BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Recently I moved back to the city i grew up in after 15 years away. It started me thinking of another neighborhood i enjoyed growing up, Mr Rogers neighborhood. Feeling nostalgic i looked up some episodes on YouTube.  The first of which was entitled “be yourself that’s the best” it was very basic in its approach and language as you might expect a children’s show to be. Still in the world we live in of people trying to appear to be something different or “more” than they are, the lesson was deep and valuable.  It started me thinking of how important the basics of self-improvement are. If you are to study the greats in any profession, music, sports they never forget their fundamentals.  Kobe Bryant,  one of the best players of his time takes 300 free throws in practice. Why? Because fundamentals are something we need to be able to do in clutch moments. You cannot hope to master algebra without an understanding of basic math. Much like learning to add joy to your life should not wait until you find yourself depressed or sad.  If you get the fundamentals of happiness down, when life throws you a challenge you will be far better equipped to handle it. The lesson to be learned from all of this? Discover the basic things that make you happy and life joyous, then practice it every day. Make it a part of your life. Then when troubles come knocking you will already have a practice in place to keep the emotional sun shining and it will be a ‘ beautiful day in the neighborhood ‘