I don’t know about you, but the last few weeks have been busy, exhausting, exciting, challenging, scary, and yes, even a little bit depressing for me. There’s so much big, important stuff happening in my life and the world at large. There’s the election. The holidays are just around the corner. And that’s not even including everything that’s going on … Read More
Can you be too happy?
In addition to being able to hit rock bottom emotionally, we humans can also hit an emotional ceiling. Despite having a biological mechanism that is constantly seeking to find pleasure and avoid pain, some have also discovered an emotional mechanism that starts shutting down the pleasure if it gets overloaded. Did you hear that right? Yes, that means it is … Read More
How to handle personal problems when you have to work
A few years ago, right around Thanksgiving, the relationship I was in ended very abruptly. I discovered a big deal-breaker between us that I was not able to handle, and he reacted very badly to my bringing it up. Physical threats were made, police were called, and the whole thing had to end right then and there. It was a … Read More
The Power of Gratitude
Many of us think of gratitude around Thanksgiving, and we count our blessings for a few days or maybe a few weeks. The rest of the year we leave this wonderful tool gathering dust in our hearts and minds without awareness of what a gift it truly is. Gratitude brings comfort and joy to life. Gratitude provides perspective in difficult … Read More
7 ways you create unhappiness
For years I was unhappy with my life. Overall I had a positive attitude but I felt trapped by the circumstances of my life. I tried to look on the bright side but I was still mostly unhappy. What is happiness? How happy or unhappy I feel is determined by the way I relate to the world. My behavior creates … Read More
Living and loving the life you have
I wasn’t happy most of my life. I worried about what what other people thought of me. I attached my well-being to other people’s behavior. I was troubled by my thoughts and feelings. I worked hard every day to be perfect, to be worthy, to be whole. I wanted a better life yet I believed I wouldn’t be happy until… … Read More
How to find beauty in life’s ups and downs
Coming off a “down” last week, I was struck by the beauty of life. Faced with a difficult family situation I was overcome with sadness, frustration, and anger. I struggled with the situation for several days, on the edge of tears much of the time. After several difficult days I found a renewed sense of purpose and motivation in my … Read More
11 Ways To Improve Your Life Today
For years I hung on to bad habits that made my life a lot harder than it needed to be. While I was a positive and optimistic individual, I continued to cause myself a lot of discomfort and suffering because of my habits. I started living a better life when I replaced negative habits with positive habits. I had to … Read More
Stop trying to please others
I’ve spent most of my life trying to please everyone and my results were less than ideal. I just wanted everyone to be happy, and I wanted people to like me. My efforts to please others did not make other people happy, didn’t make people like me, and I was downright miserable! Today I heard someone say, “you can’t make … Read More
25 Ways to Get a Happiness Boost!
Some days I need a happiness boost! You know, just a little pick me up that carries me through a difficult day. Although I cultivate habits of happiness there are still times I find myself in a funk and need to snap out of it! Giving myself a happiness boost is about more than just feeling good- it’s about making … Read More