Remember to Be Happy

by Skip Cohen

I've shared a few posts that featured a little inspiration from Melody Beattie. Well, today's chapter is perfect and deserves to be shared:

...Sometimes we get so bogged down in dealing with feelings, issues, problems--the realities and details of our lives--we forget to be happy. Often happiness can be ours if we just remember to be happy.

Joy is a choice--a deliberate, conscious choice. That choice is available to us each day. Our joy isn't controlled by others or by outward circumstances. Joy comes from a deeper place, a place of security within ourselves. It's an attitude, not a transitory emotion.

Remember to be kind. Remember to be loving. Remember to feel all your feelings and to take care of yourself. But most of all, remember to be happy.

​I know this will sound like a rant, but that's only because it is, but I'm tired of the media. I'm tired of so much bad information out there about Covid. I'm also amazed at people who still don't get it - over 90% of hospitalized Covid patients were never vaccinated. 

But as weary I am of the never-ending flow of negativity and fear out there; I couldn't be more excited about IUSA coming up. It's going to be a great show. PPA has done everything to make it the convention we all need! They're complying with all CDC guidelines and have almost 6000 people pre-registered and approximately 100 exhibitors for the tradeshow.

Yes, there's a county mask mandate, and we'll be masked when appropriate, but that's not going to take one thing away from the importance of all being together. It's time to get our industry back on its feet - while the pandemic has clearly had an impact - it's changed NOTHING in the consumer's need to capture memories. The renewed sense of family in this country results from what we've all gone through for the last two years!

So, to quote Melody Beattie - "Joy is a choice--a deliberate conscious choice." I'll be masked if you see me in the Platypod booth at IUSA, but I guarantee there'll be a smile underneath and as sappy and hokey as it sounds, plenty of joy in my heart!

​Hope to see you at IUSA - come by booth 617 and get me out of booth duty! LOL