Stoodee Oh

There's something amazing about finally getting that house you've always wanted, that car, that girl, that whatever. 

Suddenly, you actually have it.

There's a period of almost denial, where you just can't quite wrap your mind around the fact that you've actually achieved something you've worked for, longed for, chased for so long.

And then you have the full realization that, holy shit, you really, actually, genuinely have it.

YOU DID IT!

Now here's where a great deal of people lose the game.  (I bet you just lost "the game...")

They don't stop and appreciate the fact that they've finally gotten whatever it was they were after.

And then the complaining starts.

Man, I wish it had this...

God, I hate that it has this...

Wow, I wish s/he would do this...

And then we're back off to the races, chasing this, wanting that, working for the other.

Chill out.

Take a bit, and really, truly, deeply appreciate.

You'd be amazed at how good it feels.




And as you appreciate him or her, that thing or that house, or whatever, you'll find that you're actually falling more and more in love with it with each passing day.

Instead of finding things that are "wrong", you'll discover more and more things that are amazingly "right" about it.

The only reason the grass is greener on the other side of the fence is all the bullshit over there.

So, in closing (See Ms. Dr. Boren?   I remember some of what you taught me!), thank you so much for taking the time to read my silly little blog, and listen to my tunes.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some stuff to go appreciate...

Moooooooove

If only I really had this much beer...

Well, it took some doing, but my amazing wife found us a beautiful new house!  It's renting at its finest, but it's a step forward.

Which, of course, brings us to the fun part...

Moving.

And sweet God do I hate packing and moving.

It's time-consuming, back-aching, annoying work.

And it makes you realize just how much crap you really have in your house.

Which also makes you think about why you have all this stuff, and what it really does for you (other than, of course, collect dust and take up space).

And finally, it brings you to the realization that it's not stuff at all that makes you happy!

I mean, if it were stuff alone that made me happy, I'd be a grinning fool, just simply based on the sheer volume of boxes I've carried from one house to another.  And every time I think we've just about got this mountain of things licked, my lovely lady pulls out more stuff from some other nook or cranny that I hadn't even seen before!

It's not stuff that really makes you happy, it's YOU!

You, how you relate with your family, your friends, and most importantly, how you relate to yourself.

Are you making you happy?

And if not, why not?

This is the only life you've got, after all (at least so far as we can readily tell, belief systems aside).

YOU ARE YOUR HAPPINESS.

It's crazy but it's true!

So, while you're pondering that one, I'll go put some more boxes in the truck...

The Happiness Sessions

I've been pondering music, life, the Universe, and everything in between, and I keep circling back to one simple question, "Why?"

Why have I pursued music for most of my life despite such little (monetary, at least) return?

What am I getting that overrides the frustration of too-little money in the bank, inattentive audiences, constant requests for "Freebird", equipment maintenance, late nights, writer's block, long hours of practicing, etc, etc?  Why is it worth it?

In short, what's the point?

And as I've thought about it, I realized one major facet of the whole shebang.  My music seems to make people happy.  And ultimately, that makes me happy.

So the ultimate reward from what I'm doing is that I'm making people happier by doing it.

So I've decided to focus my blog a little more on the mechanics of happiness.  Not so much the why's of happiness, but more the how's of happiness.

So stay tuned for tips and tricks to keep your happy purring along and a smile on your face.

'Till next time,

Chad Rushing