Happiness

I used to wake up with a nagging sense of guilt and shame that I forgotten to do something or had left some stone unturned that needed my immediate attention. Did I forget to pick up my son at school, floss my teeth, write that overdue thank you note?

If you are getting more noes than yeses when asking others for support, resources or important agreements, heads-up. Time to reverse the pattern!  First, let's check your yes rate. Thinking of the last requests you've made of others, a colleague, boss or customer (or spouse), what percentage of their responses were yes versus no?  That answer is your yes rate.

Two incidents, same suggestion - "Let it go." The first situation was in my yoga class. As we were lying on our mats, deeply breathing in and out, our instructor said, "Breathe in light, energy, abundance, and joy." That's a nice image. Then she said, "Breathe out anything that you need to let go of." That's another nice image. But how do we really do this?

Do you too find it difficult to make a decision?

For me it is agony and yet after a wonderful life, the result of many a difficult decision making crisis, surely I should know better.

I should have learned that it is not the decision, but how I live by that decision and I how let it shape my life.

I have a wood-burning fireplace in my living room that becomes play fireplace for our grandkids to roast marshmallows when they stay over in the winter. When it's got a bunch of logs burning in it, it will flat run you out of the house. We have several acres of trees on the place and only buy wood to supplement what I cut.

Something magical happens when a woman wears something she loves, whether it's a great pair of shoes, a tailored blouse, or a treasured necklace. Yes, she looks beautiful, but her smile also glows brighter and her steps become more powerful. While the right clothes and accessories make us lovely on the outside, that transformation is nothing compared to what happens inside.

About a year ago my husband and I fulfilled his dream - to purchase this land "in the country". Read between the lines - what's missing in the prior sentence?

My dreams.

Jennie Shortridge's novel, Eating Heaven, explores the importance of relationships. Protagonist, Eleanor Samuels works through complex issues with her self-absorbed mother, her older sisters, work, men, and her love-hate relationship with food.

You know lots of lucky dandelions. They are dealt the worst hand in Poker, yet still feel like a winner. With cups that appear half full, they find nourishment in the sidewalk cracks of life. Regardless of the balance in their bank accounts, evening news stories, report cards, or career setbacks, dandelions thrive.

Forget dieting! Try to maintain; don't gain.

Plan to indulge modestly. When you do, cheat bravely and without guilt.

Plan ahead and be flexible when your plans don't work out.

In 1997, Richard Carlson, PhD, published a little book that became a big phenomenon. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ...

It was a beautiful midsummer's night on the patio of an Italian restaurant on the Hill in Saint Louis. We were celebrating my mother's 79th birthday. The dinner was fantastic; we had our fill of locally grown fresh green salad, whole grain penne with a homemade marinara sauce and a perfectly cooked piece of Dover sole. Everyone seemed content, until my teenage son looked at his plate and screamed.

There's plenty of evidence that stress is bad for us. It's implicated in almost every disease either as a trigger or as an aggravating factor.

In Happy for No Reason, Ms. Shimoff provides seven steps to being happy. These seven steps help build your “Happiness Home” (gag…you must be kidding!) All steps focus internally; not on what you can acquire to be happy, or what others can do for you.

When I hear the word “transformation, ” I immediately think of the children’s book, A Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. In the book, a hungry caterpillar eventually transforms into a beautiful butterfly. This seemingly magical change is endlessly endearing to children and adults alike.