Encouraging Words

I go running almost every morning. In order to keep it interesting, I change my route around and find new scenery. Naturally I see other people walking at a brisk pace, pushing strollers, or jogging by. Some people are courteous and return my "good morning" and others a little more oblivious.

This morning I was coming up on two guys jogging in the other direction and I started to way good morning. One man smiled and said "great job, keep it up"! I didn't know him and had never seen him during a previous run. But his short encouraging words boosted my run like never before!

Give people a boost with some encouraging words... you never know when they'll need it most!

Make A Choice

How many choices do you think you made today? Whether the number you came up with was 1 or 100, you can’t survive with making decisions. Some choices are obvious while others seem to just happen. Too many times we let choices be made for us and wish we could change the outcome.

You’re in control of your day! You may say you feel like you don’t have a choice; however, you couldn't’t be more wrong! You decide your career and who you’re in a relationship with. You choose what you eat and how much time you spend with your family. You choose which road you take and which people to be friends with.

The size or importance of the decision doesn't matter, practice being mindful of each decision you make. When you make a choice that didn’t work out, don’t do it again! Learn from any poor decisions in your life and move on. Remember you determine the course of your day and your life through choices and actions.

Is there a situation you need to take control of? What decisions are you going to make to better your life today? Practice this skill of happiness everyday and you will have a happy life!

What Works For You

Since we were young we were taught to work harder on those skills that we were lacking at. For instance, math was not my favorite subject in school, so my grades weren’t great. When it came to science, I was an "A" student. Instead of working harder on my strength (& what I enjoyed more), I was told to work harder at math. What might have happened if I was told to work ever harder at what I was already good at?

I certainly agree we must learn from our mistakes, but we can learn even more from our successes! What are some of your strengths in life? Graphic design, coaching, writing, or even math might be fun for you. Michael Jordon was one of the best basketball players of all time, but what happened when he tried to grow his baseball career? He never made it out of the minors & went back to his true strength.

Focus on your talents & grow what your already know. When you make the effort you’ll find your skill growing exponentially! When you feel you have an area of life you want to develop, by all means go for it. Just try to relate that area to your strength. When you focus on your strong points, you’ll find your daily tasks getting easier & your life more fulfilling. You’re not only focusing on your strengths, but also on your passion.

Actively practice focusing on your strengths and you’ll be improving your skill of happiness! What are your main strengths? What areas of life were you constantly told to improve on? Let the people around you know what your strong suits are, then try to collaborate with people who compliment your qualities.

Happiness IS a Skill!

A National Football League game has an average of 65 offensive plays per game. Each play lasts 5 1/2 seconds. When you do the math, the average player is actually moving and playing the game for about 6 minutes. This may not seem like much time when you consider the average NFL player makes around $1.4 million. How much time do you think he spends practicing for those 6 minutes? During the season most players practice and study an average of 50 to 60 hours per week. Keep in mind an NFL player wasn’t an accountant yesterday, then woke up today and said "hey I want to play professional football." These men have been practicing since pee-wee football! After all of that work they’re still not guaranteed to win on Sunday!

Happiness, just like any sport requires practice! Certain people poses a natural ability at certain sports, but they still have to practice. The same goes for happiness! Some people are naturally happier than others, but we all need to practice. Being happy is not a right or a state of being that just happens. You must actively engage in activities and thoughts that make you happier. Here are some valuable points you can start to practice every day.

• Change the words you use in conversation and in your own head. Instead of saying "I hate sitting in traffic, this sucks", remind yourself that now you get to listen to your favorite music longer. Say to yourself "it's great to have some alone time" or "peace and quiet at last"! Practice using more positive words everyday and you’ll find yourself in a better mood and have less stress.
• What are you passionate about? When you’re at the same job for 5 or 10 years, it might be tough to remain energetic about work. Why did you start on that career path? There was something about that job and it felt good inside. You took that job with enthusiasm. Get back to the reason why you started there and challenge yourself to do even better. When you truly can't find any more passion from your career, then it’s time to look elsewhere for a salary. Practice finding more passion in life.
• Have you ever felt there’s not enough time in the day? Plan your time and don’t just let it get away from you. At the start of your day keep in mind what you need to get accomplished. Estimate how long each task should take. Plan time for distractions and interruptions, because you know they’re going to happen anyway. Most importantly, plan some time throughout the day for yourself.

Life has many highs and lows, so expect your level of happiness to be different each day. Have realistic goals for your days, months, and years, but always keep them in sight. You’re practicing the skill of happiness in order to have an overall better life! So keep it up and you’ll live a fulfilling and happy life.

It's Not Over Yet!

Do you even remember one of the New Year’s resolutions you made last year? If you can’t think of those promises to yourself, I am sure you made other vows to change throughout 2008. How many of those pledges did you keep? I am not talking about starting and stopping your diet every other Monday. Maybe you promised to spend more time at home and less time at the office. It started out well in January, but by February you were already disappointing the family. That one certainly doesn’t count! You made a commitment to yourself (and probably someone else close to you) to make a real change in your life. How can you grow and become a better person if you keep making the same broken promises every December 31st? That plan just doesn’t work, but I have great news! There are still 44 days left to check off those resolutions from your list.
Now is the time to recommit yourself to making positive changes in your life. I know you want to look good in your New Year’s dress, so start with your health. Make your exercise routine fun and drop the word diet from your vocabulary. Simply start eating healthy and you are guaranteed to feel great. Did you want to learn a new skill this year? Learn a second language by signing up for a class. Talk to friends and colleagues to find the best place to build you knowledge about computers. Whatever talent you had in mind, get started now. Don’t hesitate one more day or even one more minute. As soon as you finish reading this, set something in motion to fulfill your resolution.
I know what you are thinking, “I just don’t have enough time.” Well here are 2 moments of time for you: time to take more responsibility and time to stop the excuses! Do you think 2009 will go by slower than 2008? I guarantee that every moment next year will seem faster than the last one. If you don’t start making changes to improve your family, to further your career, to enhance your health, and to develop your mind right now… don’t bother making any more New Year’s resolutions.
The holidays bring the highest level of donations and the most generosity seen all year long. With each call for charitable contributions there is always a message to remember those in need throughout the rest of the year. The idea of starting fresh each January is great, but why wait to achieve your goals? Don’t let another year go by without getting somewhat closer to your happy life. Consider this your reminder to stay focused on those resolutions all year long until they truly are resolved.