Jack's Mannequin

Jack's Mannequin
Monday, December 8, 2008

My Pocket Full Of Sunshine

Natasha Beddingfield's song "Pocketful of Sunshine" is one of my favorite songs...

"I got a pocket, pocket full of sunshine...I got a love, and I know that it's all mine..."


I am an avid reader and I usually read some stuff while doing routine work - you can imagine several windows opened before me. A blogger in Arriana Huffington's Post effectively riled people to posting action with her entry that encourages people to have a Happiness Project- not bad huh? Until she writes to do acts of kindness BUT not to do the random kind...

"Oh, Whoa..."

Uh, niceness and the happiness you'll get from being 'kind' must be scheduled and subjected to being bound by time? Happiness through kindness must be the kind you can anticipate the outcome? Be cautious in dong acts of kindness so as not to make others be suspicious of kindness?
"Do what you want but you're never gonna break me...Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me..."

I've read from an inspired article from our church president, happiness is a choice and it is freely given and taken...what I understood was it can never be taken away from you- the choice to be happy. Happiness is a gift and like all gifts, it must be given with a eager and willing heart...A gift given with expectation and heavy heart is not a gift at all...
"Take me away a secret place...a sweet escape take me away..."

In my experience acts of kindness done by my family, friends, strangers were never planned and most came at the time that one had to choose between a rock or a hard place. I bet those of you who have done acts of kindness are thankful you were given a chance to be helpful or a source of happiness.
"Take me away to better days..."

It's so sad that some have been hurt that they feel acts of kindness must be a cautious deed. Everyone has experienced when an act of kindness may seemed to have back-fired...This is what I believe: Goodness does not result to anything bad...Personally, never expecting ROI on an act of kindness will sustain that feeling of kindness. What the receiver of the kind act is totally up to him or her. It all goes back to happiness being a choice...shall I be happy someone helped me up when I tripped? Will I appreciate the advice I knew would change my life? Shall I rejoice that people took time to lend a helping hand even if I were a stranger?
"Take me away to a higher place..."

Those who know me, have a glimpse of how life can be hard and yet the choice to be happy is the road I take. Despite the cares I have upon my shoulders, an act of kindness at any time is a personal pocketful of sunshine.


*Gretchen Rubin: Happiness Tip: Don't Perform Random Acts of Kindness.