When we're in a happy mood -- whether because we nabbed a promotion or landed a date with someone we've had our eye on -- we don't hesitate to express our emotions. We might smile, laugh, cheer, post a buoyant message on social media, or treat your friends to celebratory drinks. But things play out quite differently when we're going through a rough patch in our lives. We might instead hide our emotions -- sadness, anger, jealousy -- because we don't want to worry others or compel them to probe. As a result, we might turn down invitations to attend parties, call it a night unusually early, and shelve the kinds of things we look forward to when we're in better spirits, like hobbies.  There's nothing wrong with playing your cards close to your chest. In particular, I discourage anyone from bringing your feelings to light on social media unless you've altered your settings so that only those closest to you -- the ones you genuinely trust -- see those posts. ...

In an unprecedented year marred by constant tumult -- a raging pandemic, widespread business and school closures/layoffs, a battered economy, racial strife, a bitter election -- it's nice to disconnect from it all and take a moment to give thanks for the people who enrich our lives, even if we may not be able to celebrate the holiday with some of them in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.  I'd like to wish you and yours a happy, safe, and blessed Thanksgiving.  Thanks for giving up some of your time over the course of the week/month to read, share, and comment on my posts. You guys rock, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart.  There's a reason I aim for variety in my choice of content/messaging. It's my hope that the more sobering posts offer comfort and valuable tips to those going through tough times, and that the lighthearted ones -- from silly puns to funny memes -- elicit laughs at a time of great uncertainty.  Our lives may be far from perfect, but we still...

When negative thoughts attempt to take over your mind, don't let them! How do you prevent this from happening? By turning those negative thoughts into positive ones. You can cancel out a negative thought with a positive one in a number of ways: 1. By thinking about or looking at something that relaxes you or otherwise brings a smile to your face (e.g., pictures of kittens). 2. By listening to music or doing anything else that puts you in a good mood. 3. By thinking about or looking at something that makes you laugh (e.g. blooper videos). 4. By thinking about all the wonderful things you aim to accomplish in the future. Focus not on the past, but on the present and the future. 5. And, most importantly, by being thankful for what you have and reminding yourself that it could be worse. It's about never losing sight of the fact that you have it better than a lot of people out there do. Whenever I'm feeling a little blue, I do one -- if not all -- of these th...

In my view, there are four essential ingredients to a happy life, all of which begin with the letter "L." The 4 L's of happiness are: (1)  Laughing (2)  Loving (3)  Living  (4)  Learning Nothing puts us in a better mood -- and helps turn a frown upside down -- quite like a good laugh. Whether we're watching a comedy movie or being amused by a pet's zany antics, life just isn't as fun without a healthy dose of laughter. But most of us would agree that funny moments aren't as memorable unless we have others around to share them with -- the people we love. While friends and family don't complete us -- we do that ourselves -- they certainly give us a good reason to wake up every morning. They're there for us (many of them, at least) in good times and bad. As human beings, we all yearn to love and be loved.  The next one is fairly straightforward: we can't be happy unless we're living -- literally and figuratively. But some wou...

Today makes another wonderful day to savor life -- in all its beauty. To smile. To laugh. To breathe the fresh air. To commute with nature. To frolic with those you love. Today brings a fresh opportunity to be grateful for the things we so often take for granted -- like having clean drinking water at our disposal and caring friends at the ready. Today invites you to throw yourself headlong into your passions, whether that be watching exhilarating sports, reading to your heart's content, or generously devoting your time to a local animal shelter. Today makes the perfect day to explore places you've never seen, speak to people you've never met, and raise questions you've never asked. Today is all about you. It's all about positive vibes, meaningful connections, and memorable experiences. Relish all the great things you'll enjoy today -- from the delicious slice of pizza during lunch to the conversation with your close friend over the phone. Always ...

If people laugh at you because you're different, laugh right back at them for being all the same. I've written several posts on the importance of embracing one's uniqueness -- and disregarding what people say we should and shouldn't do -- because I think far too many of us fall victim to the herd mentality that has become so pervasive in society. On Thanksgiving night, my brother-in-law put me on the spot for not drinking. He still can't wrap his head around the fact that I don't drink. Then, two days later at my niece's afternoon birthday party, I returned the favor by asking him, "No alcohol for lunch today?" That made him a little defensive -- he pointed out how he only drinks two or three times a week -- and hopefully it conveyed that it's time to put the issue to rest. Peer pressure is even less effective on me when it comes from someone I hardly come into contact with throughout the year, like him. Here's another example: ...

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...

When I am having a lousy day, all it takes is seeing a cute animal -- or even a picture or video of one -- to turn my frown upside down. And, from what I've gathered, a host of people I know feel similarly. Indeed, certain stimuli, from pets to teddy bears to cartoons, can redirect our thoughts and put us in a better mood. Beyond making you happier, such a strategy can ease tension and relieve stress, thus positively affecting your health. When we've hit a rough patch, it isn’t always easy to disconnect and focus on, say, a picture of a puppy or a memento from your childhood. But undoing negative energy begins with the mind. In order to extricate ourselves from negative feelings, we have to focus on positive things. Maybe all it takes to help you unwind is a screen saver on your computer with tranquil scenes of nature, or a tabletop fountain whose soothing sounds melt your worries away, if temporarily. The mind is awfully powerful. Unless we do things to pivot our negativ...

Feeling frustrated? Stressed? Gloomy? I've been there myself. Whether we're at work or home, it's normal for negative thoughts to permeate our thinking, leading to depression, anxiety, and other unpleasant health outcomes. Here are 3 proven tricks for turning that frown upside down: 1. Just smile: Research shows that merely smiling for no reason can raise your spirits in a big way. In fact, studies have found that when subjects smiled while talking to someone on the phone, the people on the other end perceived the subjects as being in a good mood. 2. Focus your attention on what makes you happy: Seeking out positive, feel-good stimuli allows you to mentally disconnect from your troubles, even if only for a minute or two. For example, I have always had a soft spot for animals. When I'm down in the dumps at work, nothing changes my attitude for the better like seeing pictures or videos of baby animals, whether they be kittens, puppies, or pandas. In your case, it mi...

And no, a strong sex drive and big muscles didn't quite make the cut. I know there are several contenders for the top 2 spots, but I would say the two qualities women desire most in men are honesty and self-confidence. I thought about sense of humor, but not every single woman necessarily seeks a man who can make her laugh. That would probably occupy 4th or 5th place on the list. However, every woman I've talked to says a man HAS to be sincere -- no ifs or buts about it. If she can't trust the guy, there's no way that a relationship could ever be possible with that person. With stories of infidelity dominating the tabloids and the divorce rate skyrocketing, it's no wonder that women are on high alert. Then there's self-confidence. Women desire men who are sure of themselves. Now, they don't have to be self-confident when it comes to every itty bitty thing they do (no one's perfect), but they should show passion and a drive to excel at something, wh...