The Things That Make You Happy

Graffiti found written on bathroom stall, Charles Theater, Mt. Vernon.

Over the last six or so months as my life has been rolling through a series of changes, so too has this space experienced some growing pains.

The New Glitterati started out as a Kvetching Ground. It was a fertile space I could fill with creative comparisons, expletives, exploits, comical happenings, and, let's face it, there was a time in my life where it served as a dumping ground. For those of you who have been reading since Day One (and I love you for that), you've borne witness to those late nights and bad decisions, bad dates and serious musings.

But, as things began to change for me, the center couldn't hold. My perspectives of life, and subsequently my views of the world and my place in it, have changed and it no longer felt right to me to have this space continue to exist as it was before. The result was six months of staggered postings, some only photos with quotes, some vague hints, some deeper musings. It's taken me awhile to figure out what my vision for The New Glitterati ultimately is, and how it could fit with the Me that has somehow, in these awkward, beautiful, graceful, and sometimes broken and faulty processes, emerged.

Unfortunately, in this process, I've lost the bulk of my readership, who no longer tuned in once the gossipy melodrama dried up and The New Glitterati lost its voice for a little while. My apologies for that, but in retrospect I simply don't know how I could have handled it any better. I kept the domain name and the space with the hope that, eventually, I would find some way of orchestrating it better and moving forward.

After a great deal of thinking, brainstorming, musing, and researching I've finally decided how I could continue to make this space work FOR us both (me as The New Glitterati, you as The New Glitterati Die-Hard Fan still reading!)

I started to think of this site less as a barstool upon which I perch myself to bitch about life, and more like a squashy beanbag chair in a sunny corner. Next to a plant. And a small, round cafe table with a large, steaming cup of coffee and an oversized cookie. A blanket if you get chilly. A book waiting to be read, lying open and welcome on the chair. I've started to view this place, again, as escape; only not a place where I can unload. Rather, a place where I can find myself again.

The New Glitterati is shifting, and my goal is to make it a place of warmth, inspiration and, above all, happiness. I've learned that much of the reality of this world is heavily subjective to viewpoint. TNG can be that hope, that optimism. It's a place for quotes, for pictures of things that make me happy, for moments of joy in my day. And a place that I hope, on some level, you will find that inspiration and happiness too.

My goal is to be more diligent about posting, yes, but also to start to shift the focus of this blog away from Kvetch and more solidly into the realm of....ugh, how can I put this without sounding oh-so-very-Oprah--I can't, ok, FINE...into the realm of the best life. The life where happiness is still a glass of wine that's probably a bit too heavily poured, an ice cream cone eaten on the couch while watching a rom com, where quotes and meditations and long runs and yoga bring as much satisfaction as a good old vodka session used to.

My attempt isn't to make this some New Age-ey Love-In. It might feel that way sometimes, though. Bear with me, Glitteratis.

The snark is still there, but I intend to wield it more carefully as a tool as opposed to a weapon. ("Every tool is a weapon if you hold it right," -Ani DiFranco.) We can still have our laughs, readers, just perhaps not always at my expense.

To begin: an article from Alternet.org that lists ten things that Science (Facts! Statistics! Control Groups!) says will make us Happy. Read article for further details and examples, but here they are:

1. Savor everyday moments.
2. Avoid comparisons.
3. Put money low on the list.
4. Have meaningful goals.
5. Take initiative at work.
6. Make friends, treasure family.
7. Smile, even when you don't feel like it.
8. Say 'thank you' like you mean it.
9. Get out and exercise.
10. Give it away! (Altruism.)

It's true. All of it. It won't change the way you look, the amount of money you have, whether or not people actually like you, or make your car run better or your whites whiter and brights brighter. But it will make this world an easier place in which to live. It will offer you a focal point in moments of stress. These things offer perspective, and perspective (I've found) is the key to more fully understanding situations and making the best of things.

So, let's start here. Let's start with #1. Savor everyday moments. And let's work our way down the list, Glitteratis. Let's build some happiness. My goal is to address each of these 10 items as a weekly theme, so to speak. There will be other posts, of course, but one big one each week corresponding to these items. This gives us a starting point from which we can move forward and see how this space adapts in the process. Your feedback is welcome and appreciated.