Self-Help Happiness Blog

Why not start the week with an inspirational quote by Samuel Goldwyn that should make you feel happy: 

When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people
happy.

From today’s Daily Dose of Happiness:

Bravo!  You have just been awarded best actor.  And best director.  And best original screenplay.  In fact, it’s a clean sweep.  You are the best of everything in this production you refer to simply and humbly as “my life”. 

Yes, we each direct the most fascinating and complex production imaginable - our lives.  We write the script and choose the cast.  We set the stage and make the choices.  We pick out the costumes and makeup and edit the script.

Well done.  Bravo!

I like this attitude…

People call me an optimist, but I’m really an appreciator….When I
was six years old and had scarlet fever, the first of the miracle
drugs, sulfanilamide, saved my life. I’m grateful for computers and
photocopiers…I appreciate where we’ve come from.

Julian Simon

This one just came in by email, and I just had to share:

“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)  

“There is no key to happiness, only a ladder.”

Saa-aay, was Hector Lara Lahoz reading my book when he said that.  My book uses the analogy of the Great Wall of Misery and building a Stairway To Heaven to climb over it.

The fact is that happiness is what we make of it.  Some people have a little of it, some have a lot.  Every one of us can create more than we have now.  It’s just a matter of climbing that ladder. Make the decision to climb your ladder, or stairway, to happiness today.

See also my happiness self-help book and these additional happiness quotes.

Why do you do what you do?   

I just returned from church.  Yes, it’s almost noon on a Wednesday, but my daughter’s class was singing the opening song, so I played hookie.  I can do this because I am my own boss as an SEO consultant and running a freelance writer agency. 

Which brings me to my original point.  I chose to work for myself and to work from home in order to be avaialble to do the things I want to do most during this phase of life, while my young kids are getting less young at what seems like the speed of light.  That will not be my priority in ten years, but it is now.

Think about your life and your career.  Are they in sync?  If not, maybe you can align them better. 

George Bernard Shaw  said:

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.” 

Find more inspirational quotes and  quotes on happiness. 

I just read a fascinating interview with A.J. Jacobs, a “Jewish” agnostic who decided to live the bible quite literally for a year, then write a book about it.  Here are just a couple excerpts from the interview:

Trying to follow the Bible, you learn how much you sin during a day.  It’s really quite shocking.  You tell so many lies just trying to keep a conversation going….As a parent, I couldn’t believe how much I lied: “Oh, Oh, the toy store’s closed today, we can’t go there,” or, “The TV’s broken.”

Here’s another…

The bible is really focused on giving thanks, and that was a huge lesson for me.  By the end, I was an extreme thanker–I was thanking when the elevator came on time.  It’s a great way to live, to focus on the hundreds of things that go right during the day rather than the three or four things that went wrong.

I have to share this little story from my friend Thea Westra’s blog: 

I want to share with you Erin’s philosophy statement at the Brockovich blog, written by Erin Brockovich. It is so inspiring and affirming, as is Erin. She shares the following message better than I would have said it.

Everyone believes, because of the movie, that I am an environmental activist. I am often referred to as the environmentalist with cleavage. I do care a great deal about the environment but my real work and my greatest challenge is trying to overcome deceits that end up jeopardizing public health and safety.

Read more: http://www.apsense.com/article/103710.html

Far too often, self-help asks, “What’s wrong with me?”  This is only natural, we most often seek help when we see a problem.  And if we see a problem, it is a good thing to want to correct it or manage it.

But self-help should also be about asking, “What’s right with me?”  It should be about finding our strengths and building on them - about finding ways to leverage our strengths to live happier, more fulfilling lives and make life a wonderful experience  for everyone.

That’s really what the Daily Dose of Happiness is all about.  Sure, if you have problems, if you are going through a rough spot, if you need cheering up, I sure hope this helps.  But most of all, I hope to inspire you to find your strengths - the good in you - and build on all that you have going for you.