Happiness!

I can see happiness…in the brightness of the sun, in the lining of a cloud, in the blueness of the sky, in the cold autumn wind, in the colorful leaves, in the cheering of the crowd, in the smiles of my colleagues, in the lovely food we cook and eat, in the long distance family calls that I make and in the picture of my beloved that I have right next to my bed. Happiness…well it’s all about our ‘state of mind’!

The world is full of happiness… just that sometimes it's hard to recognize. But if we put our negative thoughts behind us…happiness can be ours – yours and mine. All we need to do is give a smile…a smile that is contagious…so that the smile can be passed on.

The week at work was real busy and good. I had to make some strategic fund raising plans and set out the priorities for the organization. We also had a session on fund raising with an expert Consultant, giving us an insight into what would and what would not work when applying for funds from the foundations. Following that, I did some research on foundations funding slavery and human trafficking projects, marking them by their assets and income, examined their investment activity and analyzed their historical giving patterns, recipients and trends. I used Metasoft’s Foundation Search for doing all of this. It’s amazing! Technology really surprises me everyday – it’s so powerful – information on anything (almost everything) is just a click away. I would prefer to call ourselves ‘tech slaves’ rather than ‘tech savvy.’ Can we imagine being without a computer at work even for a day.

Alejandra – Atlas Service Corps Colombian Program Director was in DC last week and a party was organized to welcome her short stay in DC as well as to bid her good bye before she left for Colombia. Alejandra – it was lovely meeting you and we wish you a life of nothing but bliss.

Weekend was bright and beautiful. Saturday was the cleaning day, followed by a visit to the National Mall on Sunday. We saw the White House, which to me looked pretty ordinary. Further, we saw the Washington Monument, built in honor of George Washington, which also is the most prominent attractions in Washington, D.C. Then we went to the National World War II Memorial, which commemorates the sacrifice and celebrates the victory of the of the WWII generation. The place is a fantastic balance of classical and modernist styles of architecture and blends beautifully with the natural surroundings.

Hmmm…all in all…it was a happy week. Happiness is the only drug we crave for and can’t get enough of, and it is also the ONLY ONE worth taking. Ever realized…happiness is all around us turning dull frowns into beautiful smiles. J