Probably one of the best attributes to cultivate in your life is a sense of trust that things will work out for the best. Rather than fighting what's happening, and stressing and fretting about the future, coming to a place of peace and faith is a much more empowering place to be in. And usually, you will be more effective and make better decisions from a state of calm centeredness than coming from fear and anxiety.

But how do you have faith? The world can be a tough, awful place! Well, I think some form of spirituality is important. Believing in some sort of higher power and connecting with that power can give you comfort and strength in hard times. If you truly believe we are spiritual beings here on the planet to learn and grow, then you can be OK with life's challenges.

I am not a homeowner, although perhaps I will be some day, and so I follow with interest the current controversies with American Homeowners Associations. Homeowners Associations, or HOAs, are basically mini-fiefdoms in the suburbs. Owned by management companies, they are ostensibly there to protect the "property values" of the houses by making sure people don't get all "white trash" on their properties.

In other words, they want to make sure that you don't leave junky cars in the yard, leave your undies hanging out to dry on the clothesline, or heaven forbid, paint your door bright pink.

The problem is, once you give away your right to put your junk car in the front yard, you've now just given away the farm, and you have no rights to anything. You can't put a fence up, start a garden, or even park your car in the driveway without explicit approval of many HOAs, which still may not approve your request.

Here's a nice poem I ran across from Rumi:

i was dead i came alive
i was tears
i became laughter

all because of love
when it arrived
my temporal life
from then on
changed to eternal

love said to me
you are not
crazy enough
you don't
fit this house

i went and
became crazy
crazy enough
to be in chains

love said
you are not
intoxicated enough
you don't
fit the group

i went and
got drunk
drunk enough
to overflow
with light-headedness

love said
you are still
too clever
filled with
imagination and skepticism

i went and
became gullible
and in fright
pulled away
from it all

love said
you are a candle
attracting everyone
gathering every one
around you

i am no more
a candle spreading light
i gather no more crowds
and like smoke
i am all scattered now

love said
you are a teacher
you are a head
and for everyone
you are a leader

i am no more
not a teacher
not a leader
just a servant
to your wishes

Found on totallyhappy:

When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote "happy."

They told me I didn't understand the assignment.

I told them they didn't understand life.

Dan Caro was in an accident as a 2-year-old child where he received third degree burns on over 70 percent of his body. He lost his fingers...and his toes...but he grew up to become an accomplished drummer. Check out his website and the video on the home page for his inspiring story. My favorite part is where he explains at the end that the burning was actually a gift, because it gave him everything he has today:

http://www.dancaro.com

This is a good reminder that sometimes our biggest challenges can be our biggest triumphs.

Here's an exceptionally fun video from graphic design student Ely Kim, who dances to 100 songs in 100 days in his video "Boombox":

BOOMBOX from Ely Kim on Vimeo.

Makes you love people again.