Here are 10 things that make Femi
exceedingly happy:

1. Time I’m thankful for the ticking of the clock. That no moment is forever. Great moments have to be appreciated, not so great ones don’t have to feared.

2. Friends The past few years have shown me that I have a lot of amazing friends. At my worst, I can count on two hands the people that I can call at any time for help, support, and comfort. I’m a lucky woman.

3. Laughter I see humour in almost everything. I laugh hard. I’m a throw my head back, roll around on the floor, laugh til I can’t breathe kind of person. Laughter has saved my life many times, and other people’s a few times too!

4. My sight A few months ago I caught the most beautiful sunset and I thanked God for my sight. I realised then that I don’t do it enough. It’s very easy to take it for granted, but now if I see something wonderful I feel grateful for it, and also my ability to see it.

5. My heart Hearts work so hard. When I’m tired I get to sleep, but my heart never sleeps. Even when I’m in a world of dreaming it keeps working so that I can rejoin this world of dreams when I wake. I try to be good to my heart, just to show my appreciation for its work ethic.

6. Transport I’m a traveller. I love to walk, and I’m thankful for the use of my legs, but I’m also indebted to planes, trains, and automobiles. My life has been enriched by my international journeys; the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been to, the things I’ve seen, it is so much a part of me. When traveling around London I prefer the bus to the Tube, because I like to see how the areas, streets, and spaces connect. But for national and European journeys I am definitely partial to an overground train.

7. Music I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t love music. I’m into lots of different things, but the 50s-70s is my favourite era, and I am a real Stax head. I like my music honest, I like my singers imperfect, and I like the volume up high.

8. Writing Since I wrote my first song, aged seven, I have used writing to keep me sane. I write and perform flash fiction now, and even after being a creative writer of some kind for 23 years, I am always learning something about myself through the work I produce. I’m thankful for the power in that process.

9. People who do what they were put here to do I get so much joy and comfort from other people who have been brave enough to share their talents with the world. Who would I be if Otis Redding never sang in front of anybody? Who would I be if Adam Phillips didn’t share his thoughts? Who would I be if Jean-Dominique Bauby didn’t persevere? Who would I be without The Cosby Show, or Ashes and Snow, or Ray Lamontagne, or my favourite Chris Rock joke? People should never underestimate the power of the gifts they have. Countless people have helped me, and they might not ever know it, but I needed it.

10. My mother I don’t know what I’d do without her; I’m hoping she’s immortal, because I have no interest in ever finding out.

See previous happy lists.

What’s making you incredibly happy/excited/thankful???
If you want to want to send me your happy list, email me at helloATlelephantroseDOTnet and I’ll post it up.

Here are the 10 things that Lauren
incredibly happy:

1. My family of 3 and the little one on the way!
2. Singing and my undying love affair with music. When I am down singing literally FREES my heart.
3. My friends that lend me their shoulder if I need to cry on it.
4. FOOD…I love to eat good food.
5. Bright lively colors
6. Nothing makes a woman happy like beautiful stiletto heels!
7. Sunny days in the mid 70′s to low 80′s.
8. Driving with the windows down and the radio UP
9. Cooking
10. Shopping

Check out Lauren.
See previous happy lists.

What’s making you incredibly happy/excited/thankful???
If you want to want to send me your happy list, email me at hello [AT] lelephantrose [DOT] net and I’ll post it up.

Hiii everyone!

So much has been going on. I’m behind online but not really. Sorry for my early year absence. I highly doubt it will be like this from here on out. I don’t even know where to start.

Besides my usual thinking about too much all of the time thing that I tend to do always, I’ve been getting life stuff done. I wanted to stop by on Friday and write a post, but I’ve had zero time. On Saturday, I turned the big 3-0! I’m 30 yall!!! OWWW! I was and still am so excited. I’ve been excited for maybe the last quarter of 29 and now that it’s here, and we’re fully in Aquarius I just feel like I’m exploding with happiness over and over again. I will attempt to recap the past few weeks over the next couple of days.

What does this mean for my 29 at 29 project? Technically it is over and I’m still trying to figure out everything I’d like to see accomplished this year personally. I don’t know that it will be 30 things. I don’t really know what form it will take, but I’ll have something put together by February to share. Goals never really go away until they are done. Everything I didn’t fully accomplish last year will be carried over. I realized much later than some relied on the completion of others and with a general lack of funds for personal pleasure, they just never happened. All that is changing this year though.

Outside of my glorious, grown up and beautiful new age, I’ve also got a bit of work news: I got a freelance job as a copywriter! Another thing ticked off the list! After all these years, after paying my student loan month after month without fail, I will finally get to use my degree for profit outside of myself. I am SO HAPPY! After getting the news, I got registered with the Chamber of Commerce here and I’m legit. It feels so good to know that I’ll be a functioning part of this society. I really need that to make living here a solid reality.

Now I know it’s Tuesday, and I haven’t mentioned one thing business related all year yet, but please bear with me. I’m working on something with two lovely ladies and that will debut next month some time. It’ll be about business and it’s the next chapter to my biz talk series. Here’s something else I’d LOVE to start but I need your participation for it to work. I’d love to start doing Q&A Tuesday as well for the biz talk series. Any and all business related questions can be sent to me here and I’ll answer them in some sort of order on the blog.

Let’s see…what else?

Oh yeah! I started working out yesterday. I coincidentally also got on my bike and rode around Amsterdam for about an hour total so naturally I’m super sore right now. I have to work out today, but I’m going to do it later this afternoon instead. I refuse to slack off right at the start.

So I’ll wrap this up now. Tomorrow there will be a new happiness post up so look out for that and on Thursday I’ll revisit what I wanted to talk about last week Tuesday: writing your future letter to yourself. As long as we have breath, we have time.

Yay to newness and thanks for hanging in there!