Change is all around us, as was evident on a recent walk. As I moved along a familiar Hudson River path, I noticed something unusual. Instead of flowing freely, the river’s surface was mostly frozen.

Sitting on a boulder along the river’s shore, I was mesmerized by the sounds and movement of the ice cracking and shifting. The frozen pieces were continually adjusting, pushing, sliding, and floating away. The tempo and noises changed as sections of ice piled-up and then released back to the river. While expansive portions of the river’s surface were frozen, there was a gentle motion beneath the ice. The rumblings below were covered with a mixture of stillness and agitation above.

How often is that true for us? Internally we begin to change even though it might be barely visible to others. We think about what we might want to do next? We ponder varying options and scenarios. We have conversations with ourselves that are either uplifting or discouraging. We might even get to the point of being overwhelmed just from thinking about change. We might appear frozen on the surface, yet inside we are full of activity and movement.

Then the ice cracks. A positive idea or word of encouragement breaks through. We see the light of possibility and change. The ice begins to thaw. Movement slowly occurs as we turn our thoughts into actions. The ice melts into our sea of change.

Change

What changes or shifts are you noticing? Did any ideas resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation!

The current installment (v14) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my latest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring next step-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are a wonderfully engaged group. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced for you. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Curiosity Next

Curiosity is one of the traits that I value. When I discovered A Curious Mind – The Secret to a Bigger Life by producer and author Brian Grazer, I had to read it. Grazer suggests that the power of curiosity can change your life. He says, “For me, curiosity infuses everything with a sense of possibility.” Consider this in the context of taking next steps. Curiosity involves asking questions, lots and lots of questions, without having a preconceived notion of what the answer will be. It’s about keeping a certain amount of openness for the possibility of discovering what you don’t know. Grazer realized through thirty-five years of having “curiosity conversations” with all types of people, that “…curiosity was the way to uncover ideas, it was the way to spark them.” These conversations became the seed ideas for many of his films and TV shows including A Beautiful Mind, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, and Splash. When you’re stuck, get curious and ask questions. The idea for next is waiting for you.

2. Interesting Gadget – Fidget Next

Do you find it challenging to focus sometimes at work, home or school? If so, you’ll love the Fidget Cube. This small six-sided toy offers different types of activities on each side to play with including flip, glide, click, spin, roll and breathe. It will keep your hands occupied, your mind focused, and your stress levels low. Fidgeting could just be the best possible next step.

3. Interesting Resource – End Procrastination Next

There are so many reasons why next can elude us. One of the most common is that we might know what to do next, but we procrastinate. Fortunately, there’s a new kind of help available exclusively for procrastinators. Dr. Christine Li, clinical psychologist and procrastination coach, is a recovering chronic procrastinator who can help you “understand your struggle with procrastination and share useful strategies to help you make the important changes you want to make in your life.“ End the procrastination loop with strategies and support so that you can get to next.

4. Interesting Product – Play Next

One of the cleverest products I’ve recently discovered is Nimuno Loops, a Lego-compatible tape. It’s currently being crowd funded through Indiegogo and is not yet available to purchase. The tape lets you turn any surface into a Lego-building base. This inspired product unleashes your ability to play anywhere at anytime. When you’re feeling stuck and are not sure what your next step will be, consider the power of play. Toss a ball, build with blocks, or swing on a swing. Embrace the play-mode to unclog the mind.

5. Interesting Thought – Be Next

Sometimes in thinking or ruminating about next, we can lose sight of the present moment. Now is what’s here. Notice where you are, what you’re experiencing, and what you’re feeling. Be mindful. Be in this moment. Next will arrive soon enough.

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

There are more frequent moments of enjoying the sun and noticing the season beginning to change. That change has not completely happened yet. We are straddling the dark of winter with glimpses of the warmth and lightness of spring. Simple moments bring my attention to the changes.

The sun’s presence has increased my awareness of the change-filled moments. They can be felt and seen in many ways. Sitting by the window in a café, I felt the hot sun streaming through as it warmed my skin and calmed my soul. Walking through my living room I saw the sun cast its bold streams of light and shadow across the space. Sitting outdoors on a bench, the sun bathed my body and face with its heat. Moving along the path by the river, I felt unencumbered because I only needed to wear a very light jacket on that sunny, warm day.

“We change without realizing it. We are in the midst of change even now.”

— Haemin Sunim

The season is changing. The sun is getting stronger as the daylight lasts longer. In small ways, I can see and feel change happening each day. I delight in and embrace these joy-filled moments. I am grateful for the visible changes. They are a source of hope and movement. They mirror the possibility of changes that are harder to see.

What changes are you sensing? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation!

We could all use a bit more happiness in our lives, couldn’t we? While traveling recently, I noticed someone reading a Time magazine special edition, The Science of Happiness. The cover was splashed with happy-looking emojis. I finally got my hands on a copy and read it, with yellow highlighter in hand, from cover to cover. I’m generally a happy, positive person most of the time. Even so, I loved the idea of learning about the science behind happiness and the possibility of finding ways to experience even more joy.

Some researchers think that genetics are behind 50% of the variations in happiness and 10% are due to life circumstances. This is great news because it means the remaining 40% presents opportunity for you to increase your happiness. We can break that down to small, manageable parts. As author Margaret Wander Bonanno said,

“It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis.”

3 Ways to Help Increase Your Happiness . . .

Mindfulness

Being present, refusing to multitask, and bringing your full attention to what’s happening right now is one way to increase happiness. This can be challenging to do with so many sounds, people and thoughts vying for your attention. It requires practice, like exercising a muscle, to be mindful. One suggestion made by Emma Seppala, Ph.D. author of The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success is to take technology breaks. She suggests,

“One of the greatest ways to find joy is to spend a half-day or whole day on a technology fast. That means no screen time. None.”

Generosity

Doing good in the world can translate into donating money to causes and organizations we believe in. According to Michael Norton, co-author of Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, bringing this idea closer to home can boost your happiness even more. He says,

“While giving to charity brings more happiness than spending money on yourself, our research finds that doing things for people you know makes you happiest.”

Gratitude

Have you noticed that you’ve become more grateful as you’ve aged? One study discovered that for each 10 years of life, gratitude increases by 5%. In addition, according to writer Ellen Seidman, research suggests that people who are regularly grateful, those that are actively aware of the “goodness in life and the sources of it – are generally healthier and happier.” To experience the full benefits of gratitude, you need to both feel the love, like recording your appreciation in a gratitude journal and show the love as in writing a letter (the more specific the better) to express gratitude to your friends and loved ones. Robert Emmons, Ph.D., psychology professor and author of Gratitude Works! says,

“When people are grateful, they feel more alert and alive.”

Do any of these increasing happiness concepts resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!