By now, you may have picked up on a common refrain across many of my posts: That happiness lies in the present, which is why we should aim to live in the here and now. Sadly, however, many people live only for a better tomorrow. Then, when tomorrow comes, their focus is still on the future.  There's nothing wrong with being forward-looking and continually aiming to achieve goals. But unless one takes time every now and then to appreciate the present -- to come up for air and smell the roses, so to speak -- they will always find themselves in a state of yearning rather than contentment. For example, some people have an insatiable appetite for acquiring material goods, whether they be clothes, shoes, gadgets, and cars. No sooner do they get their hands on one than they already set their sights on their next conquest. They may leave the item collecting dust, rendering it obsolete in a few years. In essence, they're all about the chase. Once what they want is in their...

Whatever you do, don't harp on the past . Reminiscing is good, but only up to a point. If you find yourself stuck in the past rather than focusing on present and future goals, you're only inhibiting your growth.  Sure, we all have moments where we reflect on happier times in our life and say, "I almost miss those days." But we are prone to such thinking when faced with challenges in the present that drag us down. But why not tweak your thinking and reason that once you surmount those challenges, you'll be even happier -- and feel more accomplished -- than you did in the past? Then there are those of us who ruminate on bad experiences in the past -- a close friend inexplicably stabbing us in the back, a significant other we envisioned ourselves being with our whole lives suddenly proclaiming their need for space and effectively ending the relationship, an outstanding job opportunity that slipped through our fingers. But brooding over the past i...

What happened yesterday is only a distant memory now. Turn the page and look forward to what today will bring. If there's one certainty in life, it's that life goes on. What happened yesterday is a springboard to new experiences that await us today and in the future. But we must resist the urge to harp on things we can no longer revisit except in our thoughts. Whether what occurred yesterday was favorable or negative, we cannot remain in the same point in time for too long. Experiences help us learn and grow, and great ones are certainly worth reminiscing about every so often. But if we dwell too much on what happened yesterday, we inhibit ourselves from progressing. Obviously, everyone aims to live as happy a life as possible -- one chock-full of magnificent experiences. But that won't happen if we remain enmeshed in the past. Always remain forward-looking . If yesterday was a lousy day, guess what? Today can be a whole lot better so long as you belie...

When you can't control what's happening in your life, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what's happening. That's where your power truly lies. As I've stressed in other posts, life is less about what happens to you than what you do with what happens to you. Approach the problem with as much faith and positivity as you can possibly muster. Try to arrive at ways to tackle the problem piecemeal; taking small steps is more effective than doing things on a whim. Breathe slowly and remain patient. Recognize that Rome wasn't built in a day -- it might take some time for things to turn in your favor. Whatever it is you're going through, resist the temptation to blame yourself. There's no use beating yourself up over things you can't control. "Buts" and "could haves" will get you no closer to resolving the issue. Be forward-looking. Work toward achieving the outcome you want. Focus on the future and how great ...