MelodyFreebird

A Case for HAPPINESS!!

Happy Saturday! I really mean that…happy happy happy Saturday…today the sky is blue and clear and sunny and I can see to the top of the snow-capped mountain out my window…it’s an absolutely gorgeous day….and guess what? I AM TOTALLY THANKFUL for the happiness and peace that I feel right now, and I hope with everything in me that everyone else is having a day like that, too.

Every living creature on this earth deserves to be happy...don't you think?

I wonder how many people hold back their happiness because it might offend others?…I wonder how many stop dancing on the roof over great things because they’re getting dirty looks (even though EVERYONE is invited to come and dance on the roof, too)…I wonder how many people give up their dreams completely because once they reach the finish-line, no matter how hard they have worked (and everyone was invited on this race, too!)….somebody is there saying “HOW DARE YOU GO THROUGH THAT FINISH LINE! HOW DARE YOU SCREAM WITH JOY WHEN YOU FINALLY MAKE IT THERE!”

What?
WHAAAAAAT?

Doesn’t make much sense.

I don’t know what happened yesterday, but apparently there were some comments yesterday about my last post…sharing my happiness…some were so mean-spirited that my pal erased them before I could even see them…I don’t know what was posted and written……but let me tell you something…nothing good can come from being mean…nothing.

My challenge to you is to keep trying, keep fighting, keep working at it, keep your head up, keep praying, keep caring, keep listening, keep on keepin’ on, stay strong, stay YOU, stay close to God, stay HAPPY whenever you get the chance to be happy…because life is tough…it’s just flat-out hard…and mean, and cruel….and when you’re KEEPIN’ and TRYIN’ and STAYIN’….you sure deserve a beautiful day in the sunshine, with a big grin on your face once in awhile….and I will be the first to hug you tight and say I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOUR HAPPINESS….because I know what it takes to KEEP HAPPY, TRY TO BE HAPPY and to STAY HAPPY…..and I’m not going to let anybody steal that away anymore…and I hope you won’t either….

There’s enough happiness to go around…it’s not going to run out…there’s enough and more for everyone. AND, it grows…it’s contagious! SO, don’t let ANYONE ever tell you that it’s not OK, it’s not WONDERFUL for you to be happy, to see your dreams come true…to have things go just right once in awhile….to be rewarded for hard work…to just finally be AT PEACE….

…..because it’s all just part of the journey…and when you have a smooth stretch in the road (especially after years and years and years of bumps and hurdles and mudpits and mountains), it’s a gift from GOD, and He wants you to enjoy it…He expects you to enjoy it…it would be terrible if you didn’t.

SO, I am declaring TODAY that I WILL NOT back down from what I’ve learned….that we are all here to learn to be happy….and that the more of us who CHOOSE joy and happiness, the better the world will be.

I WISH ALL OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD FOR YOU…..for EVERY SINGLE ONE of you…even the people who wrote that stuff (especially the people who wrote that stuff!)

Have a wonderful day today!
Lots of Love
Melody
ps...here's some stuff to make you smile....laughing babies! WHy can't we be as happy when an adult is happy and laughing as we are when we see kids and babies laughing?

http://ebaumsworld.com/2006/11/laughing-baby.html

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/136013/happy_laughing_baby/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmKKZFIA-eQ

Still Here!

Hello!
.....I need to check in so my family knows I'm still alive! I AM MORE ALIVE THAN EVER! How about all of you? I hope you are great....I knew this was going to be a great year....but it's more incredible than I could have ever dreamed up.

SO phenomenally busy around here....magical stuff!
Just thought I'd update before Valentine's Day tomorrow when I tell you all about Marq and I and how hugely in love we are these days.....
Ok....
Kids are doing great...they are so wonderful....we are so blessed!

I MISS YOU GUYS!!!!!
I REALLY DO!

But....let me tell you a few reasons why I've been so busy.

We just sold our house....building a new one. (I KNOW, it's a BIG SHOCKER after renovating our 100 year old house for 7 years....but someday we'll have a farm again....working on other big stuff is taking all of our time! OY! No time to mow the hay and clean the barn and weed the garden....but we'll do it again someday! Found someone who loves this place as much as we do, so it's going to a good home...)

and CHATTERBOX....WHEW!!! OH MY!! It is so awesome having business partners who are as amped up as I am....especially one who has a private plane that I get to go to my sales appointments on! SO FUN! Actually, i love these people WAY more than even the private jet trips....

....what I am happiest about is that all of my life I have had these HUGE things I've wanted to do, had it all planned out...worked toward it...and now I have someone behind me who can make it happen and who believes in everything that I want to do. IT IS SO INCREDIBLE!!!

so....A WHOLE NEW BUILDING OF INCREDIBLE PEOPLE!!! Lots of big changes...all so good...so so good.

a WHOLE NEW ART DEPARTMENT.....massively experienced and qualified and awesome and fun people....and WHOA WE ARE DOING SOME AWESOME STUFF!! Can't wait to release our new prouct lines to the world! (so many things I've been dreaming up are finally becoming reality!)....and we are all so happy right now because the MAC guy came out yesterday and brought us new computer systems! I had to say Bon Voyage to my vintage Macs.....bittersweet....lots of great memories.

and....another AWESOME part....I AM DESIGNING AGAIN!!! I have to admit, it's been a few years since I've been able to throw myself completely into designing and dreaming up fun stuff.....but I am finally there again...and you will see BIG BIG things coming out of the CHATTERBOX art BOX really really really soon....and I can hardly wait....this is why I started Chatterbox in the first place! The last few years of not being able to design have been so hard.

You guys are all so awesome...thanks for all of the encouraging emails, notes, letters, etc.......thanks for checking up on me! I am going to be writing again really soon....things are finally starting to settle down and life is taking on a whole new meaning....I feel like I am finally where I was meant to be.

Can't wait to tell you what I've learned on this little stretch of the journey...can't wait to hear about what YOU have been learning too.......will write again tomorrow on my VERY FAVORITE HOLIDAY, Valentine's Day! Don't let your husband forget, either......

Lots of Love to you ALL. Can't wait to catch up!!!
melody

just beautiful...

I love what Courtney wrote today and I needed this all so much....hope you'll take the time to read it...I'm HOME this week...can't wait to catch up with you all!! - xoxox - Mel

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Week 5: Recovering a Sense of Possibility

When I graduated high school, a very sweet friend of mine gave me this beautiful picture with the following words written on it: “My impossible dreams.... aren’t.” She understood me. She knew I was a big dreamer – and I am all about going after what seems impossible.

But somewhere along the way, I realized that most of that fire and passion was just talk. I believe it – wholeheartedly... for everyone else. For me, I know in my heart I can do whatever I set my mind too... however, my fear of failure and success and rejection are louder than that encouraging voice.

This chapter was an eye-opener to say the least. I believe quite strongly in God – and I believe He wants the best for me. I think it’s so easy to feel insignificant in a world crawling with people. I imagine God sitting on his throne, peering down at us, all a bunch of worker ants – haphazardly running into each other without so much as a nod hello. We are all so focused on doing what we do... and yet, I have to wonder WHY it is we do what we do.

Why do we say yes to things we most certainly do not have time for? Why do we agree to take on responsibilities that do not interest us and will inevitably suck away our time? Why do we neglect our inner desires, fearful of being deemed ‘selfish’?

I have always thought I was a selfish person. I am a selfish person. I like things my way. I want what I want. However, after reading this chapter, I’m beginning to realize, it’s not so much that I’m selfish as it is that there are certain things I NEED creatively that maybe other people in my life don’t need: namely, alone time. I need alone time. And when I read Cameron’s notes on this, that the deprivation of alone time can turn artists into seething people who lash out at their family and friends, I wrote in the margin: this is me. And yet, I’ve always felt SOOO guilty asking my husband “can I just go to the bookstore tonight for a couple of hours?” He’s never ONCE made me feel guilty. He welcomes the nights of Daddy-play with the kids (which involves a lot of things Mommy doesn’t like: tearing up the couch, wrestling on the bed, pillow fights of epic proportions...)

My point is this: It’s not selfish to admit the things you need. It’s not selfish – as an artist – to fill up your tank. It’s not selfish to believe that God wants you to be successful. I love when she mentions that God has millions of movie ideas and book plots... yet I can hear that inner voice... yes, but why would he give them to ME? I ask you: Why not?

I’ve always prayed for just an ounce of God’s creativity, but I don’t think that’s enough. I reasoned that if I had just an ounce, I would still have more than everyone else in the world... but I want more than that! I want what he has for me... it’s like there’s a folder of ideas in his hands, and when I’m ready, he’ll drop them down into my psyche. But if I’m not looking upward, perhaps I won’t catch them.

This chapter is about wishes and dreams and admitting those crazy impossible desires of your heart. Remember... God gives us those desires. He wants us to pursue them. Now, I say that hesitantly because I’ve been watching American Idol lately, and I have to say that just because you think you can sing, doesn’t make it so... but you know what I mean here. Sometimes we have to study. Sometimes we have to improve. Sometimes we have to pray and open ourselves up for the answer... even if it’s one we weren’t expecting or don’t necessarily want to hear.

So often, as Cameron points out... we are looking for our ‘big breaks’ and our ‘open doors’ in the hands of men. But our fate doesn’t lie in the hands of men. Don’t discount what God can and will do for you.

I always laugh at church when people are looking for an answer and the only one they get is just pray about it. It sounds a bit ridiculous... but I’ve learned something over the years. Prayer works. And here’s the thing. God is a gentleman. He doesn’t force his will on us. Just like in Bruce Almighty when Bruce desperately wants Jennifer Aniston to be in love with him... and Morgan Freeman says something along the lines of “I wish it was that easy.”

I thought it was so poignant because it was like a picture of God – just holding an armful of presents (in our case, maybe creative ideas, genius... brilliance) and he’s watching like an expectant child, anxiously wishing he could dump those presents right into our laps... but we don’t even give him a second glance. It’s as though he tests us, setting one gift out in front of us, just to see if we’ll pick it up – even just to shake the box... and he wonders what we’ll do with it. Maybe he’s fearful we’ll reject him. He doesn’t want to force himself into our lives.

He wants to give us these gifts – creative ideas and brilliance and the like... but he doesn’t want to give unwanted gifts. Ask and you shall receive. What are your impossible dreams?? What are your selfish dreams? Write them down And start praying.