Never let alone steal your happiness, as it was never theirs to take in the first place. People don't have to agree with you on everything. They don't even have to like you. But they certainly don't have a right to try to impinge on your happiness. They should just let you be and give you the respect that they expect in return. If only it were that simple... Some people might envy something you have -- whether it be your big house, loving spouse, or fulfilling job. Others may be going through a rough patch in their lives now and may decide that if they can't be happy, neither should others they come across. Misery always welcomes company. But you are no one's punching bag. Never should you put up with any kind of behavior that erodes your self-worth and tarnishes your quality of life. It's up to you whether you want to try and smooth things over, or if you'd rather kick the person out of your life in one fell swoop. It bothers me to no en...

You should find time in the day to laugh, what I and many others consider to be one of the most enjoyable reactions human beings are capable of. There's nothing like cracking up -- when something is so funny that you can't help but cry, or drool. There have been several occasions where my wife, friends, and I are having dinner, and someone says something so funny that I all but choke on my food. And then the icing on the cake is when your laughter provokes the same reaction in those you're with. A second person starts laughing, then a third, and so on. When I'm feeling angry or sad, there's nothing like a hilarious joke or incident to turn my frown upside down. It's just what the doctor ordered. A good laugh is so powerful that it can completely change one's mood in a matter of seconds. If I had to make a list of the things I enjoy doing the most, laughing would be high up the list, along with sleeping and eating. Not only is it therapeutic, but it...

A lot of people think unhappiness stems only from things that happen to us. In reality, though, unhappiness comes not from external events, but from our internal response to those events. That explains why we may grow bored of jobs of relationships we once found exciting. While a raise at work or bouquet of flowers from our partner may have been sufficient at one point to bring us ample joy, that may not be the case any longer. It's not the event itself -- but the way we react to it -- that predicts how happy or unhappy we'll be. Let me give you another example. Have you noticed how some people might laugh at a joke, while others take it out of context and end up angry as a result? A job that one person might find fulfilling can get on someone else's nerves. The same goes for relationships. As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. It's not the job or relationship that causes us to be unhappy. It's the way we react to and per...

When something bad happens -- you break up with your boyfriend, have an argument with your boss, realize your identity has been compromised -- it can be easy to become consumed with negative thoughts. But studies show that we're going the wrong way about it. Negativity leads to a bevy of unfavorable health outcomes, from high blood pressure and anxiety to loss of sleep and appetite. People underestimate the sheer power that our minds can have over us. As soon as we become fixed on an unpleasant thought, our day can quickly unravel. We become grumpy and irritable, taking out our bad mood on unsuspecting people around us. Getting upset is a natural human instinct, but it's when one allows that anger to fester for a prolonged period of time that feelings of depression and anxiety can set in. Being angry and negative won't make the situation get any better. Focus instead on those things that make you feel good -- whether it be your kids, pets, or stamp collection. Redir...

I've talked to some of my readers on this blog about a situation involving my closest friend. Long story short, he did something that really ticked me off -- mind you, this is the second time he's done it -- and now I intend to inflict what I consider to be the worst kind of punishment: indifference. The reason why I think indifference is the cruelest type of punishment is because it basically communicates that you couldn't care less about the person anymore. What he or she does or says no longer matters to you -- you are perfectly fine shutting the individual out of your life for good. This may not be the case at all;  you might still care deeply about the person. But at the end of the day, life is really more about what you perceive to be true than what may in fact be true. Many people imagine that getting riled up and lashing out at the person is the worst thing you can do, but I don't find this to be the case. Why? Because when you're angry, you're demon...