, but into which we rarely tapped.

Inspiration is also drawn from those with whom we have shared our story, and it is those connections I have made in my journey since publishing “Lunchmeat & Life Lessons,” that have become the catalyst behind this post and my next book.

While I fully anticipated that my life would most likely take on some interesting changes after publishing “Lunchmeat”, I really did not understand the depth of those changes and how they would dramatically alter the landscape of my life.

The wit and wisdom my father dispensed to me all of my life has helped shape and define who I am, and what a gift that has been. However, those same words… those same philosophies… are now reaching countless individuals who have been the unexpected, yet fully appreciated, beneficiaries of an undying legacy.

I am eternally grateful to those of you who have shared with me ways that you have applied Dad's wisdom as well as sharing your own personal stories of wisdom that works. Wisdom that you may have learned from a beloved relative or mentor, wisdom that inspires you to be the best you can be.

It is through my writing today that I aspire to relay those stories and my personal journey that has subsequently evolved. It is through my writing today that I hope to share stories of more WISDOM THAT WORKS.

Stay tuned as I look forward to sharing this next chapter with all of you!

Mary

It's not just time for a new calendar in my life....it's time for a new compass heading as well. For the past five years, I've been sharing the wit and wisdom I learned from my father, the Butcher, with each of you. In fact, it's during that time that many of us became friends. You've supported me by reading my book, listening to me at keynote speeches, inviting me to book clubs and workplace events, following me on all our social media sites, even sharing emails and phone calls with me as a result of the impact my father's guidance had on your own lives.

But now my journey takes a turn. I'm shifting my direction a bit......getting a new compass heading. And it's all because of your requests for additional insight, for real time examples, for more depth and content.

In 2012, I'm dedicating my writing time to developing a new message series called "Wisdom That Works." I'm taking my father's wit and wisdom - the stories and guidance you're all familiar with -- and translating it to today's real life challenges. You might say I'm trading in Dad's well worn roadmap for a digital GPS, but the destination remains the same: the pursuit of life's happiness and success.

As you might have guessed, I have finally figured out where I am headed with regards to my next book. Thanks to all of you who have shared your thoughts as to how you have applied Dad’s wisdom (and to all of you who show me the way by the way you lead and live your lives each day) my new book is now in the works. Stay tuned because this year I'll be sharing excerpts regularly with you right here on my blog.

Until next time, I wish you an inspired New Year!