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 […]
Feeling down? Don’t know why? It’s so hard to resolve feelings when we don’t know what’s causing them. Maybe we are dissatisfied with our home life? Or we don’t enjoy our jobs? Perhaps it’s because we’re in the wrong relationship or living in the wrong neighborhood? It’s possible these circumstances are contributing to our unhappiness. But […]
Understanding and articulating what we believe we are born to do – our unique life purpose – is one of the most powerful ways to focus our finite personal development energy in the right places. It’s also one of the most effective ways to begin to visualize and become our best selves. And when 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 […]
Many of us yearn to have more will power and admire people who seem to have an endless supply. Want to know some of their secrets? Read on.
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. So, let’s talk about […]
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, […]
Scientists have discovered a gene that makes some of us more likely to develop dementia. But there’s something in our control that can influence whether or not that gene expresses itself. Simply put, people who have the gene can help avoid dementia – just by embracing one simple concept and attitude: positive thinking and optimism. If […]
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 […]
Minimalism can have a surprisingly wide array of benefits – to both our physical and mental health, and it’s easy to explore the basics of adopting a minimalist approach to life. With a low risk and a high potential payout, it’s worth taking a bit of time to learn more about all the potential benefits […]
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 […]
Our brains are bombarded with information, constantly. Maybe it’s the latest updates on the supply chain. Or the economy. Perhaps it’s just a never-ending stream of work emails. Or too much input from family members and friends. Whatever it is, mixed in with all that information is a healthy dose of misinformation, too. Some of […]
We’re all naturally inclined to develop habits. And we can use this tendency to help us be kind to ourselves. Since we need to learn to be kind to ourselves to be genuinely kind to others, this is an important opportunity to take advantage of. So, let’s get right into it. Here’s how to use […]
For years, I thought happy people smiled often and were generally joyful. I also thought of them as being imbued with a sense of serenity and calm. Recently, I’ve come to realize that the graceful, steady state of being I’ve aspired to is not happiness at all. It is more aptly described by a different […]
When we forgive, we release emotions that cause stress and negativity. In fact, science has proven that when we release these negative emotions, our well-being immediately improves. The effect is long-lasting and others around us feel better, too. This makes forgiveness an amazingly powerful choice. But as we all know, forgiving people who have hurt […]
If we put other's needs before our own for too long, it can become challenging to remember what we enjoy doing. Here's how to snap out of this unhealthy pattern and remember how to be happy.
Welcome to How to Find Happiness in 10 Weeks or Less, Week 7: What You Need to Know about Healthy Relationships. “Our relationship with ourselves sets the tone for every other relationship in our lives.” – Robert Holden This quote says it all! What a perfect way for us to start off this post, which […]
Multi-tasking was once treated like a "silver bullet" - the solution to all the overwhelming demands on us. Now, the science has proven, multi-tasking is bad for us, and results in poorer outcomes. It's time to give it up. If we can.
Do you suffer from “comparisonitis“? It’s a difficult ailment to overcome. It’s easy to fall into the habit of making comparisons, especially comparing ourselves to others. We can find ourselves doing this related to family issues, finances, accomplishments, appearance; the list goes on and on. We may compare how popular we are to others, and […]
Many of us fear change and try to avoid it at all costs. New ideas make us nervous. We push back on suggestions to do things differently. Shifts to our routine make us uncomfortable. But it’s constant, there’s no getting away from it. It makes sense to try to make the best of it. To not […]
People are naturally driven to collect things. Some psychologists believe it’s our way of ‘imposing order on the world’. That it helps us cope with things that are outside of our control. I’ve never considered myself a collector. If anything, I’m more of a “thrower-outer”. Except I can’t seem to get enough cookbooks. My collection […]
Do You Believe In Destiny? Read this post to find out why it is simultaneously exciting and reassuring to know that the universe has something in mind for you, and how to go after it!
We often hear people say, “what goes around, comes around”, and many believe this is the essence of Karma. But karma involves much more than that. Reading a short article about the true meaning of karma was enough to make me want to keep researching it. What Karma Really Means Karma is a fundamental belief […]
