Majestics car show/The Happiness Project #19

I went to the Majestics car show in Regina on Saturday. I did not want to spend the whole day taking pictures, so here are just a few to give you a taste.

Sara likes VWs so I took a picture of this one for her.  She would actually drive this one - even with the paint like this

I liked the colour of this one.... it was different but nice

This was the only Dodge Dart Swinger that was there (This is a 71 I think and mine is a 73).  I got in a big conversation with the owner and even asked if I could look under in it because I wanted to see how the exhaust was routed etc.  

Here are two old Triumphs that I liked

A 1925 Henderson..... very rare

I always say that Majestics is the first real sign of spring - so yaaaaaayyyy!!!!! :) ________________________
The Happiness Project:  Try to think Less about the people and the things that bother you

There are an infinite number of things that you could spend your time thinking about, but many of us concentrate great attention on those things that we find the most upsetting.  Don't ignore the things that bother you, but don't focus on them to the exclusion of the things that bring you happiness and joy.

Sunday morning stuff

It is a gift/The Happiness Project #18

I feel sorry for most of you.  You lead such boring lives!

Katelyn and I, on the other hand, get special attention wherever we go.

Megan and Sara go through the border - nothing!  No one hardly pays attention to them.

Me - I go through screening at the airport..... "Sir, you have been chosen for extra screening.  Would you like the pat down here or in that room over there with extra personnel provided?" (I took my pat down in broad daylight right there in front of everyone - it was fun!)  :)

Yesterday, Katelyn drove to Ontario.  To get there, she had to cross into the States.  Border guard asked her where she was going and why.

She told him "Rainy River, Ontario to see my boyfriend".

He asked her some more questions and then said that "the computer" had randomly chosen her for extra screening (Right!) and that she needed to proceed to door C.

Once inside, they asked her several more times where she was going, where she was stopping in the States (no where other than to get gas 1/2 way there), who she was going to see in the States (no one).... where are you going again?????  Etc.  They even made her write out her story and then searched the SUV.

In the end, they said, "Have a nice day" as they always do to me too.  She was there an extra 20 minutes or so.

My conclusion:  I think that we must have something special about us.  People are just attracted to us and want to spend more time with us than they do with most other people - but of course they are too embarrassed to say that out loud - so they "detain" us and ask us to sign things so that they have our autograph to remember the day by.

It is hard being so popular.

Or maybe it has something to do with the lengthy criminal records that my uncles and cousins have.  Either way - we get to visit with way more people than most!  :)
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The Happiness Project:  Reminder #18 -  Most of the time it is not what happened but how you think about what happened

There is no objective way to tell whether you have had a good life, a good year, a good month, a good day or a good hour.  In most circumstances, things are what you choose to call them.  What one person may see as something bad, the other sees as something good.

The golfer who wants to play on the weekend hates seeing the rain while the farmer suffering through a drought is overjoyed.

Therefore, because you get to decide how you want to see the events of your life, you get to choose your story.  Happy people don't always get what they want, but they look for the good until they want what they have.

Kid Report/Happiness Project Reminder #17

Megan finished up her last final exam today and so her first year of university is officially in the books.  She came home this afternoon and it is nice to have everyone under the same roof again.

A few years ago I posted this picture of Megan learning to change the oil in her truck, Fonzi.

Today, it was Katie's turn to learn on their SUV.

I like that my kids want to know and try things.  It is very cool!  (And it may get me out of doing all the oil changes someday!)  :)
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The Happiness Project #17:   Volunteer

Every community has countless opportunities to give and help someone else.  You could teach English to those who are new to our country.  You could help out at your local school.  Libraries are often short staffed and looking for help.  In fact, every service group I know of is looking for people to join in and help out.

One of the best decisions that I have made during my time in Estevan was to volunteer at the "Estevan Motor Speedway".  Not only does it allow me to be around cars and mechanical stuff, which I love, but it has opened up an entirely new group of people to get to know.  Also, unlike most of the other things that I am involved with, I do not run things at the speedway.  I have a couple of specific jobs to do, which I think are fun, and that is it.  The big responsibilities belong to someone else, but they are glad that I am there to help out.

If you are interested in something, chances are there is a group in your town that is interested in it too and they are probably looking for help to do it.

Volunteers have a sense of purpose, they feel appreciated and they are less likely to be bored or dissatisfied with their lives.

It is hard to be unhappy when you are connected to other people, doing something you like and are contributing to something bigger than yourself.

A Couple of Random things/The Happiness Project #17

First this.......

I don't know why I thought this was funny when I saw it..... maybe it just seems like they are struggling to make it sound interesting or important or something.....


"Question Period is the top program on TV!"

"Well,  ok, it is the top program on CTV at least" (We are not talking about those US stations.  They have a lot of shows that are better than Question Period, obviously!).

"Come to think of it, even CTV has shows that are much better than Question Period, so I guess we could say that it is the top political program on CTV!"

"Then again, there is that show on Thursday from Ottawa.  It is really good..... so let's say that Question Period is the top political program on CTV on Sunday!"

"You know, though, that Ottawa show only runs every other week, so let's point out that Question Period is the top weekly Sunday Political show"

"You are kidding me!??  There is a higher rated political show on CTV on Sunday night????  Well, fine, just write that we are Canada's top weekly political show on Sunday morning"

In fact I think they were going to go with....  

"Question Period:  Canada's top weekly Sunday morning political program that does not have a dog on it but does have two guys named Doug - which gets sort of confusing sometimes - that is shot with more than two cameras but less than five in a room that is 20 degrees Celsius or less" - but they ran out of room.
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We will now also ask that you rise, remove your hats and observe a moment of silence for the Toronto Maple Leafs who played a very fun style of hockey and ran the best team in the league to 6 games before running out of gas and getting bounced from the playoffs tonight (sniff, sniff!)

Oh well!  At least now I will get back a huge part of my life.  I have sat on the couch watching hockey so much lately, I almost got enfolded into it.

Oh - wait - the Oilers are still playing right?????  :)
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The Happiness Project: Reminder #17   Don't think "What if"

Spending your time imagining what would have been if you had changed various decisions that you made in your life is counterproductive and only leaves you unhappy.  We need to learn from our past, but it is more important to dwell on what you can do to make the future better.  Don't waste your present days thinking about how you could have changed the past.

However you got to this point, you are where you are and all you can do now is choose where you want to end up.

Happy people think about what can be changed and made better, not that which is done and gone.

Picture this/The Happiness Project #16

Sari is home from a short trip to Manitoba to see her friend Laura and so I will post some of her pictures on here maybe today or tomorrow.

However, speaking of pictures makes me think of a quote I saw recently....

"Fun is what people have between taking pictures".

I am not saying that I do not like having pictures of things.  For example, the other day I went back and looked at a bunch of pictures and videos from the motorcycle trips my brother "Lenny" and I have been on and they made me smile.

On the other hand, though, I there is a big part of me that hates carrying a cell phone and an even larger part that says "Put that stupid phone away and just enjoy where you are and what you are doing!".  

So, over the past few days, we have gone on walks, spent a whole day cleaning up the yard, we had a bonfire and a bunch of other stuff, but we have no pictures to post at all.

Reminder #16:  Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just enjoy the thing that you are doing!

The Secret to Home Cooking/The Happiness Project #15

Some of you may not know this, but I (Tim) consider my self something of a food expert.... a "foodie" if you will.

So when Katelyn asked me to divulge the secrets to my culinary success..... well, it was only natural of me to.........  wait........ what?????  

Oh ya!  That is right!!!!   I am not a foodie at all!!!!   In fact, I hate that term so much that I just punched myself in the head for using it!!!

To me, food and eating are just about survival.  So, with Sara away, Katie and I decided that we ought to BBQ some burgers.  She had never done this before so I showed her how.

We did not blow ourselves up..... and (as far as we know so far) we did not give ourselves food poisoning.

That is about as foodie as I can get!  :)
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Happiness reminder #15:  Satisfaction is Relative

Your happiness is relative to a scale you yourself have created. 

If your measure your happiness right now against the two or three greatest moments in your life, you will be unhappy because those moments can never be duplicated.  If, on the other hand, you measure today against some of the toughest days you have had, you have all the reason in the world to appreciate this point in time.

The same goes for comparing your life to others.  It is completely pointless!  You are not the same as anyone else.  You did not have the same experiences growing up.  Even children from the same family had different advantages and disadvantages from one another just based on when they were born.

You can look at someone else and think, "Their life is so much better because they have ____________" (fill in the blank) and yet it quite possible that someone else (or maybe that same person) is looking at you and saying "Their life looks so good because________" (some other thing).

Here is the thing:  There is no objective definition of success.  Success and happiness are judgment calls - and you are the one that has to make those calls for yourself.

So - are you happy?  Content?  Do you feel like your life is being spent well?

If not, what will you change?

NHL Playoffs/The Happiness Project (Reminder #14)

I love the first round of the NHL playoffs!

I love that the players actually care about winning (rather than a game in say February where they often float around like it does not matter what happens).

I love "sudden death overtime" and staying up half the night wondering what will happen.

I love the upsets that always come along with the first round.  For example, no one gave the Maple Leafs much hope of making the playoffs this year.  Then, when they did, they had to play Washington who had the best record in the regular season and no one gave them much hope of winning a game much less the series.  Now, after three straight overtime games, the Leafs are up 2-1 and are playing a really fast and fun to watch style of hockey.  For a guy who has cheered for them since he was 6 years old, it is nice to have something to cheer about.

I still wish that the playoffs would start earlier in the year and be done about now.  There is no way I am going to care much about it past this round because it will be too nice outside to waste nice. hot summer days sitting inside watching guys play a winter sport..... but I still love the first round.

So if you see me at the office or around town and I look a little sleepy..... maybe I have been up watching hockey till all hours of the morning..... but even if I am sleepy, I will likely be happy!  :)
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Happiness reminder #14:   Happy people realize that they don't have to do anything

Do you realize that unless you are in prison, you do not have to do anything?

I said that to someone recently and they said, "I have to go to work!"

Well, no you don't!

You choose to go to work, but you don't have to.  You could sell everything and live in a cardboard box if you wanted to.  Granted, most people don't want to do that so they choose to go to work.  But that is still a choice.

Speaking of choices, you certainly do not have to work where you work.  Again, that is a choice.  You could change jobs and do something else if you really wanted, but you choose to work where you do.

You do not have to live the lifestyle you have right now.  You have chosen that too.  People all over the world live with more or less than what you have - you have chosen what you wanted and the payments and obligations that you now have reflect those choices - but you still chose it and you could "unchoose" it by selling everything and downsizing if you really wanted.

Here is the point: When we make ourselves victims.... when we act as if everything in life is out of our control.....we will be unhappy.  No other outcome is possible!

Truth is that there will be some things that you can do nothing about, but the majority of the things in your life are there because you have consciously or unconsciously chosen them - therefore you have the power to change them, make them better or choose something else.

You are not powerless.  Life doesn't just happen to you.

Happy people spend their time doing what is important and valuable to them so that at the end of the day, or the end of their life, they can look back and say "That was worth doing!"

What is important enough to spend your life on?

Editor's note:  This thought was inspired by an article that was written by a junior hockey coach.  Have a look here......

https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/confessions-of-a-junior-hockey-coach-why-do-you-play-2/

The Happiness Project (Reminder #13)

Those of you who watch the "Canadian Football League" will know the name Henry Burris.  He played quarterback for the Riders, the Stamps, the Tiger cats and the Redblacks.  In fact, he won the Grey Cup with the Redblacks and then retired last year.

He is now starting a career in television.

In a recent interview, he was asked about how his new career was going and what the learning curve was like and he said...... "Playing in the world of football has prepared me for the pressures and the stress you have to deal with. That’s allowed me not to get caught up in the moment and make things bigger than they are."

I love the last part of that quote!  

Happy people are even-keeled.  Happy people don't blow things out of proportion.  They don't get overly excited..... overly hopeful..... or overly down.  

That is not to say that you go through life stoically not feeling anything, but it does mean that it is likely best to avoid the extremes.   

Building things up to be better than they are is only a recipe for disappointment.

Wallowing in your own misery is just a good way to waste your potential.

Therefore, be happy about good things..... be sad when it is appropriate..... and keep things in perspective.  

Doing so not only levels things out, but it allows you to learn new things from everything that you go through whether good or bad.

And - for the times when you cannot fix or get around something - here is some good musical advice from Canadian singer/song writer Sarah Slean.

Have a good week!

Victoria, BC (Pictures and video)

This past week, one of our former church members passed away and his family graciously asked if I would come to Victoria and do his funeral service for him.  I had a really nice time with this family (in many ways, they are like family to Sara and me) and I was really glad to be there.

While it was not at all the point of the trip, there was a little bit of time to go sightseeing.  As well, one of the family members organized a whale watching touring for about 20 of them, so I got in on that too.

Here are a few pictures and some video of the trip.

The view out my hotel room window on the only day we saw the sun (and that was only for about an hour- it was cold!!!)

Walking along the shore

Down in the harbour

I liked the floating houses.  Even stopped and talked about them with a lady who was out painting her flower boxes (They are on city water and sewer - just in case you were interested as I was)

We had some visitors

On the whale watching boat.  This is part of the cabin.  You could watch from inside or walk all the way around the outside on the deck

Sea lions in the sun (or what there was for sun)

The top boat was the one we were on

And some short videos 

I was treated really well and was very glad that I not only got to participate in the service and be with the family, but most of all, to have just been part of their lives.  Over the years, they blessed my family more than they know.

Sunday stuff

A Cool Idea/The Happiness Project (Reminder #12)

What you see about is a cool fundraising idea at Sara's school.  A person from the art gallery came over and had each child do a painting.  The paintings were then framed and put on display during parent/teacher conferences and the parents were given the opportunity to purchase their child's picture.  After two nights, the public was invited to come and buy the remaining works.

This cool idea raised about $2000 that will go to new playground equipment.

I just thought it was a creative way to do things and that it looked very nice!  Well done!  I am sure other schools will copy this in the future.
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Tell someone how important they are to you (Reminder #12)

I am getting ready to do a funeral next week and it has made think once again about the fact that we often do not say nice things about people until they are gone.  We may think those things.... we may really appreciate people..... but we never it.

So, why not change that?   Call someone, write them an email or just sit someone down and tell them what you like about them.  It will make both you and them happy.

A Controversial Post/The Happiness Project (#11)

This blog has been very tame for quite some time now, so it is time to shake things up.

It is time to ask the tough questions whether anyone likes it or not.

Some people shy away from the really serious stuff, but not me!  So here goes......

Hot dogs....... are they a sandwich or not??????

Technically speaking, meat (or something else - like Peanut butter) inside a bun is a sandwich.  A hot dog is meat (sort of) inside a bun, so therefore.......

But I have NEVER heard anyone call a hot dog a sandwich.  Ever!!!!  What gives with that?  Why are we so "hot dog-ist" (or is it "Sandwichistic") that we somehow feel the need to exclude the hot dog from this group???  Why are sandwiches so exclusive?????

I know, I know..... people don't like to face hard hitting questions like this!  But that is not going to stop me!

Tune in tomorrow for my thoughts on corn on the cob!!!   It will be a dilly!!!!

PS.  If you want an outside opinion regarding the hot dog thing, check out this link.

http://www.hot-dog.org/culture/hot-dog-sandwich
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Reminder #11:  Be Open to New Ideas

The world continues to change and if you refuse to learn, try new things or adapt, you will limit yourself to what you knew and were comfortable with in the past.  As time goes on, you will become increasingly frustrated with your surroundings.

Happiness is not found by fighting change, but by learning and growing with it.

Everything old is new again/The Happiness Project (reminder 10)

The Sask government published the list of the top baby names in the province for 2016.  Interesting that (Once again) a lot of old names are new again.

All except "Blanch" and "Oscar"...... you still don't see many of them.  :)

Most of these I am ok with.... however I still believe that there should be some vetting process where someone somewhere has the right to say, "Come on now!  We are not gonna let you stick your child with that name!"

Have you ever thought that it is odd that one of the most personal things about you - your name - is given to you without your consent or permission?

I asked a buddy of mine that question once and his response was, "We did ask our babies what they wanted to be named and all they did was stare off into space and drool - so what are you gonna do?"

Fair point!  :)
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Reminder #10

Your goals need to be aligned with one another

If the tires on your car are not aligned, they do not point in the same direction and, therefore, they fight against one another as they go down the road.  This leads to one or more of the tires wearing out prematurely.

Similarly, we have to line up our life goals.  Things that are in conflict cannot co-exist.  You cannot state that you want to be at every school event that your child has and then accept a promotion at work that pays more but demands that you be on the road all week.  One or the other of those two things is going to suffer.

I know a guy who was offered several promotions, but he turned them all down.  He decided that being closer to home was more important than making more money, so he aligned his life off of what he thought was his most important goal.

You can't say "yes" to everything and you probably can't do everything comes along.  Happy people choose to do what is most important to them and let other things go.

Do you know what is most important to you?  Are you lining up your life around it?

The World is full of Nice People/The Happiness Project (#9)

Every once in a while, my nice wife will by me a motorcycle magazine.  This latest one had a story called "Girl Meets World" about this young woman who decided to ride across America alone. 

The only problem:  She had never been outside of Los Angeles before.  Admittedly, she was a little nervous about what was going to happen over the next few weeks/months.

And do you know what happened?  

Lots of nice things!  She met all kinds of nice, friendly people.  (Editor's note:  It is shocking how many people will talk to you when you are on a motorcycle)

In fact, at one campground an older couple invited her in for breakfast.   At a diner, she went to pay her bill and was told that it had been paid by some guy she did not know.  When she tracked him down to say "thanks", he told her that he thought she looked like she was on a grand adventure and he wanted to encourage her to keep going.

Stuff like that happens!   One time my brother and I almost ran out of gas in our bikes.  As we were sitting on the side of the road in Montana, in the rain, wondering what to do, a lady pulled over and asked if we needed help.  When we told her our situation, she took us to her farm and she and her husband filled our tanks.  When we asked how much we owed them, they said, "Nothing!"..... then they wished us well and sent us on our way.

If you watch the news or sit in the coffee shop too long, you will be convinced that the world is going down the drain.  All that exists is hate, fighting, criticism and heartbreakingly horrible events.

Get out in the real world, though and you will likely find that there are lots of good people out there.

So, why not turn off the news and go meet one?

Ps.  If you want to read more about this young lady's travels, she had such a good first experience that she is now trying to ride all 50 states.   You can find her stories at this link......

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/find/Girl%20meets%20world?page=3

Hello Newman/The Happiness Project (#8)

Here is the perfect gift for the early '90s TV fan on your list.

A Seinfeld mini apartment.

Yes!  You too can own an exact replica of Jerry's apartment in miniature.  Click here to be taken to the web site for more details.

The good news..... it is that they are only $399.99 each!!!!!

I will take 10!  :)
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Friendship Beats Money (Reminder #8)

If you want to know if people are happy, don't ask them how much money they have in the bank, Don't ask how much they take home every two weeks.  Ask them about their friends!

Everyone needs enough to live, but beyond that we are way too focused on cash.  In the end, you will not remember the money, but you will not be able to forget the people.

Invest wisely!

Sara Talking about the Breakfast Program/The Happiness Project (#7)

Sara was invited to the United Way's "Annual General Meeting" on Friday night.  Click here to read an article that contains a little of what she had to say.....

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You don't need to win or be right every time

Ultra-competitive people who always have to win end up enjoying things less.  If the lose, they are very disappointed and if they win it's what they expected would happen anyway.

It is ok to let things go and not pressure yourself to be right, do everything and win at all costs. 

My New Bike/The Happiness Project (Reminder #6)

I found the best bike in the world today......

I would have killed for this bike when I was a kid.  (Note the super cool "Toronto Maple Leaf" flag on the back!)

Two problems though.....

1.  All they had was the little kid's bike.  No adult version in sight.

2.  I think it is super slow.  Probably always comes in last - just like the real Maple Leafs! :) 
(As a life long Leaf fan, I can make that joke because they are actually playing well this year.... and having the ability to laugh at your pain is a sign of maturity!)  :)
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Action Eliminates Fear (The Happiness Project - Reminder 6)

When tackling a problem, thinking is necessary.  However, too much thinking about the problem can create unnecessary and even unrealistic fear.

The longer you put off doing what you know you need to do, the more fear you create.  Then, instead of simply dealing with the problem, you now also have to deal with the "imagined issues" that your mind has created around the problem.

Therefore, the key is to act.  Often, the situation is not as bad as it first appeared and, even if it is, the fact that you are doing something about it makes it easier to deal with.

Do you have a paper to write?  Do you need to have a tough conversation with someone?  Are you going to a new school or starting a new job?   Is there a problem with your 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger that needs to be addressed?

Do your research.  Think through the situation.  Then do something, anything, to move forward.

Fear grows as we wait.  Action eliminates fear.

Making Friends/The Happiness Project (Reminder #5)

Megan was writing to me tonight as she and her sister were driving around Regina.  She said that as they were sitting at red light with the music blaring, Katie started dancing in her seat.

Just then, a guy in a big pickup pulled up along side on them.... looked at Katie..... and started dancing along with her..... and then drove off.

When big (ish) city meets small town, good things happen!
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Have Realistic Expectations

People who are happy don't get everything they want, but they want most of what they get.  In other words, they rig the game in their favour by choosing to value things that are within their grasp.

People who find themselves dissatisfied in life often set unreachable goals for themselves, setting themselves up to fail.  Yet people who set high goals for themselves and reach them are no happier than people who set more modest goals.

Whether you are assessing your position at work or your relationship with family, don't begin with fantasy pictures of the world's riches person or the world's ideal family.  Be realistic and strive to make things better, not perfect.
           -  From "The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People"

Sunday Stuff/The Happiness Project (Reminder #4)

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If you are not sure, guess positively 

"Unhappy people take a situation in which they are not sure and they come to a negative conclusion.  For example, if they aren't certain why another person is being nice, they assume that the person must have a hidden, selfish agenda.  Happy people take that same situation and guess the positive possibility, that is, that the person really is nice" - from "The 100 simple secrets of Happy People"

This is one of my favourite tips and one of the best lessons of the book for me. It is easy for me to think negatively and worry about stuff.  The good news is that you can re-train yourself to think differently.

Give it a try.  It really helped me!