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A LETTER FROM JUNE 18th 2024:Dear Friends, A few weeks ago Roger wrote a blog for SeeingHappy titled, “Can we Create Awe?.” In the blog, Roger suggests that we can become more mindful of the beauty in our world by slowing down and paying attention to what we are looking at, and we can seek […]

Crete, Greece. July, 2023. REFLECTION FROM APRIL 2024:Recently I took myself out on a date. After enjoying a warm dinner, watching a film at the local cinema, and enjoying a glass of wine at a new bar, I ended the night with one thought: “I make such great company!” When I returned to the hotel,

By focusing on my strengths and maintaining a positive mindset, I was confident that the “new me” would be okay. After losing my mother in 2017, Adam (my husband) and I decided to take a gap semester in 2019 to travel across 19 countries over five months. Travel was always a good therapy for me.

Reflecting on Spring before Summer: April 14th, 2024When Spring begins everything wakes up around us. Suddenly, colors pop, and scents fill the air, prompting us to take a moment and soak it all in. This change often makes us notice things we might have overlooked before. Have you found yourself appreciating sunsets more or stopping

We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars –  Oscar Wilde  I want my children to know the art of going slow in a fast world, the importance of  embracing beauty in an ugly world, spending time in a no-time-for-that world, noticing in a rushing-past world, observing in a scrolling

Dear SeeingHappy Community, Irving Penn was a master of portrait photography and his gift was his ability to capture the essence of his subject. I recently saw the Irving Penn Exhibit at the de young Museum in San Fransisco and was blown away. © 2024 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Penn would thoroughly research his subjects

As we become aware of the roles assigned to us from birth, we awaken to shaping new roles and shedding old ones. This awakening emphasizes the importance of self-development through wellness, mindfulness, and spirituality. Consider this: What if we could ask our ancestors about their sources of happiness, their struggles, and how they overcame challenges

A Reflection from December 14th, 2020 Resilience — A word that Armenians have embodied for centuries. We refuse to be erased despite facing persistent and repeated acts of hatred and violence. Around the world, Armenians are currently mourning the loss of our ancient lands, homes, and cultural sites. We are coming to terms with the

In 2003, my husband Adam and I explored West Africa, traversing the diverse landscapes of Ghana as part of our travel business dedicated to managing educational programs for American universities worldwide. One remarkable day, we found ourselves in the enchanting village of Torgome by the Volta River, a surprise orchestrated by my husband who understood

“The world is a beautiful place to live.” Last week, I and my partner hiked in a challenging mountain called the Devil’s Summit, the highest peak of the “Babia Góra” massif in South Poland – 1725 m.a.s.l. It is one of 28 summits in the Crown of the Polish Mountains.  That day, we could only

The softball leagues at the Heckscher fields in Central Park are the living proof that here on earth, rather close to home, in Central Park, all the elements needed to create an idyllic society, came together. When you walk from field #1 to field #5 you feel the egalitarian history for the park:  You feel

Keeping Score Now that we met the players and learned where they come from and how the Central Park fields culture created over 100+ years gave birth to this beautiful community, let’s see them play and remember: no pain no gain! Batting while bending the bat Stealing base Safe! Who said softball is strictly for

Jeffrey Lyons We continue our journey showing how individuals with a common goal create cohesive groups which coalesce together to create close-nit communities.  The Heckscher softball fields in Central Park are the living proof of all the elements coming together. But the most important ingredient in this delicious soup are the players.   Like any recipe, you

Locals and tourists watching the games Florian and his family were visiting New York City. They came from a small town in Germany. He had been here before and brought the children this time to show them the city—not just the touristy places, but to see how real New Yorkers live and enjoy their summer. They visited the Empire State

Peter has been bringing his son to watch the games since he was a baby Are the players ready to play? The ballpark fields are groomed, the players have gone through their physical and mental preparation, and the team is ready and psyched. So, Let’s Play Ball! Well, not so fast. What else do the players need

Practicing holding the bat and making sure the weight is right In previous chapters we learned how Central Park, built for the rich, became the park for everyone when the ballpark fields opened (contributing to one of the ten domains that form the basis of the Gross National Happiness index: Diversity.)   We then saw how group

Measuring the field to position the bases The introduction to my blog discussed the 10 domains of Gross National Happiness (GNH) that form the basis for creating a happy society: psychological well-being, health, time use, education, cultural diversity and resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological diversity, resilience, and living standards. The focus of this chapter

New York City’s Central Park was conceived nearly two centuries ago as a public urban space for wealthy New Yorkers. Americans were eager to show Europeans that they, too, appreciated cultural refinement. A good way to show it was to imitate the fancy parks of Europe, where the rich could be seen in their fancy

How A Park for the Rich Became a Park for Everyone  What is it we all want? What would be your ideal world? I bet you have dreams, goals, and desires, but I am sure that most of us would like to be free to explore our future while living in a world where everybody

Summer has come. Let’s touch the ground barefoot! Earth Look at the ground.Observe what is on it.Squat down and touch it.Put your whole palms on the ground.Notice sensations from the ground under your palms.Dry?Moist?Smooth?Rough? Hold your hands still for a moment.Feel and name what you feel:I feel warm.I feel damp.I feel cold.I feel the dry

“Time flies faster than we think. Stop, notice, and absorb everything around you. This is your call to search for the extraordinary in everyday moments.” In my information sessions on essay writing, I tell students: you don’t need to have a one-of-a-kind experience to impress your reader. I share a tip given by a colleague at my

How can we truly see ourselves for who we are? For the past few years I have been working with successful female leaders for my project “Being Seen”. Being Seen is a celebration for truly seeing who we are – beyond our job titles and day-to-day responsibilities. The question I asked myself was:  Can we use

“The happiness that I get from photography begins with picking up my camera and is ignited several times along the entire process. It is both tangible and intangible. I love seeing the wonderful pictures submitted by so many people – they often give me pause to reflect on so many joys that people are capturing.

Hello SeeingHappy, Welcome to my second post in the series that I call “Surfing on Waves of Wellbeing”. Spring has come. Let’s admire flowers! I hope to inspire you to take a picture of the next flower which catches your eye, and to savor the sense of beauty you are experiencing. I would like to start

Hello SeeingHappy!  Welcome to my first post in the series that I will call “Surfing on Waves of Wellbeing”. I would like to start with the following quote:   There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. –

At the height of the pandemic, as I stood at the kitchen counter carrying my toddler on one arm and chopping vegetables with the other I often felt physically and mentally drained by the exhaustion of everyday life and by the limitations imposed by the pandemic. But the instant my eyes rested on the vibrant

Welcome back to my blog. Last week we explored how to create a narrative from an ongoing event.  As the photographer, you decide what story you want to tell, and it’s a reflection of who you are.  Paraphrasing the famous saying, “Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are,” I ask

In the previous post, we explored how establishing a relationship with your subjects, beyond a single encounter can help develop a deeper narrative, photographically and socially. I chose to depict the Central Park Softball League from the point of view of the players and their families. I emphasized the friendships, the camaraderie, the fierce competitors,

In part 5 we explored the art of how blending in, returning to the scene, and becoming part of it can be a powerful tool to establish trust and create beautiful and meaningful images. Let’s explore what happens when the photographer is a member of the tribe, photographing other members: that is, when an outsider becomes an

Dear Friends, I hope you have enjoyed Alec’s blog. I personally love reading his pieces – knowing Alec as I do – they sound just like him: he is an enthusiastic street photographer who really enjoys sharing his art. But the point is not to read and enjoy the pieces – the point is to