A Pandemic of Happiness

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”

― Thích Nhất Hạnh

I’m a cautious greeter when I’m running. Oh put me in a social setting and I’ll be smiling and Hello-ing till the cows come home, but when I run, I’m cautious.

Why? I don’t know. I always acknowledge the person coming towards me, a cursory nod, a slight smile that says ‘yeah, that we’re both hauling ass around the waterfront, I can’t wait till it’s over either’’ especially if you see the same person multiple times.

But today, a woman ran by me with a grin on her face, yes a full grin, and she beamed out a bubby “ HI!’’ to me, such that I thought I must know her. I didn’t but I did smile back, like, really smile.

Gee that felt good! Buoyed by this surge in endorphins, I decided for the remainder of my run to effusively acknowledge people coming past me.

First was another woman running, she had headphones in and smiled back but seemed a little pre-occupied (I don’t run with headphones btw, I find they make it hard to be ‘in the moment’). Next was an elderly man who looked deep in thought and very serious, “ Good Morning!” I announced with a large smile, he looked up and I swear he just lit up: it was remarkable! I was rather enjoying this now, a lady with a dog smiled back, a chap running did too, two old ladies and a Chihuahua  chorused ‘Good Morning!’ back to me, one young lad gave me a wide berth- but he got smiled at all the same.

I think I used to do this more but I’ve gotten slack: I’d forgotten how easy it is to lift your mood by trying to lift someone else’s. Maybe I took it personally when I didn’t get a smile back, or too preoccupied with the thoughts in my head to notice other people. You can never really know the burden someone is carrying but a gentle reminder that they’re not alone in the world can go a long way. It is true that we’re often so tied up with our own thoughts to notice what other people are doing, but I do wonder what would happen if we all smiled a little more. We may have no idea what is going in someone’s life but a smile certainly never did any harm (well, unless you crack one when your mum is telling you off, or you’re having a passport photo taken.) It also makes you feel damn good. I will from now on, be smiling at will. Even when I’m going uphill (physically or metaphorically) I shall smile all the harder. Lighting up your face ignites a light in someone else, its literally contagious. Imagine if we could start a pandemic of happiness! 

Oh goodness, I think I’m coming down with something!

See if you can catch it too.

Rawsome Hot Cross Buns!

I love Easter! The smell of these warming spices fills the house and just makes you feel HAPPY! 

Buns:

3 Cups wet Almond Pulp (from milk) *

½ Cup Steel Cut Oats
2 Tablespoons Golden Flax Meal

1 Cup Sultanas

6 Dates

3 Oranges (you'll need the zest of one) 

2 Tablespoons of **Apple Pie Spice (no you probably haven’t heard of this, it’s something I bring in from the USA and sell at classes!) OR:

1.5 tsp of the following Fenugreek, Ginger, Nutmeg

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp of Lemon Powder (or the zest of one lemon will do)

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 tsp of Salt

*I do NOT suggested just blending almonds, they really need to be activated (soaked) for this recipe otherwise it can be pretty hard to digest.

**yes you could also just use Mixed Spice plus some extra Cinnamon, it’s a different flavour profile but will work fine, just taste as you go!

First, zest one orange and set zest aside, then juice all three oranges and soak the sultanas and dates, top with water to cover and leave for an hour or so.

Mix the steel cut oats so they become powdery and add everything else in a food processor (including soaking water but add gradually) until all ingredients come together to form a dough. 

Create a square on a dehydrator sheet, with a thickness of about 1-1.5 inches. Cut into buns. Dehydrate overnight on a mesh sheet, then separate each bun, glaze and put onto a mesh sheet for 2 hours.

Glaze:

Juice of one Lemon

2 Tablespoons Coconut Nectar

Sugar Dust:

Once you remove from the dehydrator, I like to dip in a light dusting of coconut sugar and cinnamon:

1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Mix together making sure there are no lumps. Dip in your buns one at a time.

Crosses:

½ Cup soaked Cashews

1/4 Cup Coconut Oil

1 Tablespoon Coconut Nectar

Pinch of Salt

1 little Water

Blend together till smooth (I find a personal blender ideal for this). Then put into an icing dispenser and make your crosses.