Finding Ecstasy

There is ecstasy in paying attention.

 ― Anne Lamott

ec·sta·sy

noun

1. 1.

   an overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement.

His Best Side Perhaps?

Male Cardinal Stikes a Pose 

I wake up every morning 
with a great desire to live joyfully.

— Anna Howard Shaw

Print Available - HERE 

Dark-eyed Junco In the Berries

Dark-eyed Junco surrounded by berries

Zoomed in a bit closer

Isn't that a Sweet Face?

I found this verse from Thoreau this morning - and I believe - oh how I believe - that each day I live
I have truly caught a little stardust, and have held in my hands a small part of the rainbow.

If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, 

and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs,

that is your success. 

All nature is your congratulation, 

and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. 

It is a little star-dust caught, 

a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.

~ Henry David Thoreau

Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday

Joy

I've pondered what this exactly means. To me it means trying to keep a positive attitude, seeing the positive in things rather than the negative and it just builds upon itself. The more positive/happy/joyful you are - the more positive/happy/joyful you become.

And it is contagious - so spread it around :)

A Joyful Existence

A Cardinal caught in MID-Jump!

Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars... and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are. 
~ Osho