They say that happiness starts in the mind, and that is no exaggeration.  What people fail to realize is that we can actually put a positive spin on many of the things that leave us feeling anxious or sad. Of course, there are serious circumstances that you can't put a happy face on (e.g., news of an illness), but this technique still works for a wide range of situations in which a simple change in one's outlook can radically improve their day.  For example, many people fret over aging and reminisce about the "good old days." Instead of dwelling on the past, though, why not think that your best days are actually ahead of you?  Think about it: The younger version of yourself that you visualize was probably more naive and inexperienced. Chances are you were not as financially secure and had not the faintest idea what you wanted to do with your life.  So, in reality, you're in a better place now -- wiser and with a firmer handle on your goals an...

Want to know who's most responsible for your happiness? That's easy. Look in the mirror . It isn't your partner, children, siblings, or friends. Happiness emanates from inside, which means only you complete yourself. Eleanor Roosevelt once said that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent -- one of my favorite quotes, I might add. Oprah Winfrey quipped that you cannot wait for someone to save you, to help you, to complete you. No one can complete you but yourself. And, as Mandy Hale puts it, happiness is an inside job, and you should never assign anyone else that much power over your life. Instead, you should wield that power to make a better life for yourself. Do whatever makes you happy -- whether it's exploring new continents or simply laying by the pool at home. Happiness starts with you -- not with your job, relationships, or money. If that weren't the case, there wouldn't be people in the world who have found a way to enjoy ...

If there's one thing I've learned in this unpredictable labyrinth we call life, it's that we can achieve much more by complaining less . Once you let negative thoughts creep into your head -- like "I can't do it," "I don't want to do it," and "this is too hard" -- your resolve is stopped in its tracks and you become paralyzed into inaction. So how do you avoid this mental trap? You get to work -- without even thinking about it! If you start thinking about the myriad reasons why you don't want to do something, the chances of you doing it drop precipitously. In other words, we won't be inclined to take action when we're subconsciously trotting out reasons for why we shouldn't. For example, let's say you're trying to lose weight. If you find any excuse in the book not to go to the gym -- you're tired after working all day, you don't like to exercise when it's dark outside, you hate being all sw...

We have a tendency to get bogged down over stuff that, in the grand scheme of things, isn't all that important. We fret about toxic people who appear to dislike us but are themselves disliked by most people, insignificant gossip that we worry sullies our reputation at work and elsewhere, and being betrayed by even our closest friends. In other words, we make mountains out of molehills . Life is short, guys. There is no reason to let such negative thoughts infiltrate your mind. Worrying constantly about people hurting you is like worrying over your car breaking down on you right before you have to give the biggest presentation of your life, or your wallet being stolen. There's no use worrying about things so excessively. A better approach is to be proactive so that bad things are less likely to occur. For example, never deign to join the gossip fray at work and talk behind others' backs. That's just asking to become someone else's target. At the same tim...

All of us have gripes with certain things about our present lives, whether it's being stuck in a dead-end job, not having enough friends, being overweight, or just feeling like we're in a monotonous rut. This has some of us feeling rather depressed or even wallowing in self-pity. The secret to life is not what happens to you, but how you react to and deal with such circumstances. I'll give you an example: While I blog and freelance on the side, my day job is as a copywriter in the travel industry. While I enjoy working in the travel business, I sometimes feel as though I'm doing nothing truly meaningful in the private sector; it's all about the bottom line and helping the big-wigs get richer. I found my college days to be the best time of my life, largely because I loved learning, studying, and challenging myself to get A's and graduate with a high G.P.A. (I take pride in the fact that I graduated summa cum laude with a 3.91 G.P.A.). Thus, I yearn to eventua...

All of us are prone to getting bogged down by negative thoughts, most of which are triggered either by things that happen to us or things others do. For example, we have a tendency to become despondent as a result of having arguments with those closest to us, including our spouses and friends. As I have told some of my readers individually, you cannot -- I repeat, cannot -- let those negative thoughts trickle into your mind. As soon as they're there, it becomes very difficult to shake them off. Here's a tip you'll want to keep in your back pocket: As soon as you find those negative thoughts trying to get a hold on you, you can undo them by quickly thinking of positive things that make you happy, whether they be your kids smiling, puppies and kittens, a sun-drenched beach, or a strawberry sundae. You want your mind to be flooded with positive, feel-good thoughts rather than negative, injurious ones, don't you? Life is too short to allow people or situations tha...