Harp Journey

Jolie hybrid harp

I love playing my harp and I wanted to share just a little more about my harp journey. I’ve been playing since March of this year. When I made the decision to play I didn’t realize how much I would really love playing. That doesn’t mean that my journey thus far has been effortless. I did come into it with the advantage of being able to read music and having experience playing and performing on other instruments. I’ve never really been aware that this was a gift and privilege to have learned music at such an early age and continued it throughout my adult life. I’ve come across many new harpists that didn’t have that background and are struggling.

The other advantage I’ve had is that I’m not particularly avoidant or fearful about playing in public. I’m more nervous playing the harp than I am the piano, or singing. It requires a lot more focus when playing harp just because it is new. Therefore, distractions during a performance have a bigger impact on me.

This Christmas season I have a lot of opportunities to play publicly, at church and at Eastern Star meetings. Whenever I play people are just thrilled to get to hear a harp, even if I’m not playing anything particularly stunning. I’m still working on beginner to advanced beginner music so hopefully by next year I’ll be able to play something more elaborate. But even these beginner pieces are fun to play and people seem to like them.

Here is a piece, not Christmas, that I recorded recently. Is it perfect? No. Did I love doing it? Yes.

If you have ever wanted to play the harp – Go For It. I’ve been using both a local teacher for hands-on corrections and online instruction at www.learningtheharp.com. The instructors there are wonderful and I very much enjoy the harp community they have created. I really value all of the encouragement they have given and the constructive feedback.

September Happy Things

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I just found this post that I started, but never actually finished. Ooops! It happens. If my routine changes, things tend to slip through the cracks. I’ll share the list of September Happy Things that I started, but I’m sure it is incomplete.

I try not to beat myself up too bad when I slip up. The important thing is to get back on track as quickly as possible if it is something that is really important to your goals or something that is part of your value system. In this case I didn’t really stop acknowledging the things I’m grateful for or that bring me joy, I just didn’t keep up with writing them down.

bowl of shrimp soup on brown wooden surface
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Homemade soup
Lifelong friendships
New choir music
Praying mantis sightings
Almond milk yogurt
The promise of a new job
Tin whistles
Homemade pumpkin bread, warm with butter
Jambalaya
Making up
Chilly fall mornings
Tomatoes fresh from the garden
New harp music
Jumbo shrimp
Bright blue staples
Getting a letter from a friend

If you’ve fallen off track, just get right back on as soon as you can. That’s what I’ll do too. I’m going to combine October and November. Stay tuned. There have been lots of happy things.

pumpkin breads on white plate
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August Happy Things

pink three layered cake
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August was a very full month. I experienced highs and lows, pretty much like every other month, except August is my birthday month. It the spirit of these blogs I am choosing to focus on the happy things, although some days it would be much easier to focus on the negative. There were many August Happy Things. When you read my list there is a possibility of some duplicates from other months. When there is something that I am grateful for or elicit happiness I tend to repeat them as often as possible.

My clients often continue to balk at the idea of keeping a gratitude journal. I hear things like “too busy”, “my schedule changed”, etc. I think this is likely because people make it harder than it needs to be. It probably doesn’t even matter if you call them happy things or gratitude. You can feel happy or feel gratitude about small things, big things, unusual things, mundane things, or surprising things.

Have you decided to make a list of your happy things or things you are grateful for?

Gratitude journaling is nothing particularly new and is often a part of spiritual practices. In case you are new to the blog making a list of happy things was inspired by Barbara Ann Kipfer’s book 14,000 Things to be Happy About. Check it out.

August Happy Things

Isn’t she beautiful?

The excitement of a new harp
Midday naps
Early bedtime
Seeing a new bird at the feeder
Brightly colored paper clips
New sunglasses
Dried mango pieces
Bacon for breakfast
Hot chocolate
Reusable water bottles
A new birdfeeder
Birthdays
Quiet time
Receiving a real thank you note in the mail
Harp lights
Birthdays
New birds at the feeder
Clean sheets
Antibiotics
Antihistamines
Ibuprofen
Playing a new song
long weekends

Jolie

side by side comparison

I’ve got a new Jolie hybrid harp. In March I started learning to play the harp. I rented a 26-string Dusty Strings Ravenna just to see if I really liked it. Less than a month into this grand experiment I knew that I wanted a harp of my own. The process of choosing one was daunting. There is so much to consider and the investment isn’t insignificant.

My first thought was a larger harp from Dusty Strings. They have a great reputation. My hammered dulcimer was from there so I felt comfortable with the company. Wonderful wood. Rich tones. But really heavy so harder to take to church and other places. There were others I considered seriously including a carbon fiber harp from Heartland Harps. The sound was nice and they were really, really light. Unfortunately the customer service wasn’t great.

Jolie Hybrid Harp

Then I heard about MusicMakers harps. The one I chose is a Jolie hybrid with carbon fiber structure and wood on the outside. Their customer service was magnificent. Rich tones, but much lighter than the Dusty Strings. I decided that as I get older the low weight will make it easier for me to get it in and out of the car to play at church.

Waiting for it to arrive was awful. Originally they quoted about 100 days to manufacture and ship. Imagine my surprise when I got a notice that it was ready to ship almost 2 months early. It took about a week to arrive – a very long week. But very much worth it.

Here is the Jolie hybrid

I had intended to have two videos, one on each harp. But unfortunately the one on the Ravenna got accidentally deleted.

Happy Things July 2024

It has been a very full month. In July I experienced high highs and low lows, somewhat more than is usual for me. It the spirit of these blogs I am choosing to focus on the happy things. It does very little good to focus on the other things. When you read my list there is a possibility of some duplicates from other months. The inclusion on my July list does indeed mean that these things have occurred or been on my mind in the month of July.

I ask my clients to keep a gratitude journal, or at least a list of happy things between their appointments. At first many are resistant to the idea. But, the clients that do decide to follow through soon notice a difference.

Have you decided to make a list of your happy things or things you are grateful for?

Gratitude journaling is nothing particularly new and is often a part of spiritual practices. In case you are new to the blog making a list of happy things was inspired by Barbara Ann Kipfer’s book 14,000 Things to be Happy About. Check it out.

July Happy Things

smiley drawing on sand
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Internet, when its working
BLTs
Mid-week holidays
Dogs snoring
Getting carded when buying alcohol
Peanut butter
Cool summer mornings
Squirrels
Roasted and salted pumpkin seeds
Sons
Bird feeders
BLT sandwiches
Sunday naps
A patient voice teacher
The Chronicles of Narnia
Theragun massagers
Instant download sheet music
Unexpected summer rain
New bird sightings
Harp Grove song shares
Learning new things
A good swim
UPS shipping notifications

Happy Things June 2024

person holding a calendar and clipboard
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It is the end of June. Its hard to believe that half of 2024 is over. There have been many happy things to acknowledge and be grateful for. Of course there have also been things that I found annoying, uncomfortable, unfortunate, irritating, bothersome, or scary. That’s just real life. I am working hard not to overfocus on those less than happy things. That doesn’t mean that I won’t take action when needed but I am committed to only giving things the attention they require. Sometimes that takes some work. But really, how does it help to spend mental energy thinking about my computer frustration? It doesn’t change the fact that I just have to wait until the new computer arrives.

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blueberry fruit on gray container
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My harp
Electronic harp tuner
Black tea
Fresh Blueberries
Watermelon
Singing in the choir
Power naps
Hot chocolate flavored lip balm
Audible books
Duolingo Gaelic lessons
Computer glasses
Deep tissue massage
Peppermint candles
Buying my new harp
A summer rain
Learning a new song
Topical Benadryl
Live stream church
Indoor swimming
Tie dye t-shirts
Sunday naps
A kind word
Unexpected cool summer days
Much needed rain
Music playlists
Dried mango
Patient IT people
Dropbox
Unexpected days off
Peaceful mornings
Puppy kisses
Pumpkin Seeds

close up photo of swimming rope
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Right now I could chose to be focused on the fact that I can’t get the pictures to line up the way I want them to. What good would that do? Even if they aren’t situated perfectly you get the point. Now I can go focus on things that make me happy.

Amplifying The Bad

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I woke up this morning wondering if people amplify the bad in their lives out of habit or for some other reason. What I was noticing is that many people use really dramatic language to describe the annoyances, frustrations, and misfortunes that happen in a day, week, or month. Instead of saying “I didn’t like that” or “that made things harder” I hear about “trauma”, “overwhelmed”, “catastrophe”, or “disaster.” If we use those words for our daily struggles how do we then describe floods, famines, starvation, or wars? I’m not saying that people don’t actually experience trauma or disaster, just that we need to be really selective about how we use the words in order to them to have real meaning.

Before you start calling me bad names or thinking bad things about me, hear me out. If you’ve been following this blog you know that I am a fan of the book 14,000 Things to Be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer. That book prompted a lot of thinking about how what we focus on can change our mood. I’ve been trying to implement that in my life and I can say that I see a big difference in my overall daily outlook. So this morning the importance of the more “negative” descriptors became an interesting topic.

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Neuro-linguistic programming has always been fascinating to me. This school of thought considers that there is a connection between our language, thought processes, emotions, and behaviors. Then, by changing our language it can have an an impact on the other areas. Not everyone buys into this, but I see evidence of it every day. In his book Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life Steven C Hayes devotes an entire chapter to the many ways our language can lead to suffering. It just makes sense.

overworked adult female entrepreneur with papers in light modern office
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Then why would we want to tell ourselves that something is a disaster when it is really uncomfortable, challenging, or time-consuming? If I draw from observations in social media I think it could be that these terms are being normalized there. In addition, the more dramatic our language the more attention or support we think we will get. I don’t mean this as an intentional or conscious decision. I think it happens below our level of awareness most of the time. Lastly, those more dramatic labels may serve to distance ourselves from taking personal responsibility. I can’t be held responsible for managing a “disaster” when I am “overwhelmed,” but if I label it as a challenge or a setback it does seem to have more of an expectation to just deal with it. Again, I believe most of this is subconscious processing.

woman surrounded by sunflowers
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Why talk about this at all? Because it is possible to change the way we feel by amplifying the good rather than amplifying the bad. I can use even more positive language when describing the good things in my life. Consider the word “happy.” Synonyms include cheerful, joyful, merry, ecstatic, elated, and enraptured. Say those words out loud. Do they have a different feel to you? Use the words that really elevate the mood. How about the word “satisfied?” Instead you could use pleased, proud, contented, fulfilled, gratified.

Lets stop watering down our positive emotions and stop amplifying the bad. It can change your day in amazing and satisfying and exhilarating ways.



A Thought Can Be Changed

“The only thing we are ever dealing with is a thought, and a thought can be changed.” ~ Louise Hay

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

Introduction
paperclip in a shape of a light bulb and a rubber eraser in a shape of a brain
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People have a tendency to believe that their thoughts are facts, even though getting distance from the thought can reveal a different conclusion. Have you ever been hiking in the woods and noticed something up ahead that you thought was a snake? Did it ever turn out not to be a snake, but instead you found a crooked stick? These things happen all of the time. I think that my glasses are on my desk, but find them on the piano. I’m at the grocery and I think that I have chicken in the freezer, so I don’t buy any. Then, I get home and find out that there isn’t chicken in the freezer. In each of these examples, I believed my thoughts to be factual.

When this type of thinking happens about things outside of ourselves most of us are able to update our thought patterns with the new information. That doesn’t seem to be particularly true if the thinking is about ourselves. We hold onto those thoughts very rigidly, and are often aware that we are doing it. That awareness isn’t enough to cause us to chose a new, more accurate thought.

Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life

In his book, Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life, Dr. Wayne Dyer describes this from the vantage point of the Tao Te Ching. He notes that the Tao Te Ching describes a way of living that is “balanced, moral, spiritual; and that works for all facets of life on Earth,” but it requires us to change our thoughts and our habitual way of thinking. Dr. Dyer’s book incudes all 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching as well as 81 essays about their meaning.

Get Out of Your Thoughts & Into Your Mind

Steven C. Hayes, in his book Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life, also describes how our inability to distance ourselves from our habitual ways of thinking creates emotional pain and suffering. As verbal creatures, humans are always surrounding or “swimming” in our thoughts. We don’t regularly take the time to think about them in a rational manner. This book walks you through some of the brain science, offers memorable examples (for instance The Virtues of Saliva on page 56), and offers some exercises or methods for changing the way you think as well as the arbitrary connections we often make between our thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

portrait photo of woman in red top wearing black framed eyeglasses standing in front of white background thinking
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I see the solution as falling into the same category as a social mantra I grew up with “question everything!” You might see it as “don’t jump to conclusions.” In either case, we need to take a step back, consider the facts, acknowledge our emotions. But, we do not need to let them rule our thoughts. This is not always easy. Currently, we are being bombarded with messages that our emotions are of primary importance. Don’t buy the messaging! Question everything…even our thoughts.

Happy Things May 2024

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Its that time again. Here is my Happy Things list for May 2024. I’ve started keeping a running list, much like the one in the book that inspired me, 14,000 Things to Be Happy About, by Barbara Ann Kipfer. I’m not as faithful with it as I aspire to be, but am getting better. I’ve decided to include it with my Morning Pages (inspired by Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way). I’ve already established the habit of writing Morning Pages every day so doing the two together could improve my consistency.

You may have read this before, but living in a state of gratitude helps your brain to help you. When you are intentionally focusing on gratitude your brain automatically screens out everything that isn’t gratitude unless it is really urgent. Poof – all of those minor annoyances can fade into the background. Whew – what a relief. I can’t help but think that this world would be a much more pleasant place if everybody was focusing more on what makes them happy or what they are grateful for.

May Happy Things

Florida

Spiral notebooks
Dry erase markers
Flannel
Teabags
Dusty Strings harp strings
Organic green grapes
Bodhi
Seamus
Requests to play my harp at church
An open lane at the pool
Having crutches when you need them
Window AC units
Donated piano music
Aluminum foil
Daisies
Cherry tomatoes
A new skirt
Refills for my mechanical pencils
Sturdy erasers

brown wooden harp on garden
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Perhaps some of the things that make you happy are the same as mine. Its almost certain that some will be different. I’d love it if you would share your list with the people around you and possibly even share it with me. Does anybody else have a harp on their happy things list?

Happy Things April 2024

Lemon Pecan Pancakes

Once again I feel blessed with a wonderful month of happy things. Composing, singing, playing the harp, playing the piano, are definitely highlights of every month. These things were also the heartbeat of my life in April. In addition I was able to get out of town for a long weekend to see family and experience the joys of another city. During that trip I ate some great food that was both unexpected and indulgent. I had some lemon pecan pancakes that almost brought me to tears. Given all of my food allergies I rarely get to have something like that, both safe and delicious. When topped with maple syrup it really made my day.

Other things that may be happy in April:

brown wooden harp on garden
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A patient harp teacher
Breakfast with a talented composer
A zoom conference with a famous composer
Beginner harp music
Singing a duet with my favorite Scotsman
Airbuds
Find your airbuds app
A kind veterinarian
Phone calls from my son
Potato chips – a guilty pleasure
Composer and mentor Andrew Maxfield
Voice Teacher Timothy Wilds
Pictures of grandchildren
Tulips
Blooming lilacs
Woodpeckers
Mechanical pencils
Maple syrup
Naps

I hope you have started keeping track of all the happiness in your life. I’d love to hear about your list.