MUSINGS and other writing by Mark Kolke

. . . . . . there is no edge to openness

TODAY'S MUSINGS

FEEDBACK / COMMENTS

MARK SPEAKS

MARK'S SPEAKING TIPS

ARCHIVED COLUMNS

ARCHIVE WINTER 2020-21

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2020

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2020

ARCHIVE SPRING 2020

ARCHIVE WINTER 2019-20

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2019

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2019

ARCHIVE SPRING 2019

ARCHIVE WINTER 2018-19

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2018

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2018

ARCHIVE SPRING 2018

ARCHIVE WINTER 2017-18

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2017

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2017

ARCHIVE SPRING 2017

ARCHIVE WINTER 2016/17

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2016

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2016

ARCHIVE SPRING 2016

ARCHIVE WINTER 2015/16

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2015

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2015

ARCHIVE SPRING 2015

ARCHIVE WINTER 2014/15

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2014

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2014

ARCHIVE SPRING 2014

ARCHIVE WINTER 2013/14

CONTACT

MY REAL ESTATE LIFE

WHY I WRITE MUSINGS

SHORT STORY PROJECT

POETRY PROJECT

SELECTED OTHER WORK

SPOONFULS AND HANDFULS

Friday Jan. 22, 2016

Happiness.

Isn’t it always enough?

To live on, survive on, bridge gaps and chasms of difficulty with steam left in my kettle …

I can measure gas in my tank, food in my fridge or contacts in my database – but I don’t have measuring cup, funnel or catch basin for happiness. If some runs out of me, I can’t catch it. It runs through my fingers like water. Like sand.

Happiness – that’s my word today. Just one. It describes my state of mind. It isn’t a measure of anything I’ve done – or of the many things I want to do, plan to do or that I am doing. It isn’t a product of the week’s experiences and encounters – yet they are all included. Including the bumpy ones …

Our oil patch friends have a term, MWD which means measuring while drilling. It involves technology to measure how you are doing, while you are doing, so you don’t have to slow down or stop.

MWH, measurement while happy.

Strikes me as a measurement term we should consider – not for needing invention of some device or software, but for recognizing we don’t have to stop what we are doing to know whether we are happy doing it. Happiness and any activity can co-exist. When we try one without the other, that’s a whole new kind of difficulty. Life’s already offering us plenty of hurdles between opportunities, like layers of a sandwich. And that’s how sandwiches work, so don’t mess with my sandwich …

Happiness is everywhere – grab handfuls. Grab more handfuls. We can never have too much.

And always, even a spoonful is enough.

 

Mark Kolke

written / published from Calgary, AB

morning walk:  -2C/28F, overcast, soft snow, mucky streets (=mucky paws); Gusta was in an ambling mood this morning and I was in a hurry (I have a meeting an hour of driving away), so we had a tug-o-war – not a relaxing stroll but high humidity and fresh air are an inspiring combo …

 

Reader feedback:

VALUES PROPOSITION

I love your Muses! :) So inspiring and what we need to hear...keep on sharing!, KJ, Toronto, ON


Sign up to get MUSINGS by Email
» click HERE to be added to our list!
For Email Marketing you can trust

sign up to get Musings free daily


Comments are always welcome - please contribute to the discussion.  Reply to: kolke@markkolke.com

You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. This site is updated daily, each column is retained in the archive when the next day's column is loaded ...  


Copyright - all rights reserved - Mark Kolke, © 2003-2021