Hints for living a happier life
– Get Outside and Grab a Handful – I reorganized files on my laptop. Last week, I got lost while searching through hundreds of gigabytes for a picture to share. The folders I searched through were organized for my old style life where I had one big adventure every year, maybe two. The old way of making adventure has been replaced by a newer, easier … Continue reading Easy to Find Adventure
– Making Money Can Be Fun! – Adventures and side hustles have always been intertwined with me. My adventures cost money and I don’t have sponsors or people willing to pony up for my expeditions. I always had to earn the extra money I needed to finance my adventures. And everyone needs adventure in their lives. The excitement and variety add to the quality of … Continue reading Side Hustle Adventure
– Excitement on the Vernal Equinox – When I met Ela and moved to Poland, I knew that my days of hard-core adventure were over. And I was happy with my decision; I’m lucky to have lived this long. Too many times, the combination of my wild imagination and the irrational belief that I can do what I think I can do has led me … Continue reading Adventure in the Yard
– Life Loves Happy People – “What are you so damn happy about?” asked the production chief. He was generally grouchy and it seemed to annoy him when I came in with a Howdy-Doody smile on my face. “It’s better than being sad,” I replied. “Do I need a reason to be happy?” “There’s not much to be happy about,” he groused. “Don’t you watch … Continue reading A Good Reason to Be Happy
– Rest & Relaxation in Poland – One of the most refreshing things about Europe is the priority it’s citizens give to rest and relaxation. Americans drive themselves into early graves with long work weeks and short vacations. In Poland, the government actually sponsors stays (for nationals and residents) in one of the many spas located throughout the country. It has become our habit to … Continue reading Polonica Zdroj (Spa)
– These Are the Best Days of My Life – “There’s no such thing as push-button happiness, Taylor. It’s not as easy as you make it sound.” Part of being a happiness evangelist is dealing with naysayers, and I’ve heard that rebuttal more times than I can count. I don’t laugh out loud because I don’t want to hurt their feelings, but I giggle a … Continue reading Inevitable Benefits of Positive Thinking
– Urban Hermits Miss the Fun – I think everyone knows what a hermit is… we might imagine the details differently, but almost all of us see him as an unkempt loner. Not dirty, but unattended. We imagine his loneliness. I experimented with being a hermit, even an ascetic, and I thought those experiences were great topics for articles. So I have been talking with … Continue reading How to Deal with Loneliness
– Fixed Distractions Keep You Focused – I purposely cultivate a happy state of mind. Moment to moment, happy or sad; my choice. I choose happy because sad is heavier; it’s a burden. And it’s hard to shake a bad mood. It takes practice and mental conditioning to stay happy. Even when I have happy conditions for life (good health, relationships, and cash flow), some … Continue reading Cultivate a Happy State of Mind
– How to Stay on the Path of Happiness – I love this time of year. Finally, the days are getting longer. January marks the beginning of a new calendar year which symbolizes fresh starts. I don’t make resolutions per se, but it is natural for me to review, assess, and rethink what I’ve done and plan to do. And the new year is the … Continue reading New Adventure
– Exercising My Imagination – I rotate certain books on my desk to keep higher thinking handy. It’s a gratifying habit to start most days with a couple minutes in the company of good people. Not serious study or contemplation; more like random roaming around… flipping through pages searching for a timely lesson. That’s why I rotate the books; different perspectives broaden my knowledge. It … Continue reading How I Talk About God
