Happiness in life really starts with you . The second you begin comparing yourself to other people or concerning yourself with how they think of you, you may become despondent, envious, and even depressed. So I'm here to give you a piece of advice I'd like you to remember for the rest of your life. Ready for this? Here goes... Do not compare yourself to others . Do not worry about what others think of you. And, more importantly, do not rely on anyone else but yourself to be happy in this world! Yes, our partners, family, kids, and friends all enhance our lives. But if we're not happy with our lives to begin with, there's little others in our immediate social circle can do to augment them. It bothers me to no end when people rely on the approval of others in order to feel comfortable within their own skin. So what if you don't follow the herd all the time? Your thoughts, feelings, personality, and preferences count for something, don't they? If yo...

As a kid growing up, I distinctly remember friends and family being all gung-ho about going to the movies. Some of us made it a weekly ritual -- in fact, we would catch one (if not two) showings each week. These days, it seems the fervor over cinema has died down quite a bit. Yes, production companies are still raking in massive profits at the box office, but it just doesn't seem like people -- at least those in my immediate social circle -- are as interested in making the trek to the movie theater on the weekends. Is it the same for you? There are several reasons for this: First, the cost of movie tickets continues to skyrocket. AMC Theatres locations in my city charge a whopping $22 for a pair of tickets to an evening showing. That doesn't even include snacks or popcorn! Second, enter streaming content. We all use or have heard of content providers like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. These companies provide a cheaper way to watch movies -- and from the comfort of your hom...

We can all say that our friendships have evolved considerably with the passage of time. Gone seem the days when you and your buddies could plan an outing at the bar or mall at a moment's notice. While we can partly attribute the changes to shifting responsibilities like work and children, there's yet another factor to take into account: technology. Technology is truly a double-edged sword. While it has made it easier to keep in touch with friends (via email, text, social media, etc), that very convenience has made such friendships much more impersonal. We're now living in an age where it's acceptable to wish someone a Happy Birthday via text or congratulate him on Facebook for his promotion. But we mustn't forget that just a few decades ago, we didn't have all this technology at our disposal, leaving us with only three alternatives: phone, letters, or meeting up in person. Again, while I can certainly see the pluses to digital communication, I think some...

Women spend countless hours at the gym and untold amounts of money on special diets in an effort to lose weight -- just so that they can look more attractive to men. But here's a secret men won't admit to: Many of them actually like heavier women! I know men have different tastes when it comes to women, but many of the ones I've talked to have said the following: They wouldn't mind dating someone who is a tad chubby/few extra pounds Even if their girlfriends of wives were to gain some weight, they would not pressure them to lose the weight, or at least right away I feel many men are afraid to come out and say this openly because they feel society will scorn them for it. Men are supposed to like thin models like the ones you see in the magazines, or so they've been brainwashed into thinking. They fear their friends will make fun of them for "settling for less." Here's my message to these men: I actually prefer heavier women myself, and I...

Some people are driven solely by the prospect of making tons of money, while others care more about doing something that leaves them feeling like they've made a difference in the world, even if it pays poorly. We tend to picture entrepreneurs in the former group and people who work for charitable organizations in the latter. Finding jobs that are both fulfilling and offer great salaries are out there, but aren't always easy to find. Take education, for instance. I think we would all agree that teachers are mostly passionate about their jobs, but deserve to be paid far better. I knew from an early age that writing was my calling and I was intent on working in a field or job that, in some capacity, allowed me to write and handle verbage -- whether as a writer, editor, or proofreader. Is it the best-paying career in the world? Far from it. Do I picture myself doing anything else? Nope. We need to strike a balance between finding something we enjoy doing and work that will al...

Last night, I submittted a post that centered on the fact that many people feel uneasy in overly quiet settings. I wanted to take that very concept and focus now on silence experienced while in the presence of someone else. There's something about quiet people that makes some of us uncomfortable. Some people feel that quiet people are as such because they "must be hiding something." Others liken the tight-lipped with serial killers and mass murderers who carry out horrific crimes. Still others just can't wrap their heads around why someone could be so reticent and presume them to be stuck-up or overly self-absorbed. (If you're a quiet person yourself, you've likely been in this situation before.) This topic hits close to home because I have been a fairly quiet person my whole life (except through my writing). When I was a kid, my peers described me as weird and often teased me just to elicit some sort of reaction in me. When I finished high school and en...

I've had several people -- within the last month, actually -- tell me that being somewhere in utter silence makes them uneasy. It doesn't matter whether they're lying in bed, sitting in their car, or studying in the library. Some people can't stand complete silence, and it isn't long before they feel compelled to reach for their phone, a TV remote, or their cell phone to break the quietness. Frankly, this has me rather baffled to say the least. After being assaulted by the chatter of nosy co-workers all day at work, driving home with the radio off offers a welcome reprieve, as does holing up in a quiet room at home. Here are a few reasons people give for their aversion to overly quiet environments: They "hate to hear themselves think" When it's too quiet, they feel lonely They get bored They're just not used to that much silence Personally, being in a quiet setting helps me regain my energy. Too much noise and commotion stress me out, ...