Finding Our Bliss

Dear Friends,

I was thinking about what to share with you today, and in the process I was searching through some quotes online. One of my favorites was this one from Benjamin Franklin:

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of."

It made me think of how often we treat life as if it is a dress rehearsal for "the real thing." Once I get the best job, the perfect relationship, when the economy finally picks up, when I get my degree...THEN I'll be happy! But aren't these all just excuses we use to avoid being happy on a daily basis? It doesn't seem to make sense. Isn't being happy what we're all searching for? Why would we want to avoid it?
For me, I think the answer lies not in the fact that we don't want to be happy, but that we don't always look in the right places for that happiness... which brings me to another quote from old Ben Franklin:

"Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances."

Some people can have no money, be going through an illness, be dealing with physical or emotional hardships in their lives, and yet still have a smile on their face and a positive attitude. I got an email today from a friend who lost his job recently. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he realized that he finally had the free time to pursue his passion of photography - something he had wanted to do for years. He was able to transform his loss into a gift, not just for himself, but for everyone around him.

My wish is that each one of us is able to celebrate the opportunities we are given from day to day. I hope we can realize that what at first seem like a personal tragedy may in fact be the hand of destiny gently guiding us to an even greater adventure. And may we all recognize the true happiness that already exists in our lives.

In song,
-Todd Herzog

http://www.reverbnation.com/toddherzog

PS. "You And I," a song I co-wrote for smooth jazz saxophonist, Michael Lington, is now at #2 on the Smooth Jazz Charts. Let's keep our fingers crossed for #1 in the coming weeks!

PPS. You may notice the new look of my newsletter. It is also reflected in my new website design which you can find at www.toddherzog.com. The design was done by Juliana Swenson at Studio Lapis (www.studiolapis.net) and programmed by Jason Lehman at Jazepromedia (www.jazepromedia.com).

PPPS. Once we hit #1, then I'll REALLY be happy! =-) just kidding...