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Destination Inspiration
August 2009
Searching For
Shangri-La
By Lisbeth
Anne Marín
Motivational
Speaker
Professional
Development Consultant
It
was an epiphany of sorts; an undeniable awareness of not seeking the
same rainbows end as in times past, clearly the early stages of a
liberating chapter in life. Once in a while, my quest for achievement
is trumped by satisfaction for a day off to sit by the Hostas, who
knew! Food taste better; sleep arrives in a twinkle and just like that,
I’m gliding down the razor blade of life. I’ll give you a hint, this
momentary sensation slips away lest you freeze-frame to savor it with
unabashed gratitude, in my case, to Almighty God.
The mood stems from varied sources; at times, tied
to especially titillating situations. But for the most part, what I’m
talking about is died in the wool, old fashioned, inexplicable,
happiness. Really …that’s it! Recognizing you are mistress of all you
survey and thinking, wow, this is good and I am contented. But keep in
mind, its ephemeral so you’ve got to take a good whiff, when it blows
into town. Unfussy happiness will vivify a spirit and sink into your
soul like nothing else. Think about it…have you found the door to your
Shangri-La and can you swing it open on demand?
I recall as a kid thinking anything named The
Shangri-La suggested a naughty place where ladies in high heels
and teased hair would sip screwdrivers with tattooed men. You could
hear their raucous laughter and juke box tunes wafting into the night.
Why, I’ll bet people were doing the hoochie-coo whatever that is, in
there! The Shangri-La was a seedy place or maybe just populated with
sinners. To keep it in perspective, Shangri-la was groovy but the
BoomBoom Room was scandalous and you would be transported to hell post
haste if you entered its dark, smoky recesses. I could hardly wait
go there, but suffice it to say, good girls didn’t hang out at The
Shangri-La or BoomBoom Room and preserve their good girl reputation for
long! After all, there was the danger of dubious influences rubbing off
and luring you to burly men with ulterior motives or more dire
consequences. I presume some Saturday Night Live ‘church-lady’ type
came up with that drivel. Why were fun, dancing, music and happiness
given such a bad rap? By the time I became legal for ShangriLa-ing, the
crowd had changed to hippies and happiness, so I fit right in. There
was nothing evil or sordid, it was just a local bar filled with natives
searching for their brand of happiness.
Fast forward forty-years and I’ve discovered a
clear-cut formula to hooking up to a happy-fix. It’s nothing mystical
or miraculous, it isn’t about stuff, it’s not mood altering substances,
nor is it money, men or trips to the big city.
I cherish nothing more than,
Time to Myself
…
Somewhere along the way I began to thoroughly enjoy my own
companionship, never running out of entertaining things to fill the
time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a hermit or anything. But, it’s sort
of utopia to spend time doing absolutely nothing or engrossed in
intricate projects till the wee hours. What it all comes down to is
being free
to opt in or out! And if any negative stigmas are assigned, I no
longer give a care about what people think…so there.
It
appears the realities of a full life can become the stuff of real
bummers unless you chart a course to your version of happiness. When
you realize your snarkiest moods go hand in glove with overloads of
accountability, schedules, deadlines, responsibility or expectations;
even if self inflicted, you’re on the way.
I
want to be sure you catch my metaphor. Happiness isn’t in a place with
an exotic name; you need not search far and wide. Ironically, my search
for Shangri-La has revealed it was within reach all along, waiting for
me to trust myself, venture in and form my own opinion!
Lisbeth Anne
Marín is a Motivational Speaker & Professional Development Consultant
specializing in interpersonal, team building and organizational
development skills. She presents a wide array of staff development
training programs, motivational seminars and interactive workshops.
www.lisbethanne.com |
