Do you ever hear yourself starting sentences with, “If only,” or “When I,” or “After I?” They sound like this: “If only I had a doctoral degree, I could get the job I really want,” or “After I make my first million, I can travel to exotic lands,” or “When I lose five pounds, I’ll reward myself with a beach vacation!” These sentence starters sort of sound like goal setters, but don’t be fooled. They can really be tricky little non-starters. Five pounds may as well be 500 pounds, because, in … [Read more...] about Five Pounds to Perfect
happiness
Accessible Happiness
For many months now, I’ve taken to heart the wisdom and findings of Harvard happiness researcher and author Shawn Achor and put into practice his simple advice. It appears a good time to share some of it, with happiness seemingly in short supply. During the pandemic, rates of anxiety and depression have dramatically increased, and 40% of Americans report struggling with a mental health condition (including anxiety, depression and trauma). Women are twice as likely to suffer than men in their … [Read more...] about Accessible Happiness
Service to Others Can Contribute to a Lifetime of Happiness
People across the world engage in altruistic behaviors, ranging from paying for a cup of coffee for a stranger, donating gently used clothing, toys or household items, or volunteering at a local food bank. Engagement in service to others occurs without the expectation of anything in return. However, the benefits of altruistic behaviors have well-documented positive benefits to the individual in the helper role. For example, studies have shown that youth that engage in acts of volunteerism … [Read more...] about Service to Others Can Contribute to a Lifetime of Happiness
Check, Please
Everything has a price and there’s no such thing as a free lunch (though the cost of a salad and blackberry lemonade - to go - at Wildflower Café is awfully reasonable). If you’ve ever wondered why things cost what they do, The Price of Everything by Eduardo Porter explains. “Prices are everywhere.”Even if some of Porter’s claims are hard to take, he’s probably right. He compares the price for sorting garbage in Norway (about $114 per ton for somebody else to do it) to the earning of a waste … [Read more...] about Check, Please
