We often find what we're looking for.

Sokol Blosser Winery Tour

Anyone who knows me knows I love wine.  Love wine. Love the smell. Love the taste. Love the fun glasses you drink it out of. Love it. Last weekend I discovered something that makes wine even better:   Drinking wine while on a tour of a winery with friends.  Super-duper love it.

Our little party of 8 enjoyed tastes of Sokol Blosser wines while touring the winery and getting a fabulous education. Our wonderful guide, Jenna, told us about how the Dundee Hills evolved, what makes the soil great for growing grapes, and why Pinot Noir grapes have inspired movies.

We sipped, listened, oohed, ahhhed, sipped some more.  We walked on the soil, gazed at the view, smelled the yeast, and waved off a zillion fruit flies. We laughed, we drank, we learned.  We were together.

It was a great and wonderful thing.

Kids jumping - photo by Michele M. Larsen 2009

There are a few things I believe absolutely.  That our lives are defined by the choices we make is one of them. That we have the opportunity to make choices in every moment is another.

We get to choose what’s important to us. We get to choose how we feel and what we see. We get to choose whether we enjoy our lives or suffer through them.

If happiness is a choice, it’s within us.  In every moment of every day.

And that’s an awesome thing.

Surfin' With Steph, Fox 12

In addition to weather and reporting on Fox 12, Stephanie Kralevich regularly does a wonderful segment highlighting interesting websites called Surfin’ With Steph.  This week, ISpyJoy.com was fortunate enough to be featured.  (Yay!! Our first time on TV!)

See what Steph has to say about ISpyJoy.com.

Check out other websites she’s featured.

Joy (in sand) mml 2009

The secret to living the life of your dreams, is to start living the life of your dreams, at once, to any degree that you possibly can.

- Mike Dooley, Notes From The Universe

If I had a dime for every time I felt like I had to wait for something to begin living my dream life, I’d be pretty darn rich.  I still catch myself feeling that way often, even though I know better.

I have to remind myself that I don’t have to recreate the Big Bang. I can begin small, bit by little bit.  The real power isn’t in the magnitude of the action, it’s in taking action. To any degree I possibly can.

My dream life is spending my days spreading joy, optimism and inspiration to millions.  It’s the millions part that trips me up. But, today I blog (one little bit), tomorrow I’ll greet the teachers at my kids’ school with smiles and hugs (another little bit), and the day after that I’ll perform a random act of kindness (yet another little bit). Eventually, all my little bits will turn into millions of people.

That will be a pretty sweet day.  I hope I realize it when it happens.

Cause: You're Beautiful

Can you remember the last time you were around a woman and found yourself thinking how lovely she is?

This happens to me often.  Sometimes while I’m listening to her talk about something she loves. Sometimes when I see her fully engaged in a task.  And sometimes when she laughs.

In each of these moments these women are in a place of confidence and joy.  I am always struck by how beauty follows those two traits.  And how much this trinity lifts me up.  Every single time.

Toni Childs, award-winning singer, songwriter and actress, has built a website focused on celebrating the true beauty that lies in all of us, and the magic we create when we live that beauty.  On CauseYoureBeautiful.com you can see an affirming music video of the Grammy-winning song Because You’re Beautiful, and you can send a link to that video to 10 women who might need to be reminded of their true beauty.  There’s a page where you can declare who you are and what you want to create in your life.  And there’s a page with 25 inspirational men and women who will share their personal stories over the next twelve months as living examples of expressing their lovely, unique selves to the world.

I am thrilled and honored to be one of the 25 Toni chose to encourage and inspire people to live their beauty. Along with the other writers, I’ll be updating my page each month with a new article on my experience of choosing joy in my life.

What we focus on expands. Expanding the confidence, joy and beauty in the world would be a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Butterfly on rocks

Did you know that a chrysalis is what  butterfly emerges from and a cocoon is what a moth emerges from?

Until tonight, I thought a chrysalis and a cocoon were the same thing. I only discovered the difference by reading my daughter’s first grade leveled reader about Tim the caterpillar.

Tonight was Taryn’s first night of real homework.  She was proud and excited to have work to do outside of class.  She loves to learn.  But I think that’s only part of why she’s eager for homework.

For two years now she’s watched me spend time every week night during the school year doing homework with her big brother. It’s quality one-on-one time. And until now, homework has been yet another one of those things that “you’ll get when you’re older.”

Tonight was Taryn’s turn.  We sat ritualistically at the dinner table side by side. We read, we discussed, we spelled. We made check marks.

This is some grownup stuff. And though my dear daughter didn’t say a word about this sign of her coming of age, we could both feel it.

How joyous–and appropriate–that tonight we studied metamorphosis.

My little girl is anxiously anticipating the arrival of her wings.  What she doesn’t yet realize is that this is not her first set.  And it is far, far from her last. She will have the joy of coming of age many times in her life.  And I will have the joy of watching her unfold.

Custom Paint Job

I am attracted to unique and unusual things.  Take this car, for example.  The custom paint job is so unusual that it’s incredibly difficult not to notice it.

I wouldn’t exactly call this pretty.  And if I could have a custom paint job on my vehicle this isn’t the one I’d choose.  But these things are neither here nor there. I like this car because it’s different–it has character.

Character makes me smile.

Character is bold.  Character doesn’t give a flying yahoo who approves or doesn’t approve. Character is true, and truth takes courage.

It brings me joy to know there are people among us who possess the gumption to express themselves so openly.

I think there may be hope for us yet.

Yellow Belt Kellen

I love surprises. Especially joyfull ones. The karate class my kids have been taking is proving to be one of those very things.

Every class at East West Martial Arts that I’ve seen begins with a student pledge that nearly moved me to tears the first time I heard my kids repeating it.

I will develop myself in a positive manner and avoid anything that could reduce my mental growth or physical health.

I will develop self-discipline in order to bring out the best in myself and others.

I will use common sense before self-defense and never be abusive or offensive.

This is a black belt school. We strive for black belt excellence. We are dedicated. We are motivated. We are on a quest to be our best.

Reading the words is one thing, to hear all the children loudly and enthusiastically repeating the phrases after the instructor is another.

And it’s not just the student pledge that puts a lump in my throat, its the way the instructors focus on a value each week and actually sit the kids in a circle around them near the end of class to talk to these young students about what those values mean and how they show up in their daily lives.

To see and hear my children learning about things like integrity, potential, respect and best effort fills my soft, mushy heart with all kinds of gooey goodness.  On top of which they’re learning how to focus and be comfortable and confident in their bodies.

I am overjoyed to find something for my kids that cultivates such positive mental, emotional and physical growth all at the same time. It inspires me. Just from sitting in the room watching, I believe I leave there walking a wee bit taller.  And, if I’ve let myself be really present, I find I’ve realigned myself with my life goals.

I will develop myself in a positive manner…to bring out the best in myself and others…and never be abusive or offensive. This is a totally awesome life. I strive to live fully every moment. I am dedicated. I am motivated. I am on a quest, to be my best.

Taryn

My daughter has got a mind of her own.  It’s one of the many things I love about her.

This morning, when I asked her what she wanted for breakfast her reply was a definitive, “Toast with butter, toasted.  And LOTS of butter!”

I had to laugh.  Toast, by definition, is toasted.  And it usually comes with butter.  But Taryn wanted to make sure she got just what she wanted, so she asked for it twice.  Toast with butter. Toasted. With LOTS of butter.

I can laugh all I want, but this six-year-old has got a thing or two (thousand) to teach me.

• when you want something, ask for it
• if you want it just the way you like it, be CLEAR when you ask
• don’t be afraid to ask twice–just in case
• it helps a little if you smile and have cute pigtails

You can bet when I made that toast (toasted) that I heaped all kinds of butter on it.  And I smiled the whole time.

Yes is a world

yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
all worlds
-e.e. cummings

There are few words more powerful than yes. Yes is more than a word–it’s a way of being.

Yes opens doors and windows and worlds. Yes is adventure and power and optimism.

Yes is the cosmic version of chocolate.

To find out what I mean, try this little experiment:  Stand or sit quietly. Close your eyes.  Say to yourself “YES” three times.  See how that feels.  Now, say to yourself “NO” three times.  See how differently that feels.

Answering yes, even when there is no question, opens up galaxies of possibilities and hope.

Yes.  Yes.  Yes.