Bo Holden: Shall We Have Some Fun Today?

My daughter, Bo, has recently celebrated her second birthday.  As you can see by the picture of her, she is all grown up now. 

Recently, Bo has taken to waking me up each morning with a little question that she whispers ever so sweetly into my ear.  The question is, Daddy, shall we have some fun today? 

What an invitation.

It’s the way Bo says it that really gets me.  She makes it sound so appealing. How can I say “No” to her?

Having fun is Bo’s greatest priority.  To her, that’s what life is for.  On waking, she chooses fun. This choice is entirely spontaneous.  Nothing has to happen first before she chooses fun.  She doesn’t check to see if it’s the weekend; she doesn’t look outside to see what the weather is like; she doesn’t go online to check the Dow Jones index; she doesn’t look up her credit rating; and she doesn’t check her blood pressure first. 

Bo’s decision to enjoy her day appears to be entirely unassisted.  For example, she doesn’t meditate first, and then choose fun; she doesn’t do an affirmation, and then choose fun; she doesn’t drink a shot of wheatgrass or espresso, and then choose fun.  She doesn’t wait for the day to go well before she decides to enjoy it.  Bo simply enjoys herself.

And we can do the same.

In my book Be Happy I ask you to consider the question: what sort of a day have you decided to have today?  Are you conscious of what you decided?  Indeed, can you find the place in your mind where you have decided already how good today will be? 

In every moment there is a choice. 

And it is never too late to change your mind and enjoy yourself more.

Interview: Be Happy for KUSI San Diego TV

Over the last few weeks I have been travelling across America giving talks, workshops, and interviews on my latest book, Be Happy. Some of my personal highlights include visits to the I Can Do It! Conference in San Diego, the Unity Church in Houston, and Kripalu in Massachusetts.

Happiness is an important subject to us all, and this is especially true now in these difficult economic times.  Media interest in my work has been very high.  Attendances for my talks and workshops on Be Happy have been healthy.  And on the day of its launch, Be Happy went straight into the top 100 on Amazon. 

The recession is causing us to rethink our life.  In particular, it is making us think what true happiness is, what blocks our happiness, and also what can help us to enjoy greater happiness. To see another recent TV interview I did for KUSI TV in San Diego, click here. 

Robert Norton: By the Seashore

One of my greatest joys is to celebrate the successes of my friends, especially when their successes bring so much joy and inspiration to others.  On that note, I want to tell you about Robert Norton.

Robert Norton is a gifted musician.  He recently discovered that one of his tracks, called By the Seashore, from his album Painting the Ocean, is featured on a You Tube video called The Wave that has now been viewed over 380,000 times.  To acknowledge this, Robert has made the track available as a free download at his website www.robertnortonmusic.com  

My friendship with Robert goes back a long way.  Robert has played live on my 8-week happiness course for the last ten years.  Some of his albums, likeFollow Your Joy and Accepting Yourself, feature music that was recorded on these events.  When I write my books, and when I sit to meditate, I often play Robert’s songs.  His music helps me in my own creative journey. 

Most recently, Robert has provided music for my Be Happy Online 8-week course, hosted by Hay House.  Robert has generously made these tracks available for a free download atwww.robertnortonmusic.com  For further information about Robert’s workshops and concerts you can also visit www.creative-journeys.co.uk

Interview: Kripalu and Fox TV

I have just enjoyed a wonderful weekend at Kripalu, a retreat center for yoga, health, and holistic living, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.  I was there to give a three-day workshop on Be Happy.  My wife Hollie and daughter Bo came too.  We loved it.  Thank you Denise Barack, for the invite. Thank you to those who attended the workshop.  And thank you to everyone who made us feel so welcome.

The Kripalu program is packed with inspiring offerings on health and wellness, science and spirituality, creativity and yoga.  While I was there I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Thurman who was facilitating a workshop on Everyday Yoga and also Michael Beckwith who was teaching on Spiritual Liberation.  I would definitely recommend Kripalu.  Great programs. Great location.  Great people.  Great food!

On Sunday afternoon, I made a trip over to Boston, to do an interview for Fox25 on Be Happy. It’s five minutes long, and you can watch it here.