Sunday, November 8, 2015

Carpe Diem #854 happiness



[...] “The circle of happiness and joy which always wraps around those who are in contact with the energy of love.” [...] (fragment from The Zahir by Paulo Coelho)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Today our prompt is happiness. What has this to do with the Altai Mountains? What does happiness mean to you? Are you happy with your life, your qualities and talents? Are you happy with what you have? Hereafter I have reproduced an oldie in which I think happiness is mentioned in a very subtle way:

timeless beauty -
the glint of polished pebbles
in the crystal brook


© Chèvrefeuille

All questions which came in mind as I was preparing this episode of CDHK. What happiness has to do with the Altai Mountains, I will tell you later, but first I will look at those other questions. To me happiness means that I am happily married, I am happy with my kids and my grandkids. I am happy with my work as an oncology nurse, but I am also very happy to be your host (and maybe your teacher) here at Carpe Diem. Do I lead a happy life? Yes I do. I thank God, Spirit, Energy, the Cosmos for what I have done and what I may do ... nothing more to wish for ... yes I am happy and of course I hope you all are happy. And if not ... then I wish that you will become happy soon, very soon.

What has happiness to do with the Altai Mountains? Everything. As I read diverse articles about the Altai Mountains and the people who are living there ... than one thing was special ... they all told the reporters the same thing ... that they are happy. They are happy with the beauty of their surroundings, their spirituality, their loved ones and with the powers of their shamans. They are happy with their wealth ... maybe not in money or something, but they are happy with the wealth of beauty, the wealth of nature, the wealth of their health. They live a hard life, but they love their life ... they are happy with what they have.

Credits: Altai Mountains (Southern part)

That fragment above from The Zahir says it all in my opinion: "The circle of happiness and joy which always wraps around those who are in contact with the energy of love". That energy is all around the people living in the region of the Altai Mountains. They love nature, they love their simple, but hard life, they love how they are connected with the world around them, with the nature around them. The majestic Altai Mountains protecting them, giving them the strength they need and the wisdom they need. The people of the Altai Mountains trusting each other and trusting the shaman with his/her magical powers. That's ... happiness.

happiness shared
as we walk through the steppes
and the Altai Mountains
unconditional love
as we walk our path together


© Chèvrefeuille

And I just had to share a few haiku from my archives in which I think happiness can be seen, felt, heard, tasted and touched:


on the wings of birds
the faint reflection of the sunset -
the sound of the wind


shadows on the wall
one single candle shines its light
towards the world


after the rainstorm
I sit down on the porch
smelling the fresh air


(c) Chèvrefeuille

Sheer happiness caught in the beauty of the Altai Mountains and in those little poems we all love so much ... haiku and tanka.

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until November 11th at noon (CET). I will (try to) publish our new episode, meadow(s), later on. Have fun!


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