Whether your idea of excitement is jumping off an airplane, cooking up exotic dishes, playing music in a band, or merely staying at home reading a gripping book, you should do whatever lights up your soul. Life is too short to set our passions aside for a rainy day. Do them today. Do them now! Focusing on those things we love to do not only makes us happier, it keeps us from dwelling on the negative. Believe it or not, directing one's attention to something positive (e.g., a funny meme or an inspiring video) over the course of the day can make the difference between a decent day and an abysmal one. Distractions can be our friends. Those who insist they don't have the time to cultivate their passions are just making excuses for themselves. We can all squeeze in a little time for hobbies, even if only a few minutes each week. We all have our problems and worries, and, as much as we'd like to, we can't just sweep them under the rug. Still, we can't allow th...

If there's one thing that's certain about your life, it's that it isn't perfect . Don't fret. Neither is mine. Neither is anyone else's. And that's precisely the beauty of it all. Not having everything we want makes us appreciate what we have even more . Think about it: If we had everything we could possibly desire, wouldn't that make life, well, a tad boring? There's no such thing as the perfect job . There will always be something or someone at work that isn't to our liking. If our jobs were perfect, they'd be called a hobby. But in order to keep food on the table and a roof over our head, we have to make some concessions. There's no such thing as the perfect partner.   Just as we say "batteries included" for many of the items we buy, you can rest assured that your partner comes with "flaws included." There's no such thing as a perfect human being. We have no choice but to take the good with the bad if ...

Tonight's quote comes from Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States. They called him "Honest Abe" for a reason, as Lincoln gave us some of the most relatable and profound quotes on record. Here's yet another one with which most of us will probably concur: "I have come to realize that people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln What I think Lincoln is trying to say is that happiness is largely a state of mind -- it's mostly mental. Think about those days where one thing goes wrong -- say, you lose your job or break up with your boyfriend -- and it seemingly casts a shadow over your life for quite some time. While going through this, how often do we really stop and say, "Hey, cheer up. There are people out there who have it worse. I am happy this happened, as it gives me an opportunity to improve my life. I will find an even better partner or job." Not too often, right? Some pe...