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What is Your Quality of Life? Or, How Happy Are You?
The following categories are generally used to measure quality of life: Health Self-esteem Goals and values, or philosophy of life Standardof living Work Recreation Learning Creativity Helping or social service and civic action Love relationship Friendships Relationshipswith children Relationshipswith relatives Home Neighborhood Community … Read entire article »
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What is Happiness?
The dictionary definition of happiness is “a feeling of well-being and contentment.”[i] Others define happiness as a state of being determined by how satisfied one thinks one is and how much one … Read more »
Happiness Is a Decision!
The happiness experts state that we can become happier if we engage in certain activities (e.g. socializing, being thankful, experimenting new things, etc.). But engaging in particular activities doesn’t seem to be … Read more »
About Pleasure…
Scholars have noted that a lack of pleasure in life leads to particular emotional and mental states. Depression, schizophrenia, addiction, anxiety, obesity have been reported to be indicative of a “missing ability … Read more »
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How To Survive Hard Times
Everyone faces hard times at some point or another. Economic uncertainty, strained family relationships, or health problems, are just a few examples of hard times that come to mind. Hardships have one … Read more »
How Satisfied Are You With Your Life?
On a scale of 0 to 10 (0 = Very Dissatisfied; 5 = Neutral; 10 = Very Satisfied), How satisfied are you with your life as a whole? Sometimes a simple question reveals a … Read more »
5 Steps to Reducing Anxiety
These practices have changed my life. Next time you are feeling anxious, or any other negative feeling, try the following: Identify what you are feeling (anxiety, fear, sadness, etc.) Say to yourself “I am … Read more »
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The Past and Behavior: Is There Something More To It?
I have been functioning under the assumption that we need to understand our past in order to change our present. It is common for therapist to agree that if someone isn’t aware of their “issues” in regards to their past, that we will repeat the same dysfunctional patterns of behavior. If I tend to choose mates who are violent and I am not aware of the fact that it is partly because of my history with my over-controlling and critical mother, for example, that I will continue to choose violent partners. I’ve spent years upon years analyzing the influence of past behaviors on current behaviors. I know that it is extremely … Read entire article »
What is Happiness?
The dictionary definition of happiness is “a feeling of well-being and contentment.”[i] Others define happiness as a state of being determined by how satisfied one thinks one is and how much one is growing. Then again, others feel happiness is a decision – you can only be as happy as you decide to be. Psychologist Martin Seligman provides the acronym PERMA to summarize Positive Psychology’s correlational findings: humans seem happiest when they have Pleasure (tasty foods, warm baths, etc.), Engagement (or flow, the absorption of an enjoyed yet challenging activity), Relationships (social ties have turned out to be extremely reliable indicator of happiness), Meaning (a perceived quest or belonging to something bigger), and Accomplishments (having realized tangible goals). [i] Retrieved from Merriam-Webster dictionary online www.merriam-webster.com on 1/15/11. … Read entire article »
To Make New Ground or Refine What Has Already Been Done?
I have always thought that the way to go about life was through innovation. This interview makes me question, but I’ve resolved to believed that, as with anything else, it is a bit of both. However, I am thankful that this short quote will make me stop and reconsider changing paths without contemplating refinement of what I have, or others, have already done. From An Interview with Art Garfunkel: I’m a mathematician who’s anal-compulsive. So I don’t want to freshen up the song each performance. To me, singing is execution. You don’t throw out what you’ve learned to execute. You refine what you’ve learned. And I run into a difference of opinion with Paul on this. When … Read entire article »
Thinking Too Much Leads To Unhappiness
Researchers have found that people who think too much, or dwell, on the negatives in life, are less happy than those who do not[1]. So much so, that those who are prone to dwelling spiral downwards quicker when they face negative life stressors. “Ruminative, intrusive thoughts have been found to deplete people’s cognitive resources” Having negative thoughts is not good for our happiness, but yet negative thoughts pervade our lives. I find myself having negative thoughts several times a day. If you pay attention, you may find that you are having negative thoughts more often than you would like to acknowledge. Dwelling on the negative is like everything else in life, the more you do it, the worse … Read entire article »
How To Survive Hard Times
Everyone faces hard times at some point or another. Economic uncertainty, strained family relationships, or health problems, are just a few examples of hard times that come to mind. Hardships have one thing in common: they create a sense of desperation and uncertainty. Hard times can make most of us emotionally unstable and maybe even depressed. Depression is the last thing one needs when facing difficult times. How can we make sure we don’t make things worse by becoming sad, withdrawn, and defeated when we are faced with hard times? Read More … Read entire article »
6 Ways to Conquer the Fear of Rejection
Harvey Mackay from Inc. writes an inspiring article about conquering rejection! … Read entire article »
The Key To Success
Read this. It will help you succeed in life. The basic premise is that in order to become great at anything, you must put in 10,000 hours of practice. And it must be deliberate practice, where you go beyond your comfort zone to make yourself better. You also must have mentoring or coaching. They dispel myths regarding those stories of people of made it overnight. When they looked at this people, they found that they had practiced over and over again until their hands bled in order to make "overnight" success. It's a good read. … Read entire article »
The Secret to “The Secret”
It’s taken me years, but I think I got The Secret figured out. For those of you who don’t know, “The Secret” is a book/movie that advocates for the notion that whatever you believe and imagine about your life becomes your reality. So, if you image that you own a beautiful mansion, you will eventually get that mansion. Their motto is, “ask and the universe will provide.” There is one caveat however. It works for things you think about not wanting as well. Hence, if you imagine and believe you are a loser, that is what you will be. Back to my discovery. I’ve witnessed that the ideas behind The Secret worked but I couldn’t … Read entire article »
Work Is Making Americans Sick
Although the Declaration of Independence promises the pursuit of happiness as a natural and legal right, stress, anxiety, and depression kill more people in the United States than anything else. These emotional states lead to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Most of the stressors involved are due to job related events. We are overworked and over-indebted. Our need and compulsion to work as much as we do is making us a sick society. “Depression affects more than 21 million American children and adults annually and is the leading cause of disability in the United States for individuals ages 15 to 44.” Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. “By 2020, Major … Read entire article »
Now Available!
The book on pleasure and happiness is available now! Researchers have determined that engaging in pleasure is crucial to happiness.Read More