Category Archives: Happiness

What we need is a little optimism

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Jay Morris

I was going through some dusty old things the other day and found a “Youth Appreciation Week Citation” I received in 1969 from the Optimist Club of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Wow, I thought, that’s a long time ago! What was ironic is … Continue reading →

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Start your day in a good mood and get more done

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Jay Morris

How does your day start? Meditation? Exercise? Reading? Or maybe you have to get the kids ready for school, solve a family crisis or battle traffic. Arriving at work with a positive attitude isn’t always easy—especially if your day starts with an … Continue reading →

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The afternoon is bright…

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Jay Morris

“The afternoon is bright, with spring in the air, a mild March afternoon, with the breath of April stirring, I am alone in the quiet patio looking for some old untried illusion – some shadow on the whiteness of the … Continue reading →

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‘Shoveling Snow with Buddha’

Posted on January 23, 2016 by Jay Morris

Snowzilla may be one of the DC area’s biggest snowstorms ever before it’s all over. This poem by former Poet Laureate Billy Collins just about nails it on the head for my day with the shovel. Shoveling Snow with Buddha In … Continue reading →

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‘I cannot live without books’

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Jay Morris

One of my earliest memories of my Grandfather Pollard is a figure sitting in an armchair in the living room of my grandparents’ house in Columbia, MO, reading. My grandfather was a prodigious reader, and his bookshelves held a veritable … Continue reading →

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This New Year’s, resolve to be less busy and more productive

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Jay Morris

It’s the end of another year, a time for reflection, planning and goal setting. We get out our calendars, dust off our business plans and review our accomplishments over the past 12 months. We congratulate ourselves on achievements, note where … Continue reading →

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On rereading ‘Walden’ and the seasons of life

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Jay Morris

Midway through my vacation last week, I opened Thoreau’s “Walden,” the same paperback edition I first read in ninth-grade English class. I still have all of my old notes. (How neat my handwriting was back then!) I remember Mrs. Smith … Continue reading →

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‘Blend their sweet music to my ear’

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Jay Morris

Just before Thanksgiving, I had my last guitar lesson at the Music & Arts store in Springfield, ending a six-and-a-half-year run that had been frustrating, delightful and inspiring. My teacher Matt taught me many things during the time we were … Continue reading →

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‘The blissful cloud of summer-indolence’

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Jay Morris

The other day, when I should have been working, I picked up a paperback that had been lying around the house—Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Normally, I don’t give much credence to book blurbs, but I have … Continue reading →

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