Month: June 2019

If your boss never notices you, buy her a cup of coffee and that might change. Or just buy your boss coffee as a spontaneous act of thoughtfulness. You may not to- tally love her, but consider what it might be like to do her job. It is unlikely that your boss was hired because of some kind of like ability quotient—she was prob- ably hired because she had the right credentials, experience, and know-how to do whatever the job entails. If you find your work challenging and stressful at times, imagine what your boss feels. Wouldn’t you just love to have someone buy you a cup of coffee when you felt challenged, frustrated, glum, unfocused, behind schedule, or stressed? So buy that cup of coffee for your boss and put a smile on both of your faces. 

Imagine bundling up in a sweater and scarf on a chilly spring or fall morning and riding horseback along a beach past crashing waves. Or imagine riding through a leafy forest glade, replete with dew-laden spider webs and small critters scurrying out of your path. The world looks and feels different from the back of a horse. Horseback riding seems to heighten your senses of sight, smell, and touch. You’ll even get a bit of a workout—riding at a full gallop requires you to use those thigh muscles as well as your feet and hands to stay in the saddle! No matter your pace, the joy you feel seated atop a horse and observing the world is what makes this activity truly worth it. 

Instead of having the usual dinner with your significant other or relatives, why not plan a birthday bash that you’ll never forget? Perhaps you want to fly to London to shop at Harrods and then go to the theater district to see a play. What are you waiting for? Book the trip. You only live once. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to go mountain climbing or scuba diving or skydiving. Get on the Internet, find out what’s involved, and do it. Whatever you do, do it your way and enjoy every minute of it. 

For a quick dose of happiness, gather up that loose change in the cushions of your couch or lying around the house and give it to a good cause. By some estimates, the average American household has as much as $90 lying under sofa cushions, in dresser drawers, and even in the laundry room (where a lot of it comes out in the wash). There are myriad ways to donate your loose change: drop the coins into charity boxes at grocery store checkout lines, give it to your church or temple, or simply donate it to your favorite charitable organization. Happiness researchers say that when you perform selfless acts of generosity for others, you increase your happiness. 

The statement “I am proud of you!” is something people don’t hear very often, yet hearing it does so much for the recipient’s self-esteem. Be generous with your encouragement and praise! It costs you nothing and can mean happiness for those who hear it. Through your example, you can show others that happiness isn’t necessarily being successful at work, having lots of money, or having the latest car model in your garage. 

Everyone has faults, but that doesn’t mean you are stuck with yours. Pick a fault you would like to change or eliminate. First, be completely honest with yourself and examine what faults you have. Are you a gossip? Do you have a quick temper and a short fuse? Do you procrastinate and avoid facing problems until they’ve snowballed out of control? Are you still blaming others for the things that are wrong with your life? Choose to fix what you don’t like about yourself. See goodness in yourself and others.

Sharing a meal with friends is one of the most pleasurable activities known to human kind, so why not invite some friends over and make your own food? Host a hands-on sushi-making party. Tell each person to invite someone else too. You get the supplies (sushi rice, nori or seaweed sheets, crab, cucumber, avocado, and other fillings). Explain the directions: each person puts the rice on a strip of nori, adds the desired filling, rolls the sheet, wets one end and wraps it over the other to seal it closed, and then cuts the roll into several pieces. Then everyone can share their creations, talk, laugh, and eat together. Sake, anyone? 

Like the old saying goes, you are what you eat. If you want to be happier, then you better start eating some good-for-you food! Junk food will weigh you down and depress your moods, whereas healthier foods will improve your body and brain health and lead to you feeling happier and more energized. Omega-3 fatty acids are especially good for your brain health and are necessary for survival, yet your body doesn’t produce them. You need to get them in the foods you eat, such as in fish like halibut, herring, salmon, sardines, snapper, swordfish, and tuna. Other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are flaxseed and walnuts, wheat germ, pumpkin, and spinach. If you want a healthy heart and you want food for your brain, eat your omega-3s. 

Sure, your work is pretty satisfying, but you still want recognition for those big accomplishments and milestones. Draw the fame you desire by using the law of at- traction. Before you retire for the night, take five minutes to clear your mind. Focus. Use your imagination to create a scenario in which you are receiving accolades, praise, and ovations. Now add emotions to your imagined scene. Concentrate on your feelings and mood as you listen to the words others are saying about your achievements. Your subconscious doesn’t know real experiences from imagined ones—according to the law of attraction, you just have to believe the experience can be yours and then supercharge it with emotion in order for it to manifest in your life. Let those happy feelings permeate your dreams and your subsequent time at work.

Your boyfriend walks out on you. Your dog dies. Your new car is totaled by a tree limb. Your boss announces layoffs and your name is on the list. Some days, it seems that nothing goes right. But change is certain, and things can and do get better. Think of two ways your life could change in positive ways! A new partner walks into your life . . . with dogs. Your new job comes with a car. Life is good and you are on top of the world. Relish the thought!