Category Archives: Happiness

4 Easy, Don’t-Overthink-It Ways To Change Your Life

Do you feel you want to change your life? Like you need to shake things up, do something different, feel different? You don’t have to sign up for a week-long intensive workshop, buy a library of self-help books, or commit to some dramatic gesture in order to start change happening in your life. You don’t […]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

It’s Not The Definition Of Insanity But It’s Still Pretty Crazy

The Definition Of Insanity – Not So Much The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This quote must be true because it was said by someone super-smart. Einstein, right? Benjamin Franklin? Um, Mark Twain? No, no, and nuh-uh. Oh okay. Then doing the same thing over and over again and expecting […]

7 Simple Ways To Feel More Confident

7 Simple Ways To Feel More Confident

Feeling confident helps us to do more, be more, and give more to others.  The following 7 simple strategies can help you to feel better about yourself – and that can help make you more productive, motivated, and effective. So why not pick at least one strategy that you can use today… 1. Dress Your Best Sure your appearance can affect how others perceive you, but what […]

Happiness prescription

10 Things To Do Every Day: A Prescription For Happiness And Personal Organization

Sometimes life’s little tantrums make it hard to keep your cool. You get sick, you face one problem after another, your goals stall, your relationships struggle… You can start to feel disorganized, frustrated, in a rut… So what can you do to keep yourself afloat? I suggest a daily checklist that will help you feel as though you’re hanging in there and doing okay. Keep the checklist simple and achievable. It shouldn’t add to […]

5 Ways To Increase Your Self-Esteem

The way you feel about yourself is a tricky thing. No one wants to be egotistical or overconfident. But most us are more likely to err in the opposite direction – to be unsure, self-doubting, lacking in self-esteem. A library of self-help books and/or years of therapy can maybe help. But for a simpler approach, you […]

Staycation Benefits

3 Great Reasons To Take A Staycation

Earlier this month a took a week off. I went away for my previous vacation and didn’t particularly enjoy it, so this time I decided to make it a staycation. And I’m glad I did! I spent most of my week catching up with friends, watching DVDs, reading, and generally lounging around. It was wonderfully […]

7 Ways To Spring Clean Your Self

7 Ways To Spring Clean Your Mind

  With a change of season upon us, now’s a great time for a spot of spring cleaning. But instead of focussing on the external environment, let’s start with ourselves. By tidying up mental habits and self-talk on the inside, we can make life a lot more happy and ordered on the outside too. Here are 7 simple but powerful ways to spring clean your mind. […]

How To Be Happier

There’s Only One Way To Be Happier – And This Is It

The Um, Joy of Happiness Did you know that happiness is associated with all kinds of cool benefits? They include: Physical & mental health Coping skills Resilience Work satisfaction Good relationships – with colleagues, friends, and loved ones Long life Immune system strength Liking yourself Altruism Liking others Effective conflict management. That means happiness isn’t […]

We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us - Joseph Campbell

Letting Go Of The Life We Planned

  Sometimes we hold so tightly to things or situations or people. We fear the unknown. We doubt we can cope without them. Better the devil we know! But when we do finally let go of the job, the person, the conviction to which we’ve clung till our knuckles are ragged, we often find something more wonderful […]

Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway

I Did A Very Scary Thing (Or, Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway)

This week I did something that scared the pants off me. Fortunately not my actual pants, but my figurative pants. My figurative capri pants. I sang a song. In front of a relative stranger. With my neighborhood-cats-are-crying singing voice. Why, you may ask, would I inflict this aural abuse on someone? One of my personal […]

Keep your thoughts positive - Gandhi

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Destiny

Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny. ~ Gandhi If we want happier […]

3 Surprising Things I Am Grateful For

3 Crappy Things I’m Grateful For

  You know how things happen that hurt, disappoint, or frustrate you? And then later you look back and see that something good came out of the bad stuff? The sooner you can find that silver lining, that positive spin, the happier you’ll be. Lately I’ve been thinking about some of the things I’ve been upset […]

You’re Not Gonna Tell Me Who I Am

Earlier this week I shared an image and quote on Facebook about not letting others’ (nonconstructive) negative comments hurt you. It obviously struck a nerve, generating many hundreds of likes, shares and comments. So when I saw this video, I couldn’t wait to share it too. Because this girl embodies the attitude of that post […]

5 Things You Must Do To Avoid Deathbed Regrets

When you’re about to leave this mortal coil, you want to have a sense of peace. To feel you’ve lived a good life, whatever you believe that to be. To look back and have no regrets. Presumably we all feel this way, yet many people seem to harbor the same concerns as they approach their […]

How To Be Happier: Diversify Your Happiness

For many years I worked in financial services. (Don’t worry, I’ve recovered. 🙂 ) One investment strategy forever burned into my brain is to diversify your assets. You know: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. It makes sense – baskets get dropped, markets rise and fall. If you’ve put everything into one area, […]

15 Relationship Lessons From 15 Years Of Marriage

Wednesday is my wedding anniversary – 15 years. I find that hard to grasp, maybe because most days I feel about 12. But also, it’s a long time, right? A long time to be in this intimate, intense situation with the same person. So I thought I’d write about some of the things I’ve learned. […]

So Long 43, And Thanks For All The Suckiness

Last September I turned 44. I was deeply relieved, as my year of being 43 was my. worst. ever. But for all the rich suckiness that those 12 months contained, there was lots to be thankful for. Thanksgiving seems like an apt occasion for reflecting on the good that comes out of the bad. So […]

How To Get What You Want: 3 Dos & Don’ts

Well, yes – it’s likely you’ll get exactly what you want most of the time if you’re as adorable as this little charmer. But even if you score a little lower on the cuteness scale, there are things you can do to radically increase your chances of getting what you want. If you find yourself […]

Gratitude

Giving Thanks: 5 Little Notes Of Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends! In the spirit of this day, I thought I’d share 5 things I’m feeling especially grateful for. Remember, feeling grateful makes you happier – so think about what you’re thankful for, too. (BTW – Have you downloaded your free Gratitude List?) 5 Thank-You Notes Dear Mean, Mega-Ambitious Person At […]