Many strategies to boost happiness encourage us to “let go”. The message is often that we should let go of negative emotions like anger, resentment, pain and hurt. But letting go of any feeling is challenging for most of us. We often have a particularly hard time when we try to let go of the […]
Back in high school science, we were presented with a kind of riddle. We were given a range of materials to use and were asked to attempt to fill a jar to its absolute fullest potential. The gist of the assignment was, given the materials we had, which included rocks, pebbles, sand and water, how […]
Do you ever find yourself craving a sense of purpose that ignites your soul and propels you forward with unwavering determination? When you learn to follow your heart, it often leads us to moments of genuine fulfillment and boundless joy. But in a world brimming with expectations and obligations, it’s all too easy to lose […]
We have talked before about how doing new things helps boost happiness. Those with an innate sense of curiosity are usually those most likely to try new things. It’s interesting that curiosity leads us to explore things that are unknown to us. Not only does curiosity prompt us to venture into uncharted waters; in some […]
I’ve studied wellness and have read oodles of psychology, motivational and self-help books. I’ve experimented with well-being and wellness tactics and strategies and explored various approaches with colleagues and friends. Based on what I’ve learned, I’ve come up with a recipe that I call the “Secret Sauce” for well-being. It includes 7 basic ingredients we […]
Life is so busy. We all have responsibilities such as family and work that must be attended to and require the majority of our time and attention. To offset this busyness and resulting stress, many of us are constantly seeking strategies and secrets about how to be calmer. Any ideas are worth considering, just to […]
Scientists say we enter a state of “flow” when we are fully absorbed in something we’re doing. Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi , a positive psychologist first came up with the term flow in the 1970s. His definition: “the mental state where we are so immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the […]
What possesses a healthy person to anonymously donate a kidney to a stranger? They will not be paid or rewarded. There will be no publicity. No public or even private praise. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Yet people do things like this. All the time. It would be amazing if these acts of generosity happened more […]
The world needs more happy people. Hard to argue with that, isn’t it? Just listen to the news or look around in traffic or at the store to appreciate how true it is. It seems like it should be simple. But it’s easy to be confused when we think about happiness. Today, we discuss what […]
It troubles us when we think we have done someone harm. We feel the need to apologize for our actions or behavior. It preoccupies us and we may even obsess over it. What to say, how to say it, how to make up for our wrongdoing. As common as it is to feel this way, […]
Self-compassion is the term used for being compassionate to ourselves. When we practice self-compassion, we extend the same tolerance and kindness to ourselves as we do to others. For example, we withhold judgment and criticism of ourselves when we make a mistake or notice something about ourselves we don’t like. We treat ourselves with the […]
On a beautiful Saturday morning a few weeks ago, I was wandering around a farmer’s market. I saw a booth about a Chinese Symphony. Since I had never heard of a Chinese Symphony, I had to go find out more. I met a man who told me all kinds of interesting things about the history […]
Not many years ago, the pace of change was somewhat fairly modest. We usually had time to acclimate to new ways of thinking and new ways to do things. But those days are gone. Something can now be invented, trend on Twitter and sweep the globe in minutes. Improvements to technology and apps, and even […]
Welcome to How to Find Happiness in 10 Weeks or Less, Week 4: What Is My Purpose? Answers to the Most Important Question Ever. Discovering what we were born to do is highly motivating and a key to improving our well-being. When we discover our life purpose, everything we do has more meaning, and even […]
Much has been written about the power of positive thinking. A well-known quote describes how the impact of positive thinking extends far beyond our thoughts. It goes something like this: “Watch your thoughts, for they become your words; watch your words, for they become your actions; you must watch your actions, for they become your […]
Positive affirmations are often the target of ridicule. Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers may remember a particular regular segment on Saturday Night Live that featured a character named Stuart. Stuart attempted to convince himself of his worthiness by chanting positive statements into the mirror. A whole collection of “catch phrases” came out of that series. One […]
