Tonight our weekly tour around the web for positive and happy news to balance all the crap we get from standard news reporting, enjoy and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane
I love this guy, I really do, Pope Francis’ 10 tips for Happiness
What Happiness Might Have to do With Your Genes
Sometimes people demonstrate how good they can be check it out.
Not sure I like this one, Want to be Happy, Lower Your Expectations.
The Dalai Lama on Why I Laugh
From our friends at Positivity Toolbox
Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened ~ Dr. Seuss
Tonight I revisit and cherry pick some articles from one of my favorite sites, Zen Habits. So have a look and a read and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane
Pursuing Happiness When it is Already Within You
Hello my friends, as I mentioned in a post recently I’ve begun my long preparation before hiking the Appalachian Trail starting in late February or early March of 2015. Over the next year and hopefully from time to time on the trail I will be updating you on my progress both in preparation and hopefully in miles walked. I will be writing along the way and hopefully learning and sharing some lessons on happiness along the way. ~ Rev Kane
So I’m planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail, what has possessed me to want to do this? First and fundamentally I have always had the travel bug, a thirst for adventure. Growing up and even into my twenties I didn’t have the money to travel in any significant way and certainly not in any style. But I ticked off states in my car, and eventually was well into the high 30’s. Likely because of having the desire but not necessarily the means, I wrote my first life list, (what most people now call a bucket list), in my early 20’s. As I approached my 40th birthday I felt that type of milestone required a special celebration. That year I decided to celebrate for the whole year and created a distribution list of 40 people to invite to the events. I created a fundraising event for locks of love, cut off 10 inches of my hair and raised $2000 for a local women’s shelter.
Unfortunately not the original, but a pic from Locks of Love fundraiser last year
I had get togethers at race tracks in NY and CA, we did the Gilroy Garlic Festival, Fantasy Fest in Key West and for the first time I attended the Burning Man Festival.
Rev Kane in his first year at Burning Man
I also completed that 50 state list I had been working on by visiting Fairbanks, Alaska.
When I turned 45 I figure I needed something even bigger than what I had done for my 40th and I decided to take 7 months off of work and push myself. Prior to that point I’d never done a multi-day hiking trip, had never been above 12,500 feet, had never done a significant cycling trip. So over those seven months I did a week long bicycling trip in Ireland with the greatest cycling company on earth, Cycle Holidays Ireland.
My first bike trip to Ireland
I then went to Scotland and did a week long hike across Scotland on the Great Glenn Way and checked off a bucket list item when I visited Loch Ness, the home of the legendary Loch Ness Monster.
Rev Kane goin native in the Scottish Highlands
I then came back stateside, made a stop in Diamond Crater State Park to unsuccessfully dig for diamonds for a few days and went to Utah. I am fortunate enough to have family with a cabin near Bryce Canyon National Park and so I moved there for 3 months. I lived a fairly idyllic existence there; my days consisted of hiking in Bryce, working around the property, reading and writing. Over those three months I wrote my first novel. A novel that was more personal catharsis than something that needs to be published but it was a healing and learning process. The journey of writing it was more important than having a publishable book to sell. My hiking in Bryce was also my training and in November of that year I headed off to Nepal and 22 days trekking in the Himalayas with a goal of reaching base camp at Mt. Everest. I wrote about that journey in my first AT Happiness post.
The important thing about what I did five years ago was that I pushed myself both physically and mentally. I was prepared, but you never know until you hit your old limits, what you can truly accomplish. One particular day in Nepal we spent seven hours on exposed trails (trails with little width and large drop offs) in the Na Valley, with huge drop offs, some 1000 feet. I don’t like heights; I’m not good on exposed trails, that day took more mental focus than anything I’ve ever done in my life. Reaching the valley floor I collapsed in exhaustion, I was completely wasted, not because the hike had physically worn me out but because my mind was fried. I rested for 30 minutes before I walked the final half mile to the tea house we were staying at, I slept well that night. That’s what the AT thru-hike is for me, an immense physical challenge without a doubt but even more an immense mental challenge. Six to seven months living in the woods, walking every day, hitting the inevitable obstacles I’ll face will be a huge stretch. But the only way we grow and move forward is to stretch ourselves and growth leads to happiness. So stretch yourself my friends and have a happy day ~ Rev Kane
Tonight just for a laugh, some funny signs, enjoy and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane
It’s not how much we have but how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness ~ Charles Spurgeon
Tonight our weekly tour around the web to see how happiness is appearing in the news and on social media, have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane
Strangers find fallen Marines precious item and return it to his grieving mother
Family devastated by Hurricane Sandy win $20 million in the lottery
Disabled Chihuahua gets wheelchair made from toys
Vending machine feeds stray dogs when people recycle
The happiest cities in America
I’ve always had an affinity for something that I call integrated street art. By this what I mean, and you’ll get it when you look at the images, is street art that integrates naturally occurring features of the landscape including, meters, street signs, bent bars, etc… So tonight I did a search across the web for some really cool images, have a look, enjoy and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane
Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty. ~ Coco Chanel
So my friends tonight I want to talk about aging, there is a lot of happy aspects to getting older. As you get older you tend to get happier, something called the U-Bend which shows that we get happier as we age. There are obvious reasons for this, you’re typically at a better place in your career, making more money, your kids if you have them, are out of the house. You have more time for you and to figure out what matters most in your life, not just what society tells you is important. You likely no longer are so concerned with the shape of your body, or nearly as much what other people think about you. I also think one of the most important pieces of getting happier as you age is that when you finally truly realize you are going to die, you start to really clarify what is most important to you in life. You begin to understand how fleeting and precious are your days.
I’m coming up on my 50th birthday in a month so this realization is coming to me at this point. I’m getting there friends, starting to really see with clarity what is important to me and starting to move my life toward maximizing my time on those things. Part of what has me thinking about this, part of what is helping me realize all of this, is that there are things now in this life that will not happen for me, time has run out.
I’m not married and at 50 it is highly unlikely I’ll have children at this point. So no one is going to call me daddy, or grandpa, as a biologist I realize that from that perspective I’m what we call a biological failure. This term biological failure refers to the fact that I failed to pass on my genes to the next generation. I’ve come to terms with this idea, I love children and my genetic make-up is being passed on along through my nieces and nephews. Since I’m not a parent, but am lucky enough to be an uncle, I get to treat them as surrogate kids, mentor and guide them, enjoy them and spoil the hell out of them.
My advice to you friends is for you not to wait, start thinking about this now because you never know how much time you have left. Hopefully, you live to a veritable and old age and have many happy days. ~ Rev Kane
Rev Kane making friends in Nepal
At age 20, we worry about what others think of us. At age 40, we don’t care what they think of us. At age 60, we discover they haven’t been thinking of us at all.
~ Ann Landers
No decisions should ever be made without asking the question, is this for the common good? ~ Michael Moore
If I could have my pick of famous people to do a guest post here at the Ministry of Happiness, Michael Moore would be high on that list. I like Moore, I have since his first famous documentary, Roger & Me. I think what I like about Michael Moore is that I see some of me in him. We’re both blue collar kids with a brain, both of us in our own way are trying to make the world a little bit better through our words. I saw him speak once and as famous as he is, he still felt like he was one of us. Today, a friend shared a really amazing post from him Facebook page and so without his permission, although if you’re reading this Mr. Moore feel free to drop a note and approve, here’s what I’m calling Michael Moore’s virtual guest blog for the Ministry of Happiness. And by the way Mr. Moore, I was out there tonight, thanks for the idea. Good stuff here, read the whole thing, it gets better as it goes along and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane
I am now in Week 42 of my walks. Each day, 30 minutes, that’s it. Thousands of you have joined me since that Sunday night on March 18 when, as a joke, I said I was going for a walk. I had read that morning in the paper that there were now more people in the U.S. on anti-depressants than those who go to the movies. I tweeted out that maybe that’s the problem — perhaps if people got out and went to the movies more they might feel better. This unleashed a lively conversation about mood-aletering drugs, the lousy movies these days in theaters, the rip-off prices for 3D films, etc. Finally, someone wrote: “Sometimes I think what I need is just a brisk walk.” I tweeted, “Hey, there’s an idea! I’m putting my shoes on right now.” I went out and came back home after 30 minutes — and a few hundred of you had amazingly joined me where you live. So I went walking the next night, probably out of some sort of obligation because so many had written to say “please let’s do it again tonight!” So I did. And the night after that. By the end of the week it was hard to determine how many thousands were now going out with me on these “virtual walks” in hundreds of cities and towns, but it had taken off like a rocket and so we all went walking every night from that point on.
Now it’s 250 days later. What a simple, great idea that person had! Some have asked, “Why are we walking?” “What’s the cause?” There is no cause other than to go for a walk. We do it just because it feels good. We do it because we can. We do it because it’s free and it takes no time. All you need to know is how to put one foot in front of the other (or, for the disabled who’ve joined in, by any means necessary). It’s the perfect slacker/schlub activity.
I am often asked “How much weight have you lost from all this walking?” For a while I didn’t understand the question. I mean, why would I want to lose anything? I have enough trouble finding my keys! Then I got it — skinny people (1/3 of the country) want us, the majority, to be like them. That’s so nice of them.
But the truth is, exercise does not work, diets do not work, feeling crummy does not work. Nothing works. My advice: Quit trying to be something you’re not, be happy with the life you’ve been given, and just go for a pleasant walk outside. With me. Wherever you are. Get off the treadmill, stop drinking diet Coke, throw out all the rules. It’s all a scam and it conspires to keep you miserable. If it says “low-fat” or “sugar-free” or “just 100 calories!” throw it out. Remember, one of the main tenets of capitalism is to have the consumer filled with fear, insecurity, envy and unhappiness so that we can spend, spend, spend our way out of it and, dammit, just feel better for a little while. But we don’t, do we? The path to happiness – and deep down, we all know this — is created by love, and being kind to oneself, sharing a sense of community with others, becoming a participant instead of a spectator, and being in motion. Moving. Moving around all day. Lifting things, even if it’s yourself. Going for a walk every day will change your thinking and have a ripple effect. You’ll find yourself only eating when you’re truly hungry. And if you’re not hungry, go clean your room, or have sex, or call a friend on the phone. Without knowing it, you’ll starting eating like the French (there is no French word for “fast-food”) — and you will feel better. You do not feel better admonishing yourself or beating yourself up or setting up a bunch of unrealistic rules and goals with all the do’s and dont’s that are just begging to be broken. You wanna know something? I eat ice cream every friggin’ day. I drink a regular Coke every single day. I put butter on things. But I also walk every day. Some days now, I walk twice. And now I’ve started to do some push-ups and lifting stuff. It’s building muscle, and in doing so, has created an extra furnace to burn stuff and create energy. Weird! That, in turn, makes me sleep 7-8 hours a night which is another game-changer. And all the walking and lifting makes me thirsty, so that makes me drink more water — another huge plus!
So, you can see from the photo of me up in the box that something has changed. I have no idea how much weight I’ve lost and I don’t care. I don’t care about that or diets or home gym equipment or rules about what I can or cannot eat or anything other than making sure I go on my walk today. That’s it. That’s the big secret. It costs nothing. I feel great. I can see my feet! There they are! Hello, feet! Wanna go for a walk? The feet say YES! Ask yours right now. And if you want, join me. But do NOT go on that walk with me if you are doing so to “get fit”, “be healthy”, or “lose weight”. You are fine just the way you are. Only walk outside with me right now because you know it might just feel good, because it’s a beautiful day, or someone is joining in with you, the fresh air is invigorating, you have to drive down to the drug store but you realize you can walk there, or simply because it’s just nice to be alive for one more day. Walk to walk and nothing else — and the other stuff will take care of itself.
I’m heading outside in an hour. Join me. And let me know how it went!
Hello my friends, this is my Appalachian Trail (AT) journal but no, I’m not on the trail right now. I have however decided to start in late February or early March of 2015 to attempt a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail.
I recently told my doctor about my plans and you may have just reacted similarly to him.
Me: I’m going to hike the Appalachian Trail.
Him: How far is that?
Me: About 2200 miles.
Him: WALKING?! You’re going to die, 2000 miles, wild animals, oh my God, I could never do that.
All of those thoughts have crossed my mind, I’m quite aware that it is one of the safest places I could be in the US. I’ve also considered being ripped to shreds by bears, bitten by rattlesnakes or copperheads, gnawed on by coyotes, laid immobile by bad water, buried in snow, being struck by lightning, shivering with hypothermia, having my face paralyzed by Lyme Disease or falling to West Nile Virus. Relying on one of my favorite movies, Ghost Dog, it’s the way of the Samurai to contemplate certain death.
I will have just angered folks knowledgeable with the AT, few people ever die on the trail. Some people get hurt or ill and in fact the biggest dangers come from the littlest critters, if you become ill on the AT it will most likely come from tiny critters in your water, ticks or mosquitoes. The larger and more prevalent downer for most people is deciding to quit an attempted thru hike.
I have a different perspective on doing a thru hike, a lesson I learned five years ago trekking to base camp at Mt. Everest in Nepal. The reason I did that trek was to get to base camp, to put my feet on Mt. Everest. I’m not a climber, I have no ambition to summit the highest peak in the world, but I wanted to walk across the Khumbu Icefall and put my feet on the base of Mt. Everest. One of the coolest moments of my life was the first time I got to view Mt. Everest with my own eyes and it fueled my desire even more.
However somewhere along the way, I know not where; as I had personal firsts every day, my first time above 13,000 feet, reaching 14,600 feet which is higher than any mountain in the continental US, reaching my personal best of 17,600 feet. Somewhere in the process of walking each day in unimaginable beauty I realized a truth that I had read and heard stated my entire life but never truly believed, it’s not the destination but the journey that matters.
I stood on the Khumbu Icefall, only because it’s much, much larger than I ever realized, it’s a river of ice that goes on for miles. However, a freak snowstorm struck the day before we were to visit base camp. This closed the pass we were supposed to take the day after leading into the Gokyo Valley. Our group had a decision to make, make it to base camp and likely have to skip the Gokyo Valley, or miss out on base camp and do a marathon trek around the mountain we were supposed to go over. Had you presented this scenario to me prior to the trip I would have guaranteed you I would have selected going to base camp. We didn’t, we chose the Gokyo Valley and in doing so I found one of my favorite places on earth, the second sacred lake of the Gokyo Valley, the peak called Khan Tiga gleaming in the distance. I spent a couple of hours just sitting there looking at a level of beauty you rarely find anywhere feeling a peace I have rarely felt.
Second Sacred Lake in the Gokyo Valley
Somewhere along this trek I had learned an amazing lesson in mindfulness and in focusing on the now, not the next. It’s time to physically remind myself of that concept again on the Appalachian Trail. I hope to become a 2000 miler, a thru hiker and walk from Springer Mountain, GA to Mt. Kathadin in Maine over all forms of insanely steep hills through 14 states. However, if it doesn’t workout that’s ok, it takes 5 million steps to complete the trail. However many of those steps I take, I’m sure it will be worth it and will provide me with many happy days my friends ~ Rev Kane
Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard, grow big, wear glasses if you need ’em!
~ The Webb Wilder credo
Tonight I write about one of my favorite musicians, the man, the myth, the legend, the last of the full grown men, Webb Wilder. I first encountered Webb while living in Kentucky in the early 90’s, his album Hybrid Vigor (here’s an old MTV promo for the album), got some decent airplay on the local radio and songs like Hittin Where It Hurts, Wild Honey and The Human Cannonball really turned me on to Webb’s music.
His next album Doo Dad was truly a sensation and Webb has gone on to dance through a lot of genre descriptions, he’s been called country, rock, roots rock, and even psychobilly rock. The great thing is there are elements of all of that in his music. Just to really illustrate the difference all you have to do is listen to Sitting Pretty (a rocker), Baby Please Don’t Go (blues tribute to Big Joe Williams) and then Carryin’ the News to Mary (country).
Webb and particularly his partnership with R.S. “Bobby” Field has produced a lot of amazing music. Webb is certainly a larger than life character and his shows own up to the billing of Webb as an electrifying artist. I’ve had the pleasure to see Webb play in Lexington, KY – Knoxville & Johnson City, TN – and Starkville, MS. Webb is always gracious to fans and has been a pleasure the couple of times I’ve had the chance to meet him and say hi. So friends, give him a listen and have a happy day! ~ Rev Kane
The Ministry of Happiness 