Cloud Animals

In the sky, somewhere along the Interstate 10, Los Angeles

It’s a bird … It’s a plane … It’s an elephant?

Remembering iconic family movies from the 1970s, such as Superman and Benji, instantly bridges that vast gap from endless summer days in bare feet to the daily pressures and challenges of present day. At least it does for me. Life seemed simpler back then—we didn’t seek self validation as often as we do in today’s check-ins : Am I happy? Am I fulfilled? Do I feel good? Do I look good?

The approach to attaining “happiness” lies somewhere between searching for it and allowing it to find you. Take Facebook for example: the amalgamation of 450 friends in a Facebook network has a hierarchy and essentially mimics real life. Over the years, adding someone whom you’ve known for a long time or a person you’ve just met at Starbucks to your group of cyber friends has been as easy as a click. It would be naïve to assume that all of these friends can be counted upon in times of need or crisis. Yet, it’s validating when one of these friends “likes” a photo or contributes a positive comment to a post, even if the two of you had just met while ordering a Strawberry Creme Frappuccino, to then became instant Facebook friends. Oftentimes, we need to take what we can from the moment.

"It’s a choice” has exponential meanings to me and to my Facebook friend group. As cliché as this phrase is, having been tossed around for decades by altruistic crusaders, its truth rings as loud as the bells at Westminster Abbey on a Sunday morning. Granted, sometimes it’s easier to let the mirror tell you how to feel when it’s obvious that ten pounds found their way onto your hips. A few extra pounds could also be a catalyst to discovering new hiking trails with a good audiobook or trying a different cooking method. Who knew that an air fryer could produce such tasty and nutritious meals?

Pocket affirmations

There is no doubt that choosing to hear the positives in a conversation or comment is a daily struggle, but it’s also by design. The hidden morsels of life are there for the picking, and just waiting to be discovered. And it’s that proverbial fork in the road that gets us every time. Choose left. Choose right. Call me crazy, but having lived a few years on this planet, I’m inclined to believe that the way we choose to view our existence has a direct correlation in how the world responds.