Simple Things You Can Do to Increase Your Happiness

There are some very simple things you can do today to increase your happiness.

1) Stop trying to be perfect. I was guilty of this for a very long time. I thought that everything I did had to be perfect. But I realized that I was not getting anything accomplished, and I was very unhappy. Allow yourself to be human. Imperfect. Flawed.

2) Stop watching too much television. I think that my DVR is a wonderful thing. Skipping commercials is great. However, I still only watch less than four hours of tv per week. You are missing out on your own life when you are watching tv.

3) Stop eating crappy food. Believe me, more fruits and veggies means more happiness. Read labels. If you cannot pronounce the ingredients in your food, do you really want to put that in your body?

4) Live within your means. Don't spend more than you make. Credit cards are your enemy. Do you really need to keep up with the Joneses? Does it really make you happy? Having money in my savings account makes me happy.

5) Be kind to others. When you do nice things for others, it makes you happy. No matter how busy you think you are, it is not an excuse for being rude to others. Treating everyone with respect and dignity will enrich your life more than any dollar amount could.

6) Live simply and quietly. When you stop running the rat race, you will be much happier. Take the time to live your life on your terms. Breathe. Relax. Do things that you want to do and have meaning for you.

What Would You Do If Failure Were Not An Option?

This is an interesting question that we should all ask ourselves. If you could not fail, what would you do with your life? What are your life goals? I want to be my own boss, so I am going to make a living from writing and photography. I want to travel, so I am going to see as much of this beautiful world as I can. I want to live in San Francisco, CA, so I am going to leave my life here in the midwest behind to move there. I am going to retire in Italy some day, so I need to save my money for my Italian villa. I want to help people, so I am going to be the best person that I can be and give of myself to others. I want to live a simple life. I never want to get caught up in the game of trying to acquire as many things as I can. I am only a very small part of the universe, and I want to do whatever I can to leave it a better place for having me in it.

Narcissism

Exreme self-centeredness is what caused Cho Seung-Hui to kill 32 people, along with himself, on the Virginia Tech campus. And I don't want to give him anymore time in the spotlight than he has already had. But I do want to talk about a troubling trend I see in this culture of materialism that I see all over the world. We are becoming a society of narcissists. We are all so busy trying to make money and keep up with the Joneses, we have all forgot that we are human beings, not money-making robots. In a world where people like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Donald Trump are looked upon like role models, instead of for what they really are-people desperate for fame and fortune and little else, we are in real trouble. Where are the people who serve in the Peace Corps, the people who give of their time and money every day to help others, the people who sacrifice of themselves to make the world a better place for everyone? Those are the people that I want to read about in magazines and hear about on the news. This world would be a much better place if we all lived by the Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If each and every person gave more thought to the plight of other human beings and cared about making this a pleasant place for everyone, this would be better than anything that money could buy. You just cannot buy the kind of happiness you get from being a compassionate, caring individual.

Be A Globally Sensitive Citizen

Everything we do here in the United States has an effect on the environment that not only we rely on but 6 Billion people and counting rely on for things like food, water, breathing and living. Every day that we drive to work in our giant, gas-guzzling cars, live in 10 room, 3,000 square foot homes that encroach on the forests and the wildlife, own a bunch of crap that we don't need or even use, we are destroying the environment for everyone, not just for ourselves. Every day that we don't bother to recycle, don't bother to trade our incandescent lightbulbs for compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), don't turn off our computers, don't buy locally grown fruits and vegetables, don't give to environmentally friendly causes, every day that we don't do something, someone in the world is suffering. Their home gets flooded by the nearby river, their crops won't grow because of the drought, they cannot leave their homes because they don't have clean air to breathe. Every week, there is a coal-fired power plant built in China. Their air is so polluted the government is going to ban driving during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Along with outsourcing our jobs and manufacturing capabilities, we have also been outsourcing our pollution. So if we emit 25% of the carbon into the atmosphere from the United States, imagine what we are responsible for emitting from Canada, Mexico, China, etc.? Being a Globally Sensitive Citizen means that you realize your actions have consequences for the environment that we all share and rely on, and that each and every day you try to be more a part of the solution than the problem.

April 22nd is Earth Day

I truly believe that every day should be Earth Day, but I feel like I am in the minority at times. A lot of people do not want to take global warming seriously, and to them I would say that it seems more responsible to take it seriously. Even if it is not as catastrophic as some scientists make it out to be, don't we have a responsibilty to the planet, to other species, to future generations, to step up and clean up the mess that we have made. Especially in the United States.

We are responsible for 25% of the world's CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, yet our government does not want to regulate businesses. Yet dozens of states are scrambling to pass their own CO2 reduction legislation. And recently, dozens of businesses sent a letter to the President asking him to regulate CO2 emissions. Even the businesses are waking up to the problem and their responsibilities.

What can we as individuals do to help? It is the little things that can add up to make a big difference. I do not own a car (never have and probably never will). I live near public transportation, and I walk a lot too. On the rare occasion when I needed a car, I simply rented one. I recycle at home and at work. I do not use paper towels to dry my hands in public restrooms (I air dry or jean dry). I turn off the lights when I am not in the room. I turn off my computer when I am not using it. I reuse plastic bags and containers. I shop at the farmer's markets (to save the gas that is used to truck or fly food around the country/world). I pay my bills online. I give to the NPCA (National Parks Conservation Association), because our National Parks are our national treasure. You can find just about any environmental charity you might be interested in giving to at www.networkforgood.org.
Remember to reduce, reuse and recycle, and make every day an Earth Day.

Spring Cleaning

Ok, it is officially Spring. I know some of us have been waiting for this longer than others-us in the midwest and those of you in the northeast. And with the new beginning for Mother nature comes a chance for all of us to have a new beginning.

So I have decided to clean out my life. I am decluttering and simplifying my existence. I have been exercising a great deal of mental and physical discipline for the past few months (I have lost 20 pounds), so I am doing well there.

Then there is fiscal discipline, which seems way harder to me than losing weight. I actually like eating healthy and exercising, but not buying a grande nonfat latte with an extra shot of espresso from Starbucks once or twice is a week is extremely difficult. However, I have been able to save money since I stopped mindlessly spending it.

The hardest thing ever, though, is having material discipline. And by that, I mean getting rid of 95% of the things you own. I am taking a good, hard look at my possessions. I am shredding on an almost daily basis, I am recycling tons of old papers and magazines, I am throwing things away without mercy. If it was in a box in my closet, then I no longer need it. If it was something that I had forgotten I had, I obviously no longer need it. If it once held sentimental value but no longer does, I do not need it. If it is a piece of clothing that I have not worn in months or even years, I do not need it. If it is a CD or movie that I have not listened to or watched in ages, I do not need it. Books are read only once (for the most part), so they can go too. Of course, I am going to sell and give away most of these things to do my part for the environment.

I feel lighter, freer, more positive about life because I feel more in control of myself and my environment. Use your new beginning wisely.

The 15 Questions to Ask a Future Mate

Some questions to ask someone you just met and are considering for a long-term relationship. You can ask some or all of these questions, or use them as a springboard to come up with some questions of your own.

1) What would you do for your mom on Mother's Day?
2) What is your dream car and why?
3) What is the one thing you absolutely need to do before you die?
4) What is the one thing that you are proudest of accomplishing?
5) What is the best gift you ever received/accepted and why?
6) Do you like animals? Do you have pets?
7) What is your dream job?
8) Have you ever been married? If so, how many times and why did it end?
9) How close are you to your family?
10) What is your favorite movie?
11) What is your favorite song?
12) Do you like to try different types of cuisines?
13) Do you like to travel? If you have never traveled, do you want to?
14) What was your major in college and why?
15) What pair of shoes do you wear the most and why?

10 Things Your Boyfriend Can Do For You

There are so many things that I want to say about boyfriends. The first thing I want to post is the top ten things that take 10 minutes or less a man can do for his woman:

1) Put down the toilet seat
2 Change the toilet paper roll (you have to put it on the roll.)
3) Pick the dirty clothes up off the floor
4) Put dirty clothes in the hamper (aka: the laundry)
5) Make the bed
6) Put dirty dishes in the sink
7) Wash the dirty dishes
8) Turn off the light when you leave a room
9) Wash the mirror and sink of your shave cream and toothpaste residue
10) Hand your woman the remote control

Inspiring Quote

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."-Margaret Mead

Inspiring TV and seeing the world

There is a good show on the Travel Channel called 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. It is on Thursdays at 8 pm CST. It is a one hour program. This newlywed couple is traveling to places like Hawaii, Alaska, Brazil. I love travel programs. The cheapest way to see the world is through travel programs. You get a better understanding of the world that we live in, get a glimpse of different ways of life and different cultures. The world is such a beautiful place, and everyone should get to travel in their lifetime. It will give you a new perspective on life. It will inspire you.

I studied abroad for one semester in Rome, Italy, and I was able to travel around Italy and other European countries. It changed me and changed my life. There is nothing more liberating than going wherever you want, whenever you want, with only a guidebook, passport, and money. I would go to cities and wander around with only a map and a vague plan. There is no better way to learn about yourself and to meet new and interesting people than to travel. It expands your view of the world, helps you see things in a new way.

Inspiring Movies

These movies cheer me up no matter how sad or depressed I might have been before.

Field of Dreams
Legally Blonde
Wedding Singer
While You Were Sleeping
Big
Dirty Dancing
Pretty Woman
50 First Dates
Ever After
Sliding Doors

These movies share the common theme that no matter what life may throw at you, if you stay true to yourself, follow your heart and strive after your dreams, you can have a fulfilling and happy life.

Inspiring Books

These books changed my life in a profound and positive way.

Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain by Sharon Begley. One word to know from this book-neuroplasticity. It is the ability to change your brain's structures and functions in a fundamental way throughout life. The conscious act of thinking about one's thoughts in a different way changes the very brain circuits that do that thinking. Such willfully induced brain changes require focus, training and effort. Changes come from within.

Authentic Happiness by Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D. The founder of the branch of Psychology known as Positive Psychology, he explains the scientific evidence that is being discovered that we can increasse our happiness set point by taking concrete steps in our lives. And he explains in great detail how to go about increasing your happiness set point, even including exercises to complete and surveys to gauge certain aspects of your personality. The website that goes along with the book is really great too (www.authentichappiness.org).

The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. This book was written before Positive Psychology was born. It is has a religious overtone, but it is full of practical advice for leading a more fulfilling, happy life through positive thinking. It is also full of useful exercises and uplifting ancedotes about people who changed their lives through positive thinking.

These are just a few of the books that have inspired me over the years. I actually read all three of these books in the past year. They inspired me to think more positively, and as a result, I have been happier and more positive things have come to pass.