photo credit: stevevoght
The Happiness Quilt is your gift for me and my gift back to you this Holiday Season. Do go out there and contribute your piece if you have not already done so. That page will be a place of Happiness, now and forever. Ramkumar said it beautifully in his comment actually …. and he also revealed the secret power of the Happiness Quilt -
I hovered over my piece -it said “Ramkumar laughs a lot, has no worries about ego, is completely in the moment and content” - and I thought to myself - “I wish!” ;-)) Guess that is the point, right? This is a reminder of what makes me -and everyone - happy. When I’m feeling low, I’ll come visit here.
It was quite an experience for me as I read the comments on the original post and put the quilt together. I could not help but think of how much happiness there is in each one of us already - it seems that we just lose sight of it sometimes. It is beautiful to see so many people reflecting on what makes them happy - on the inside. So thank YOU!
What do we do with the Happiness Quilt now?
The Happiness Quilt is just what it is - a quilt - an experience while we sew it and a beautiful tool for the future. In short, use it for warmth and reflect on what it means …
Suggested Applications for the Quilt
1. Quick hack for long term happiness:
Now that we have done the work to find what our happiness qualities are, here is how to use them. If you look into the basic ThinkMaya framework, I suggest that most of the unhappiness and imbalance in our lives comes from the heart, head and body being out of sync …being in disagreement and causing internal turmoil. In these cases no matter what you do for yourself externally, it is impossible to really feel better for the long term. At such times, use the Happiness Quilt as a tool, as a happiness hack, to get back your heart, head and body into sync and get on the road to happiness for the long term (For real long term changes, use the ThinkMaya Framework, Part 3). This hack is for the times when you feel so low and are bogged down so much that you really cannot think clear or are too conflicted - you do not feel good enough to think and apply the ThinkMaya Framework( or do too much of any thinking).
Consider a time when you are feeling really low. Before you can start to spiral down the path to feeling worse, look into your toolbox and grab the Happiness Quilt! And then:
- Right there you will look into the quilt and see what are the things that make you happy at the happiest times in your life.
- Pick 1, 2 or all all of your qualities.
- Don’t sit there and think about the happy times. This works sometimes, but it could send you down the path of self pity and endless excuses. I strongly believe that you do not tackle emotions with emotions cause. They are more easily tackled by actions.
- Then choose an activity that will make help you bring out one or more of your happiness qualities.
- And then go engage in the activity without thinking much. Just do it.
Very soon you should be in a happier place. (A lot of people already do this inherently but this tool could prove effective when your spontaneous defense systems give in ). Once you are in a better place you could start to really think (sanely and with head on your shoulders) about any long term issues that you might be struggling with.
2. Quick Check for life decisions:
When you choose long term career paths and make life choices, do a check by seeing if the choice will continue to let your Happiness qualities flow freely. If you are a lover of nature and you choose a stressful job that forces you to commute through the city and work in an office with no windows, it is more than likely that you will be unhappy on a day to day basis . If your qualities cannot be in the flow then, most often than not, your choice will probably make you unhappy in the longer term.
3. Building a family quilt:
This one is my favorite! Build one like this for your family and when you make big choices that affect your family, do a check to make sure it will continue to keep the happiness qualities of the family in flow.
4. Just get inspired by it:
If you have been a little unhappy, a little low for no reason, just spend some time at the quilt. How amazing and inspiring! People find happiness in their most insignificant qualities. It is wonderful really. There is no formula for happiness - it is something we create for ourselves. And learning what makes us happy and being aware of it might be the one big secret !
I want to take a minute to wish everyone a wonderful year in 2009!
I hope the year gone by has been one of inspiration for you. Good and bad is immaterial - good and bad occurs in the past - and it is all good if we take some inspiration from it. So take one last look at the past with the eyes of the future …. what you see will always be a story of hope and beauty …
Many things happened this past year. I quit my job, moved cross country and started working for myself. Friends and family are now even farther physically …. but just last night, as I engaged in my daily meditation 
, all I could think of was the new friend I have this year. My 2 year old is a whole new person - thinking, talking, sharing, loving friend of mine. I have a very special friend now. Certainly the highlight for me this past year …..
What was the highlight of YOUR life this past year?
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If you are a parent/author/writer or illustrator and would like to participate in the beta for Memetales, send me an email at m@thinkmaya.com or fill the contact form on geekdance.com.
