When I was a little whippersnapper in the cornfields of Waldron, IN, I used to listen to frequent exclamations of, "You're weird!" This would be a response to the fact that I laugh at almost nothing. I amuse myself endlessly. Yesterday a friend's son taught me how to turn flips at the end of the pool when I am lap swimming. With all the excitement that generated for me, you would have thought I had won the lottery. Swimming, such a small thing, makes me really happy. I blissfully watch the bubbles meander up from the bottom of the pool at the Natatorium. There are so many tranquil shades of blue at the Nat, and I immediately relax when I plod in there at 5:30 am.

Big things make me happy too. I get to visit Marco Island this summer with my husband--yippy! A hot sandy beach, a crappy chick novel, and piles of sunscreen--ahhhhhhhh. Publishing my first book is going to make me REAL happy.

But ya know, happiness is best when it percolates contentedly inside you regardless of external circumstances. In Nicheren Buddhism, this is known as absolute happiness. This type of emotion derives from trusting yourself and the Universe, knowing that your obstacles are learning opportunities enabling you to keep growing as a human. Absolute happiness is also fostered by knowing that you have a choice in how happy you will be. Not always easy to remember or apply, but I can usually boost my mood by simply focusing on that. I also remind myself that this may be my last day on earth in this body--do I really want to be a cranky poohead over something that won't matter this time next year?

So, as I prepare to clack the computer shut on another blog, I am wondering what I can do to become more internally happy, not let certain things (like winter) bother me so badly. What about you? How can you get more happy from the inside out?