Very exciting news! The documentary film is out. And available free for you.

Today I received very exciting news... It's been years in the making and at last the award-winning documentary film "Resolve" is out. (You will see me featured in it along with nine others as we share solutions for successfully overcoming adversity and post-traumatic stress - PTSD.) If you or a loved one is experiencing PTSD "this can be from the stress of war, shootings, catastrophic burns, loss of a child, paralyzing accidents, athletic injuries, emotional trauma or financial ruin" I am honored to share this film. It is produced and directed by Greg Strom and so  generously offered by him for free at this link:  Click here - Please share. This feature length film was hosted by the Head of Special Forces for the US Military in Afghanistan. You will also hear from Oz Sanchez (Gold medalist in the Beijing Paralympics), Lucia Rijker (World Champion kick boxer), and Shannon Hartnett (World Champion Athlete) along with other very special people. This film was edited exquisitely by Neil Sandilands. Thank you Greg Strom for creating something that can help so many people. You are amazing.

Three of My Secrets for Happiness

1) Embrace the idea that joy and pain exist side-by-side. Even if our lives are going well, there may be a loved one who is sick, or we may have pain from a difficult relationship, or regret from our past. First, our pain needs our love. Then...alongside that...try this... Imagine that you have a mountain of your pain in one hand - and your joy is in the other hand. Focus on the joy, even if it is the smallest thing. Then build your joy - grow it and nourish it - so much, that eventually your joy towers over your pain.

2) We have to be warriors for love.  I learned something beautiful about love from the martial art Aikido. Traditional Aikido teaches that when attacked, you do not attack back. Instead you redirect the force from your opponent to neutralize the charge and to restore their dignity. The intention is to create peace, to protect everyone from injury, including the attacker.

3) Tenacity, determination, courage, feistiness. Never give up. It's the synergy of these two qualities - love and guts - that creates total aliveness.

© 2011 Allison Massari

"Happiness" - Hand-colored monotype by Allison Massari. To see more of her artwork click here.

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