Creating content vs. consuming content

Mushroom in my front yard after recent rainy days

Ideas pop out of the ground after unpleasant experiences.  After several dreary rainy days this mushroom appeared in the grass by my driveway.  After distributing it's spores it will disappear and the progeny will wait for another opportune time to rise above the surface.  The following ideas on happiness have been popping with great frequency over the past year.

I've been reading a book by Daniel Pink describing what activities give people the most happiness.  Being a passive consumer of entertainment is not high on the list.  Why do I work during the week only to plop down in the chair to watch television when this activity only provides a modicum of happiness and the sitting accelerates my aging process?

People are happiest when they are doing things that are meaningful to them.  Learning something new also produces powerful chemicals in the brain producing positive experiences.

I don't understand the need to short circuit the chemicals our brain produces naturally when we help  learn, create or achieve.

I feel deep sorrow when I see individuals taking a dangerous short cut to pleasure that speeds up the process of dying.  Live is either easy/hard or hard/easy. I'm impressed by people that spend thousands of hours learning how to do something better.  This includes my daughter who plays tennis and enjoys the time she spends practicing to improve her game.

People are also happiest when they are goofy.  I've enjoyed creating goofy videos with my daughter.  She learned how to pet a cat backwards for a special video effect. I learned how to properly toss a cellphone to a witch who dropped it while texting and brooming.

Trilliums in a Minnesota Forest - Spring, 2015

I encourage you to spend time being goofy and enjoying life.  Embrace the moments that pop out and offer an opportunity for adventure.