THANKS-Giving

Well, from the number of "Facebook-ers" who are partaking in the "share-something-you're-thankful-for-every-day-in-November-and-post-it-for-all-to-see" (there's got to be a better name for that), I'm pretty confident that most Americans get the whole "be thankful at Thanksgiving" connection.  Whether you love reading those posts or not, those folks are on to something... 

It wasn't that long ago, that I launched my own experiment called, "100 Days of Thank You." The experiment was just what it sounded like - I made a conscious effort to thank people every day for 100 days.  (You can check out the blog at 100daysofthankyou.blogspot.com).  While it turned out to be not that easy of a task, it certainly made me more aware of the good things that were going on in my life.  It is incredibly easy to focus on the negative things (I can't believe I got a flat tire!) and overlook the good things (how nice that someone pulled over to help me change my flat tire!). 

Practicing gratitude not only makes you feel better in the present, but actually is physically good for you.  Here is a snippet from my "100 Days of Thank You" blog, you may find interesting:

                "Practicing gratitude daily is healthy for your brain - it does all kinds of good things by sending good brain chemicals flying here & there.  It also sets the stage for other good things to happen in your brain.  That alone is exciting - but now hear this... people who have a generally pessimistic view towards the world die sooner.  Having a negative outlook on life is flat out bad for your heart.  There is something called a HRT (heart rate turbulence) that is apparently affected by your outlook towards the world (other things affect it, also).  Being a pessimist lowers your HRT and puts you at risk for cardiac disease."

With Thanksgiving being just around the corner, many people will stop posting what they're thankful for on Facebook every day.  However, hopefully they (and you!) will not stop noticing and appreciating all of the wonderful things in their life.  You don't have to launch your own "100 Days" experiment or buy 10,000 thank you notes & fill them out by Christmas.  Practicing gratitude can be as simple as keeping "good things"  journal,  or instead, share those same things with your spouse/significant other.  Like all things, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

So on Friday, November 25th, continue in the spirit of Thanksgiving, even though it won't be back for 365 days.  Find your best way to practice gratitude.  By doing so, you will be on your way to leading your happiest life!

     ~ To learn more about leading your happiest life, visit YourHappiestLife.com 

Happy By Default?

Have you ever thought, "I'm not unhappy, so I guess I'm happy." Or how about, "I have lots of things going for me - I should feel happy..."  It wasn't long ago, that I was thinking these same thoughts.  I didn't really have any major problems to speak of and I had a lot of good things going in my life.  So why did I just feel so blah about everything?  I knew I wasn't depressed (clinical depression is a serious medical condition that should be treated by your Dr.), but I had reached a point where I started feeling like every day was the same.  Because every day was the same.  Work, errands, home, bed, do it all again tomorrow.  My life was becoming increasingly predictable and I was getting bored. 

This situation I found myself in led me to do some research on how to "de-bored" myself and increase my happiness.  I've learned many things along the way (and continue to learn) but I can honestly say I am once again excited to get out of bed in the morning and see what the day will bring.  I am happy to report that these are all things that can be duplicated (read: you can do it, too!) to increase not only happiness, but general motivation and productivity.  To learn how you can increase the level of happiness in your own life, visit YourHappiestLife.com and stay tuned to YourHappiestLifeBlog for even more tips and tricks!