Flow Issue 11

                                                           

Flow is based on Sustainable Seattle's Happiness Initiative and is inspired by Vinyasa, which means one leading to another. Flow gives small, but important steps that can improve one's contentment amongst all nine domains of happiness. Flow is a weekly jolt of inspiration, pragmatism and a collection of local events that will raise our happiness. This month of May we are taking a look at some simple actions we can take to get our mental health on a better path.  First before we get started, this month is not meant to replace professional psychological advice nor should it be used as a substitute for seeking assistance for serious problems such as depression.  Psychological Well Being Issue 11 One of the most important aspects of happiness is squeezing every bit out of our experiences why we are here.  We have the opportunity to be awake and conscience and this week we are going to talk about two key concepts: living in the moment and looking at every event as useful. Living in the moment is easier said than done for a large portion of people.  Thoughts and concerns about the future, safety and security sometimes become so overpowering that we forget to exist in the moment we are experiencing. One of the ways to experience the here and now ironically is to think about what has come before.  Nostalgia is a good teacher here that allows you to look back on experiences in a pleasant frame of mind.  It’s important to think on pleasant times, but it is even more important to realize that right now in this moment you are building memories, building your life with everyone around you. The pleasant feeling of Nostalgia can be translated to the life you are living right now by noticing similarities to that nostalgic event or circumstance.  You can notice how your home faces a lake just like the apartment you used to live in back in the day.  You can notice that you still have the friends you had from your college days.  You can notice a song. The other way that Nostalgia can help us live in the present moment is by examining the contrasts that exist from where we are now and where we were.  Focus on the details that have improved.  Brush away the pleasant dust that Nostalgia can sometimes blow in our eyes and remember the challenges.  You have overcome those challenges.  You’ve beaten them.  Right now those complications have ceased. Taking advantage of every experience takes practice.  It takes discipline to see a flat tire as a positive experience, but it can be if you choose it to be. I was driving with my friend home from college.  We were cruising along I-90 at seventy miles per hour when I heard a loud popping snap like a M-80 and the wheel pulled hard to my right.  I pulled over and with cars, motorcycles and semis racing by within a foot or two of me I verified what I already knew; I had a flat tire. I thought that a flat on the side of a highway where there was little shoulder and a drop off about three feet away from the passenger’s side of the car was not a pleasant situation.  I knew that my friend was going to be worried and upset so I decided to make it a game. I jumped back into the seat and with a smile on my face that I did not feel at all in my heart I starting bragging about how good I am at changing tires.  I talked about how I must have been in Nascar in my past life because I was gonna go for the world record today. I jumped out and fixed that tire as fast as I could when I wasn’t jumping behind my car to avoid the semis who did not change lanes and nearly knocked me over from the wind.  My car shook and shook as I spun my tire iron faster than I ever had before.  I ended up changing the tire in three minutes. We drove to the nearest town and pulled into a tire store the entire time I was talking about how fantastic I was and how “exhilarating” it was to have to risk my life to change a tire and after about fifteen minutes of boasting, she finally cracked a smile and then a laugh. We ended up coloring and telling each other stories about the children’s coloring books that the tire store had set up for waiting customers.  The other workers and customers joined us and were laughing and hollering as we got more and more ridiculous.  It honestly is one of my favorite days I’ve ever had on this planet and it happened because I chose to see the flat tire as an opportunity.  Yes I had to fake it at first, but the funny thing about faking it is that if you do it long enough it becomes real. Nathan Jackson Recommendations This week’s website recommendation is: Chaotic Ripple This week’s book recommendation is: Walk On: the spiritual journey of U2 Sign up for the weekly newsletter. Support Flow		Flow Suggests: 5/22-5/28 2011 The Conscious Partnering Conference Education, Community, Psychological Well Being http://my.compassionateactionnetwork.com/ Monday, May 23, 2011 Online Event True partnerships are essential to success. CD Forum: An Evening of Spoken Word Education, Psychological Well Being, Community, Cultural www.townhallseattle.org Tuesday, May 24, 2011 7-9pm Central District poets and thinkers Raising Environmentally Conscious Kids Environmental, Community Thursday, May 26, 2011 5:30pm www.sustainableseattle.org This dynamic and interactive workshop is designed to empower parents, teachers, and guardians to help children embrace their connection to the Earth and make choices that are compassionate, sustainable, and respectful.

Flow Issue 10

                                                            

Flow is based on Sustainable Seattle's Happiness Initiative and is inspired by Vinyasa, which means one leading to another. Flow gives small, but important steps that can improve one's contentment amongst all nine domains of happiness. Flow is a weekly jolt of inspiration, pragmatism and a collection of local events that will raise our happiness. This month of May we are taking a look at some simple actions we can take to get our mental health on a better path.  First before we get started, this month is not meant to replace professional psychological advice nor should it be used as a substitute for seeking assistance for serious problems such as depression.  Psychological Well Being Issue 10 Sitting on the bus from Renton to Seattle is an experience that should be, well, experienced.  The total lack of responsibility that is apparent when someone else is driving is freeing and an opportunity to do something without distractions. What is the ultimate motivation of responsibility?  Besides children and loved ones it would have to be material wellbeing.  Almost nothing else causes as much mental stress as money issues.  Let’s look at some simple steps we can take to get more of our material needs met, or to get more out of what we already have. The most important aspect of getting our material needs in order that we can control is to reevaluate what makes us happy.  We need to look at where we got those ideas in the first place.  We constructed our ideas about material goods bringing us happiness due to the massive amounts of advertising we consume both passively and on purpose. Here is an experiment to try sometime.  Turn on the TV and watch a half hour of one show or event.  Make a note of the amount of commercials and the general type of commercials shown.  To make this more scientific you can watch at various times of the day to see different types.  Out of all the commercials you watch how many do you think will say something to the effect of “You are great; your stuff is great; you don’t need to change one thing about your life.”  That will never happen unless you count public service announcements, which do not have the punch or budget to be as flashy as the newest advertising campaign for a new type of exercise chair or “revolutionary” diet plan. We need to create our own measurement of happiness that comes from our own ideas not from manufactured, re-purposed, edited and approved by board members for a for profit organization.  The intent is important and if making you less satisfied with yourself or your life is the goal then you cannot trust that source.  Mindset is the most important part of changing our material security.  We need to make new habits, new motivations and choose to gain pleasure in saving and being frugal.  We can’t buy our way to happiness and it’s time we started to save again.  Choose to be satisfied with your materials.  Choose to build more happiness by focusing on experiences and relationships with your family, friends and colleagues.  Build equity in your heart. Nathan Jackson Recommendations This week’s website recommendation is: http://motherjones.com/ This week’s book recommendation is: Young, Fabulous and Broke by Suze Orman Sign up for the weekly newsletter. Support Flow		Flow Suggests: 5/15-5/21 2011 Gordon Lafer: Labor in the House Education, Community, Material http://depts.washington.edu Tuesday, May 17, 2011 3pm Making a case for a Labor Movement revitalization Marc Kaufman:  Extraterrestrial Life Education, Psychological Well Being www.townhallseattle.org Wednesday, May 18, 2011 7-9pm Science re-examines our assumptions about building blocks of life. Carbon Pricing Symposium for Washington State Environmental Friday, May 20, 2011 12pm www.sustainableballard.org A diverse coalition of concerned citizens discussing and planning carbon pricing as a means to slow down greenhouse gas emissions.

Flow 5/8/2011 Issue 9

Flow is based on Sustainable Seattle's Happiness Initiative and is inspired by Vinyasa, which means one leading to another. Flow gives small, but important steps that can improve one's contentment amongst all nine domains of happiness. Flow is a weekly jolt of inspiration, pragmatism and a collection of local events that will raise our happiness. This month of May we are taking a look at some simple actions we can take to get our mental health on a better path.  First before we get started, this month is not meant to replace professional psychological advice nor should it be used as a substitute for seeking assistance for serious problems such as depression.  Psychological Well Being Issue 9 This week we are going to look at two techniques to help our mental health.  They could not be further apart if I tried, but they both get to the same place, calmness amongst our chosen stress filled lives. One of the best ways to bring peace to one’s own mind is to help another better their own situation.  I’m talking about volunteering and how giving of yourself and bringing happiness or sustenance to another gives you the same sense of contentment. Some of the best ways to find a volunteer opportunity is to make a list of your skills, interests and passions.  There is a great need for skilled volunteers in numerous non profits that includes: bookkeeping, administration, phone banking, grant writing as well as the best type of volunteers—the do what needs to be done folks. Secondly, we still spend most of our waking time at the workplace so let’s look at a few more things we can do on the job to be productive and still be happy. One of the most underestimated way to unplug at work is to use your lunch breaks and other breaks to get away from your desk or place of work.  Making a healthy lunch the night before and then eating it away from your work area will really give you some separation and a chance to think of other things besides work for the duration of the lunch. Another quick tip is to make sure to talk to your co-workers when good things are happening at the workplace.  It gets very easy to just turn to coworkers in a crisis or when you need something.  By spending time talking about successes and triumphs you can spread some happiness and build up those relationships. Nathan Jackson Recommendations This week’s website recommendation is: Humanosphere.kplu.org This week’s book recommendation is: PLAN B 4.0 by Lester R. Brown Sign up for the weekly newsletter. Support Flow		Flow Suggests: 5/8-5/14 2011 KBCS: Michael Eric Dyson Psychological Well Being, Community, Cultural Vitality www.townhallseattle.org Tuesday, May 10, 2011 7-8:30pm Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources Environmental Thursday, May 12, 2011 9am-5pm www.sustainableseattle.org Be the Spark with Desmond Tutu Cultural, Material, Community Friday, May 13, 2011 | 7:30 – 9:30pm www.compassionateactionnetwork.com