Be happy

Remember that Bobby McFerrin song from about 36 years ago called "Don't Worry, Be Happy"? 36 years! Oh my! That really makes me feel old. Anyway, it is a nice uplifting tune with a beautiful message about being happy. In fact it was happy enough to become the very first a cappella song to ever reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for a couple of weeks. This morning I woke up thinking about it.

Being happy, to me, is one of the most important things in life. It is so important in fact that the founders of the United States, listed the pursuit of happiness as one of three "unalienable rights." It's something we can easily share too. Want to make someone's day? Smile. Have a positive upbeat mood. Make them feel worthwhile. Even if someone is depressed and feeling blue, it's possible to cheer them up and make them happy.

Not having the greatest day? Yeah I know there is huge injustice and racial inequality and so many other negative things happening these days. Does thinking about those negative make things better though? Nope. Usually that make it worse! Going back to Bobby McFerrin's song, "In every life we have some trouble, But when you worry you make it double - Don't worry, be happy."

We can be the change we want to see in the world. We can spread the love and the kindness. Happiness is pretty wonderful! Be happy and share your happiness. Make Bobby McFerrin proud.

Some thoughts on the fourth

The Declaration of Independence, which we celebrate today, says that we ALL are created equal, and that we are endowed with certain rights. Unalienable Rights it calls them. It lists three: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Now it doesn't say we have a right to be happy, but only to pursue that happiness.
 

On this July 4th do you feel your country is allowing you to pursue happiness?  Do you feel that everyone in the country is treated equally?  Sadly I don't.
 

Most Americans are familiar with a sentence or two from this document, but take a moment to read the whole thing.  Is today's America the same one they spoke of back in 1776. 
 

There might be a picnic or fireworks on your agenda today, maybe even a parade, but add one more thing:  think of some way you can make a difference in the life of this country.  What can we all do to make the equality spoken of a reality?  What can we do to see that everyone is able to pursue happiness?  How can we end the discrimination that so many Americans face on a daily basis? 

There are many things we might put on such a list, but may I suggest the first one?  VOTE!  We need to all make sure our voices are heard!

When

I remember when I was still in high school hearing someone say "When will a day go by without some talk about racial discrimination?"  Recently, during Pride Month, I heard someone comment on the abundance of gay news stories saying "When will we stop hearing about gay rights?"  When indeed.

When I first came to San Francisco, a city with a large Asian population, I quickly found that there was prejudice against Asians.  There is even prejudice amongst Asians.  Yes, I actually heard "People from (my country) are better than people from (their country)."  Where I live now, there seems to be more and more.  I heard some anti-Asian remarks on my way home last night, which is what prompted me to write this.

When will it end.  Why do some people feel superior over others?  Why can't we all get along?  While it is true that discrimination has changed - some things are more protected by law, not everything has and often cruel incidents occur which nobody will then want to talk about.  There lately seems to have been a bit of progress (or at least people are talking).

We can put an end to discrimination.  We can end prejudice.  But, when?