Choose to be Happy Today

Hi! I found this COOL new voice-byte service so I recorded a thought for the day on changing your mood and happiness.

Here's my message - send me one back if you like: http://bit.ly/be-happy-today.

"You become what you think." - Dalai Lama
 

If you're having a bad day, CHANGE YOUR MOOD and make a dedicated decision not to rest upon your Laurels & be miserable.

You can choose to BE happy.

Sometimes just listening to some upbeat music can do wonders to improve a sour mood. The best practice I've found to turn around a day gone wrong is to encourage someone else.

I just love it when someone says to me, "You just made my day!" By being kind to someone else it makes their day brighter and in turn it affects YOU.

• Be careful when offering compliments that they're genuine and from the heart. Empty words don't bring joy to anyone. Make your kind words meaningful.
  
• They don't have to be long expressions or deep thoughts, either. A simple "You look great today - I love your new ______ *insert kind words here*" works just fine.

Hints and Tips: Small Expressions That Bring Others Happiness

• thank you so much
• I appreciate you 
• I appreciate your time
• that was thoughtful
• You Rock!
• Great job!
• You made my day...

What are some small expressions of encouragement YOU use to improve your mood by making others feel good about themselves?

As you think about positive things, improve your thoughts to improve your mood, and work at using your words to encourage your neighbors; remember, the closest neighbors you have are right next to you in your own home.

Start kindness "inside" your own house and practice it well before taking it to co-workers, secular neighbors, and people on the street. Sometimes choosing to BE happy means we have to work harder to improve the quality of thought at home. It works.

Have a SUPER great day! 

What I Have Learned from Andy Rooney

I've  learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. 

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me,  'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've  learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful  feelings in the world.

I've learned.... That being kind is more  important than being right.

I've  learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child. 

I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when  I don't have the strength to help him in some other way. 

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life  requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with. 

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a  hand to hold and a heart to understand. 

I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around  the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me  as an adult.

I've learned.... That life is like a roll  of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it  goes.

I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give  us everything we ask for.

I've  learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned.... That it's those small  daily happenings that make life so spectacular. 

  

I've  learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and  loved.

I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change  the facts.

I've learned.... That when you plan to  get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue  to hurt you.

I've learned.... That love, not time,  heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for  me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter  than I am.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet  deserves to be greeted with a smile..

I've  learned.... That no one  is perfect until you fall in love with them. 

I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher. 

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost;  someone will take the ones you miss.

I've  learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere. 

I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom  that I love her one more time before she passed away. 

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft  and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them. 

I've learned..... That a smile is an inexpensive way to  improve your looks.

I've learned..... That when your newly  born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist,  that you're hooked for life.

I've  learned.... That  everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the  happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it. 

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with,  the more things I get done.

Life Quotes on Gratitude

Reflections on Gratitude from Sharing Thanks 

"When we develop a right attitude of compassion and gratitude, we take a giant step towards solving our personal and international problems." - H.H. Dalai Lama, Tibetan Spiritual Leader

"There are two ways to live your life. One is though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein, Physicist

"I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly, that just to be alive is a grand thing." - Agatha Christie, English Writer

"We need to make our thanks personal, real and specific, so we can continuously remind ourselves that we've been given so much more than we deserve." - Rabbi Marc Gellman, God Squad Columnist

"Let's be grateful for those who give us happiness; they are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom." - Marcel Proust, Philosopher

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." -Frederick Koenig, Inventor

Check out this neat blog on Gratitude: http://sharingthanks.blogspot.com/