Do you smile every day?

By MamaLiberty

Everyone knows there is plenty in this world to worry about. Even those who avoid the world and national “news” as much as possible can’t help but note the downward spiral in their own financial situation, especially if they or those they love are unemployed. There is the constant push to destroy natural rights to life and liberty, and increasing efforts to criminalize and control everything. Then there is the cost of everyday necessities, increasing due to the sinking national economy and shrinking dollar. A great many people are seriously worried about their health, and the increasing Obummercare insanity replacing free market medicine and insurance. And so much more. Did you know that stress, worry and fear, are far more detrimental to good health than you might think?

It’s almost impossible to know the truth about the “news” or, often, even what’s really happening in our own area. Even people who are present during disturbances and crises seldom have a grasp on the whole problem, much less the whole solution. And, unfortunately, this creates a sort of vacuum that we too often fill with our imagination, our prejudices and the ghosts of our past. All of which can and will be used by the unscrupulous to direct, or even precipitate the next crisis. Trust, but verify. Don’t expect to know or understand everything. Do you need to know? What could you do about it if you did? Good questions to ask yourself, I think.

No hero on a white horse is going to come along and save the day. Not this election, or any other. And expecting the politicians to limit their evil and restore our “rights” is as empty of promise as intergalactic space. Maybe more so. And hoping to do that by threatening not to re-elect them would be a hysterical joke if it wasn’t so painful to watch good people continue to believe in that insanity after all these years, after watching endless rubber room elections.

What can you do? You may not agree at first, but I think there is something we can do, and it has to start with each of us as individuals.

1. How many times have you asked yourself, “by what authority” do people control my life and property. By what authority does anyone pretend to control my thoughts and feelings? Do you participate in trying to control others? Why would anyone do that if they love liberty and justice? This is an important place to start. Read “The Most Dangerous Superstition.”

2. As much as possible, ignore “the law.” Remember the jokes about the tags on the mattresses? There are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of “laws” and regulations, petty rules and even actionable “suggestions” on the books. Take a really close look at that, and ask yourself how many are ever enforced. Take a second look and find out the circumstances in which they are ever enforced. Can you figure out a way to avoid those circumstances? Sure you can. Millions of people do avoid them every day. There aren’t enough cops or jails to go around, so all of those prosecuted are targets of opportunity. Only you know your situation, and how close you are willing to skate toward the edge… but millions of people who don’t even file income tax reports should be proof enough that it isn’t impossible.

3. Laugh at them. No, really! Truly look for and appreciate the politician’s contradictions, implausible ideas, idiot posturing and
stupid blunders. Look for them, and laugh out loud. Remember that they want you fearful, tearful, worried and willing to do anything to make that pain stop. Well, do something yourself to relieve the pain, rather than expecting your torturers to stop. Just say no to the hype, the lies, and the other hundred and one evils directed specifically to control your emotions, as well as your soul. The ultimate answer to kings is a belly laugh.

4. Don’t construct your entire life around the controllers or the “law.” Are you spending a great deal of time and effort working for political causes or candidates? Going to council meetings, writing letters to congresscritters? Reading the full text of proposed “laws” and ordinances? Even protest marches and demonstrations? Why? Your reasons may be very good, but I wonder how many people truly think about them in relation to the effect all of it has on their inner peace and joy.

Instead, I suggest folks center their thoughts and activities on what they need to do to be a person of integrity, non-aggressive, and a part of a cooperative voluntary society. Some may have to reach for this if their indoctrination into the socialist herd is extensive, but it seems it would be a far more valuable use of time and effort, mind and soul than useless worry about what the politicians are trying to cook up next. And then, a serious part of this is the necessity of teaching integrity, non-aggression and so forth to one’s children and other family – and by extension, the community. The very best way to do this is to demonstrate it all in your every word and deed, of course. Learning to be articulate and helpful in discussing it, without becoming didactic or overbearing, is a big plus.

5. Smile, laugh, enjoy life as much as you can. Is there some person, object, picture on the wall that makes you smile or laugh with joy each time you see them? I have orchids in my bathroom. Each time I go in there, I see the blooms and new growth, the shiny leaves and note the smell of flowers and clean soil, and I smile. I have a goofy Welsh Corgi dog that gives me a load of laughs and smiles many times during the day, and the cold nose on my hand first thing in the morning, of course. I’ve filled my house with as many of these smiles as I can manage, and you might be surprised at how many you already have… and have been neglecting. Take a good look, and resolve to smile at the kids, or even just the cat, instead of worry about the world.

6. Go shooting. I smile each time I see my rack of rifles, or strap on my carry gun. Now this doesn’t appeal to everyone, naturally, but it is astonishing how often someone newly introduced to guns and shooting tells me how much better this makes them feel about themselves and everything else, even their relationship to the rest of the world. It is empowering, to internalize the fact that one need not be a passive, helpless victim – even if they don’t actually ever expect to be attacked!

Many of us already understand much of this, but how many really think about it and work to increase that joy? It is also important to seek out and communicate with those of like mind, to share the joy rather than the worry. It is so easy to sit in the office and stare at the “news” of the world, and nibble at your ulcer meds… But why do that? I’ve heard a number of people who complain that there aren’t any “of like mind” near them, but when they are really challenged to explain that, it is usually obvious they never really looked. And some live in places inhabited mostly by those who would love to control everyone else’s lives and property. I always ask them why they stay there… And, of course, that’s completely up to them, but I wonder why people who insist on swimming in a swamp spend so much time complaining about the snakes and alligators.

I understand the urge some people have to remain in touch with government meetings and issues. I look at them from time to time myself, but I refuse to let any of that get in the way of my smiles, or the daily romp with the Corgi. Someone tell me why a city council meeting is better for my peace of mind and ultimate joy than a tug a war with a good dog.

Now go find some things to smile about, do something that makes you laugh and feel glad to be alive. Talk to your neighbors, and then go home to hug your family, or at least the dog.

Originally published at The Price of Liberty.


Ed. note: This commentary appeared first on TZP’s weekly email alert. If you would lik>e to be among the first to see new commentary (as well as to get notice of new polls and recaps of recent posts), please sign up for our alert list. (See sidebar or, if you’re on a mobile device, scroll down). Be sure to respond when you receive your activation email!

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7 thoughts on “Do you smile every day?”

  1. Colorado, many many years ago when Romer was the governor, actually passed a law such that it became legal to remove the mattress tags. (I remember because an editorial comic depicting Romer giggling about having removed the tags sticks in my mind.)

    On a more serious note, the stupid magazine restriction passed here in 2013 is, almost without exception, ignored by everyone EXCEPT out of state sellers (some of whom think it’s a ten round limit, so they won’t ship a gun with a standard 14 or 15 round magazine in it).

  2. Steve, you do realize that it was always “legal” for the customer to remove the tags, just not the retailer. Not that it ever made any real difference to anyone. I don’t recall ever hearing about any tag “inspectors.” LOL

    Does someone there go around counting the rounds in your magazine? How would anyone know you had “too many?”

    The key is to IGNORE such foolishness, as much as possible. 🙂

    1. …which just makes the whole mattress tag incident from way-back-when all the more absurd.

      As for the mag limit, I said before, pretty much everyone here ignores it. In other words…we’re following your advice.

      More of my rambling for those who like to read:

      The way the stupid law is written, you are forbidden to have a mag if it’s newer than 1 July 2013. So any LEO trying to enforce it has to establish you did so after that date. I could have a 214 round mag [to pick a number at random], and he couldn’t prove it’s illegal, though he could readily show (even if the mag were empty) that it was more than 15 rounds. (There’d probably be a hole in the side, with the number 214 next to it.) It’s easy to show the mag is “too big,” in spite of what you said (no need to count the rounds in it, just ascertain its capacity). But unless it’s obvious the mag is for a gun that wasn’t available back in 2013, OR he finds a receipt taped to it, OR the mag is itself dated, they can’t prove you broke their stupid f***ing law.

      But the fact of the matter is, even THAT doesn’t matter. NO ONE is enforcing that law. I’ve heard of one case of someone getting charged, and that was under circumstances where someone wanted to throw the book at him.

      (No, I don’t support passing a malum prohibitum law even if it’s just intended for throwing the book at someone who broke a malum in se law. But I do know many otherwise-decent cops will do that when dealing with a real shitbag, such as one cop–who moonlights as a knife instructor–who has seen many “illegal” knives, but only busted someone for it once…he decided to pile on when the perp had used his infant child to play kickball.)

      1. I do understand you, Steve. 🙂 I wish there was a sarcasm smiley here. The point was exactly what you said… nobody can “enforce” such stupid things across the board, but they can become very useful in targeting individuals. Also, in order to see the “capacity” of your magazine, the “cop” must first stop you, disarm you and look at the magazine. (Every one of those actions fraught with peril for both of you.) The actual capacity of the magazine is only one point in the chain of abuses of your sovereign liberty.

  3. I love this post, Mama Liberty. We all need to sometimes step from our stress filled lives and just breathe, laugh, enjoy our grandkids, kids, guns and targets, fishing, fast cars, sunsets, taking great photos with just a phone, for crying out loud!

    Life is about balance, and if you find yourself so caught up in work, or politics, or worry about the future that you forget to take the time to have good old fashioned fun, then your life will quickly become so tedious that you will become either burned out or physically ill. And not nice to be around.

    Thanks for the reminder, ML. My wife and myself took my daughter and our dog away for a long weekend last weekend to a hotel on the eastern side of MI. Just to spend time in a different locale and to decompress and recharge. So this post comes at an appropriate time.

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