Thursday, December 11, 2014

The Key to Happiness

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "SockMonkey Santa says Ha-ha-Ho-ho-ho."

When I initially commented I seem to have clicked on the Notify Me when new comments are added (check box) and from now on whenever a comment is added I receive four emails with the same comment.

Is there a way you can remove me from that service?

Cheers!

First I want to address the above eMail I received from A nony mous.

I did not see your message on the blog so I left one myself and it didn't post. Obviously I have an issue and will once again attempt to rectify it but based on my past experiences with Blogger I doubt I'll discover a solution.

While I am working on it I hope you will continue to read and enjoy the blog. I did follow the link to the contact web site you provided but was not sure where to leave a response. Thanks for your comments and sorry for the problem.

Perhaps you could remove yourself from the members list and resubscribe?

I'm sitting here this morning looking over my backyard watching the Pineapple Express storm in to Northern California wondering if I should have sandbags in front of the garage doors. The dark and damp morning reminds me of what a jerk I've been the last few weeks. I always seem to be complaining about something and that's not the real me.

I may come off as a caustic, sarcastic bastard but I truly love life. I'm happy I'm still in it. My game has slowed down over the years but I still play.

So I thought some happiness was in order.

Do you want a head full of happy thoughts?

There’s a lot you can do to make yourself happier. Many of these techniques have been repeatedly tested and even worked with the clinically depressed.

Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude

Showing gratitude for the good things you have is the most powerful happiness boosting activity there is.

Every night before you go to bed write three good things that happened to you that day. Jotting those down is pretty much all it takes to get a boost in well-being over time.

Do what you are good at as often as you can.

Signature strengths are the things you are uniquely good at and using them increases happy thoughts. Exercising signature strengths is why starving artists are happier with their jobs.

Think about the best possible version of yourself and move toward that. Signature strengths are the secret to experiencing more “flow” at work and in life.

Spend as much time as possible with people you like.

The happiest people are social with strong relationships. Not spending more time with people we love is something we regret the most.

Being compassionate makes us happier. Share the best events of your day with loved ones and ask them to do the same. And compliment them — we love compliments more than money or sex.

Money is good. Many other things are better.

After about 75K a year, money has minimal effects on happiness. Read that again. Not that money won’t increase happiness but if you want to be happier your time and energy are better spent elsewhere. It will not increase your moment to moment mood.

The Amish are as satisfied as billionaires and slum dwellers can be surprisingly happy. The happiest of all income groups is people making 50-75k a year. Money is good but wanting money can be bad.

Give

Giving makes us happier than receiving. In fact, it can create a feedback loop of happiness in your life. Volunteering makes us happier and can therefore be the most selfless way to be selfish.

Savor

Take time to really enjoy the good things. What are the best ways to savor? Positive mental time travel: Happy memories or looking forward to something.

Strive

You don’t usually do what brings you joy, you do what is easy. Set ambitious goals and strive. Thinking about what happens to you in terms of your self-esteem will crush you — look at life as growing and learning.

Sitting on the couch watching TV does not make you happy. You are happier when you are busy and are probably having more fun at work than at home. Thinking and working can beat sad feelings. A wandering mind is not a happy mind. Mastering skills is stressful in the short term and happiness-boosting in the long term.

Be optimistic, even to the border of delusion

Optimism is key. Yes, pessimism softens the blow of bad news but it isn’t worth it.

Does this make you out of touch with reality? Maybe but being a little deluded is good: Thinking happy thoughts, giving hugs and smiling sound like unscientific hippie silliness but they all work.

Fundamentals are fundamental

Cranky? Before you blame the world, eat something. Take a nap — it can purge negative emotions and increase happy thoughts. Sleep is vital because your mood in the morning affects your mood all day.

Get your sleep. You cannot get away with cheating yourself on sleep and being tired makes it harder to be happy.

Frequency beats intensity

Lots of little good things is the path to happiness. You want frequent boosts not rare big stuff.

Stop thinking about big events that might make you thrilled — it’s the little things of everyday life that make lasting improvements to our happiness. You’re not going to win the lottery and it wouldn’t have the impact you think it would.

Avoid life’s most common regrets

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

There are things you can do every day to improve your life.

So it's up to you. Learn from the experts, live life to the fullest. Enjoy, give and share with the people you love.

Or..... you could be like her.

World’s Oldest Woman Just Pleased Every Other Human On Earth When She Was Born Now Dead.


Reflecting on a long life that began at the end of the 19th century, the world’s oldest woman told reporters that she could not be happier that every other human on earth the day she was born is now deceased.

“Nothing, not one single thing, gives me more pleasure than knowing anyone who was alive on March 5, 1898—my family, my friends, and even far-off strangers that I never knew existed—is stone-cold dead,” said 116-year-old Misao Okawa, smiling as she observed how all 1.6 billion of the people who were alive the day she came into the world had passed away, one by one, during her remarkable lifespan. 

“I’m the sole fucking survivor. I’m the longevity queen. I’m the one who stuck it out while everyone else threw themselves on the corpse pile. Man, it’s too bad I’m in a wheelchair or I’d trample every single one of their fucking graves.” 

Okawa went on to say her only regret is that she probably won’t outlive all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Some material origionally published  http://www.bakadesuyo.com/ and http://www.theonion.com/

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