Buddha once said, "What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create." If there's one thing we can unequivocally infer from Buddha's words, it's that the mind wields a very powerful influence on our daily lives. Thinking positively can make a world of a difference between a good day and a terrible one. Merely telling yourself in the morning that today will be a good day becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Living in the moment and thinking about all you have can lift your spirits in a big way, unlike the tendency to ruminate on the negative -- what you lack, what could be better, etc. If you aspire to become, say, the CEO of your company, the very first step is believing you can get there. If you don't believe in yourself, you'll lose motivation almost as quickly as you've mustered it. And positive vibes are infectious; they draw people to you like flies. It's no surprise that when you're in a gre...

Whether you're stressing over an upcoming presentation you have to deliver at work, a blind date you have scheduled for the weekend, or a persistent leak in the kitchen ceiling, ask yourself one question: "Will this matter a year from now?" Sure, it's normal to experience some level of anxiety. If you're like me, you get antsy when you want to get something done right away so you don't have to worry about it any longer. However, you may hit a snag of some sort -- perhaps the presentation has to be rescheduled, the contractor can't see you for another month, etc. This may lead you to dwell on the matter until it's resolved. But life is too short to let one little thing derail your happiness. Instead of worrying incessantly about what may go wrong, why not focus on what can go right? There are certainly circumstances in life that warrant deep concern -- an ailing relative, getting laid off, being robbed, violating the law. However, there are ...

When life knocks you down, refuse to give up. Get back on your feet and hit it back -- and go for nothing short of the jugular! You're in the driver's seat of your life. Never let other people -- or circumstances over which you may have little to no control -- get in the way of your happiness. Life is too short not to fight for what you want. Life is too short to throw in the towel anytime something doesn't go as planned -- whether you didn't get the job or the girl. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, focus your energies on what lies ahead. Instead of thinking that you missed out, consider that even better opportunities are in the offing. Maybe all it takes is to work a little harder and fine-tune your approach. If something bothers you too much -- if it has you down in the dumps -- it's because you're letting it have control over your thoughts and feelings. Don't let anything negative hold so much sway over you! For example, let's say someon...

In this post, I'd like to share what I find are the three ingredients to a joyful, satisfying life. I call them the 3 Ls: live, laugh, love . The fact they all begin with the same letter surely makes them easier to remember. 1. Live : It's fine to be cautious and prudent, but we needn't live so austerely as to inhibit ourselves from enjoying life. In other words, we should strive to  live our lives, but in responsible ways . The trick is to achieve a sensible middle ground. Running up credit card debit and drinking while driving don't constitute living  life to the fullest. They're examples of reckless behavior that can get you in heaps of trouble, if not endanger your life. Instead, we should make the most of our lives by soaking up memorable experiences. Travel the world (without overextending yourself financially, of course). Hit up new restaurants close to home and far away. Try your hand at skydiving, scuba diving, and other exciting activities you never th...