Need a Smile? Watch This....

Enjoy:



Smiling is contagious you know. :)

50 Ways to Find Joy

Joy. You know what's joyful? Sitting at work today and having one of my friend "tweet" the following:

Thanks, @pinkbirdi, for passing along "50 ways to find joy" - http://is.gd/TDbk

I read the list in full and thanked him for giving me something to post about tonight. So here dear readers are my favorite from the list of 50 ways to find joy and brighten your day:

2 Get outside. Whenever you feel bored, antsy, or gloomy, go for a walk. The fresh air, changing scenery, and exercise will boost your mood.

6 Build someone's future. Volunteer with a local charity. To find a nonprofit or tax-exempt organization near you, visit www.volunteermatch.org.

10 Know you're loved. There's no greater joy.

16 Keep in touch. Write a friend. Use your best pen and beautiful stationery. Realize that you are actually sending love.

32 Meditate while you walk. Stroll through a familiar part of town and focus your mind on its sights, smells, and sounds. If other thoughts pop up, acknowledge them but return your concentration to what's around you. [I really need to do this more often!]

36 Paint a picture. You don't have to create a masterpiece. Buy some inexpensive watercolors and a pad of paper, and let the colors guide you.

37 Croon in your car. Stash a cassette tape whose lyrics you know by heart in your glove compartment. When you're stuck in traffic, play it and sing along as loud as you can. [this has saved my life - also I do this every single day]

47 Bake cookies. And bring them to work.

> Read the full list of 50 here (bnet.com)

Related Sublime Goodness Posts:

• The Key to Happiness...But You Won't Believe It
• More Secrets to Happiness
  
• The Secret to Happiness: Seven Ways to Savor Life
• Happiness Habit: Routines to Make Your Life Richer & More Productive
• Five Surprising Happiness Habits that Could Change Your Life

The Key to Happiness...But You Won't Believe It

I came across this intriguing article and had to share it with you. At first the notion of "talking to strangers" seems obvious when reading it, but upon further reflection...how often do you really do it?

A Harvard professor says he knows the secret to happiness and is ready to share it with the world.

Unfortunately, nobody believes him.

The secret, according to psychology professor Daniel Gilbert, is to ask a total stranger.

"In some common situations, surprisingly, the best way to know what will make you happy is to find somebody who is already in the situation you're contemplating and see how happy they are," Gilbert told CTV.ca in a recent interview.

"Obviously, you and other people are different but the differences between people seem to be relatively small."

....he said people should trust their own imagination less and trust other people's experiences more.

"Don't fall for the mistaken idea that you are so different from other people that their experience has little to teach you," Gilbert said.

"You and other people have a lot in common."

So, if you want to become a lawyer, stop daydreaming. Instead, go find a lawyer.

"All you have to do is find one person who is a lawyer and you're already going to have more information about what it's like to be one than you could ever generate on your own," Gilbert said.

"That's not just true for being a lawyer, it's also true for moving to Cleveland, eating apple pie, marrying Andrea, and every other thing that you can possibly name."

But what if nobody else has been married to Andrea?

"Well then you're out of luck aren't you?"

> Read the full article

You might also like these related Sublime Goodness posts:

• More Secrets to Happiness
  
• The Secret to Happiness: Seven Ways to Savor Life
• Happiness Habit: Routines to Make Your Life Richer & More Productive
• Five Surprising Happiness Habits that Could Change Your Life

* Hat tip to Happytweets for the tip on this story

More Secrets to Happiness

My secret to being happy? To love and be loved - the rest will come easy.

Here are two posts I've come across today that also give a few secrets (and non-secrets):

> 10 Non-secrets to Happiness

> The Zen Millionaire's 14 Secrets to Happiness (yes, from MarketWatch!)

My favorite ideas from the above:

• Do something nice for yourself.
• Do something for someone, without expecting anything in return.
• Eat something you love to eat, at least once a week.
• Happiness is getting lost in whatever you're doing.
• Happiness is more a bunch of little moments than big deals.
• Happiness is not being attached to money and stuff.

You might also like these related Sublime Goodness posts:

• The Secret to Happiness: Seven Ways to Savor Life
• Happiness Habit: Routines to Make Your Life Richer & More Productive
• Five Surprising Happiness Habits that Could Change Your Life
  

* Hat tip to Happytweets for the Zen Millionaire article.

5 Surprising Happiness Habits That Could Change Your Life

Happiness. Pursue it. If you are a regular reader, you know how much I like short little articles with some great takeaways. A few days ago, I came across "5 Surprising Happiness Habits That Could Change Your Life" from Hotel Seoul Korea:

Most of us avoid doing anything that remotely scares us. That’s a shame because doing something scary every day is one of five surprising happiness habits that could change your life.

If you want to be happier, try looking for opportunities to do something scary. In doing so, you won’t just be taking my advice but the advice of former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt who said, “Do one thing every that scares you.” You will know when you are scared. Recognize your fear, acknowledge it and then do whatever it is anyway. I once confronted my own fears by plummeting 500 feet in a bungee jump. Talk about scary and exhilarating! What scares you?

I don't know how realistic it is to do something scary every day, but shooting for once a week sounds doable. I also like her idea to celebrate one success every single day - now that I can do every night before bed!

> Read the full article here

You might also like these related Sublime Goodness posts:

• The Secret to Happiness: Seven Ways to Savor Life
• Happiness Habit: Routines to Make Your Life Richer & More Productive

* Hat tip to Happytweets for the tip on the "surprising" story

The Secret to Happiness: Seven Ways to Savor Life

In the spirit of a recent post on small routines you can undertake to make your life richer, I came across a similar article with some great idea that I have to share.

St. George Magazine (Southern Utah) details seven "science-backed strategies you can do right away to boost your well-being." Scientifically proven! My favorite ideas that they list:

• starting a journal to reflect on daily positive experiences (I say, why not a blog?)
• paying it forward (obvious, but try it for a week and you'll be blown away)
• writing a letter
  
• learning something new (I've started this blog in late December and the experience has been fantastic!)

Intrigued? Read the short piece here and get ready to change and be happy.

* Hat tip to happytweets again for this article

Happiness Habit - Routines to Make your Life Richer & More Productive

Happiness. I came across the following article today that I wanted to share with all of you. It details some great routines you can do throughout the year to "improve your life by creating a few simple traditions that honor your heart and help you connect with people you care about." It seems to be written mostly for women, but the rituals such as the dinner exchange (my favorite idea!), chore team ups, the annual retreats, and the daily habits are ones anyone can enjoy.

> Read it here at MSN Health & Fitness

Bonus link - Tips on Living A Long, Happy Life

READ HAPPY - Here are some links to blogs to read about happiness to help keep you...happy:

• Positive Psychology Blogs @ Alltop
• Inspiration Blogs@ Alltop
  

PS - Relax & relieve stress with these breathing exercises from Dr. Andrew Weil.

Hat tip to Happytweets for the Happiness Habit story