Look for the Helpers, Be a Helper
Two ways to boost your mood during these difficult weeks are to notice all of the wonderful things people are doing to help others and to find ways that you,
Finding the Good
Last week I had a pretty traumatic accident. I almost cut the tip of my finger off with a hand blender. I know, what??? I’m not exactly sure how
A Powerful Path to Self-Control
Self-control is about sacrificing something now in order to gain something in the future. The ability to resist temptation is essential for success. Typical suggestions for increasing self-control include relying
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
One of the best things you can do to increase your happiness is to stop making social comparisons. I realize this is easier said than done. We are social creatures
Thank You for Celebrating with Me!
A few years ago I wrote a blog post about the benefits of celebrating the success of others. In it I explained how responding positively to someone else’s good
Have You Thanked Your Role Models?
Today is the 5-year anniversary of my blog. I’m surprised I have kept it up for this long. But it is more surprising that I even started. I had
Don't Just Feel It, Say It!
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward Many of us will be counting our blessings next week as we
Sochi Olympics, All About the “Spoice”
When Sage Kotsenburg won a gold medal in slopestyle, his message was to “keep it spoice!” According to the urban dictionary, “spoice is an exclamation of gratitude towards life. It’
Peace of Mind Matters
Peace of mind matters for your well-being. There are two things you can start doing right now to lower your stress. First is mindfulness, which is simply paying attention to
Embrace Vulnerability
One of my favorite TED Talks is Brené Brown on the power of vulnerability. Clearly I’m not the only one who likes it because it has over a million
Saying Goodbye with Gratitude
The movers are coming tomorrow. I think I’m ready. But it is so hard to say goodbye! I could easily have spent the last three months wallowing in the
Take up Something Positive for Lent
Giving something up for Lent is a Christian practice that is supposed to remind us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. But that sacrifice was to show us how
Make Every Day a Day of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday! A time to spend with friends and family and to reflect on all that we are grateful for. The only problem is that it
3 Tips for Calming Your Mind
Rick Hanson recently wrote a series of blogs that I found fascinating. In them he explains how we can calm our mind for greater peace and happiness based on an
Smile Because it Happened
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss We recently returned from a fabulous summer vacation. We visited beautiful places and spent quality time with
Be Grateful, Be Generous and Be Prepared
In my last blog I discussed the first 2 principles for gaining confidence that Tim Sanders shares in his book, Today We Are Rich. Here are 3 more: The third
Positivity Puts the Brakes on Negativity
Negative emotions are bad for us. When we experience stress, anger or fear our body generates chemicals that have harmful effects on our body. The health risks of negativity include
Discover Your Path to Happiness
Studies have identified many strategies for increasing positivity, yet there is no one true path to happiness. Research shows that different individuals benefit from different strategies. So in order to
Celebrate What's Right
According to Dewitt Jones, a photographer for National Geographic, “celebrating what’s right with the world keeps us open to possibilities and gives us energy.” When he is on a
Beat the Holiday Blues by Practicing Positivity
The holidays are a festive time of year when families come together and everyone is happy. Or not. The truth is that for many people the holidays can be a
Yoga, Neck Pain, and Being Intentionally Positive
The need to be intentionally positive came to me very clearly the other day in my yoga class. It was the day before Thanksgiving, so our teacher asked us to
An Attitude of Gratitude
There is strong scientific evidence for the impact of gratitude on positivity. Gratitude boosts positivity by increasing the frequency of pleasant emotions you experience as you think about all that
Positivity is Good for Relationships
Most of us are fortunate enough to spend the holidays with friends and family. I feel blessed to be writing this blog from my parent’s home! Since many of