Cultivate kindness. People who volunteer or simply care for others on a consistent basis seem to be happier and less depressed. Although “caring” can involve volunteering as part of an organized group or club, it can be as simple as reaching out to a colleague or classmate who looks lonely or is struggling with an issue.
Month: December 2019
🤗 Feel Good Hack ~ Close Friends Make Us Happier
Express your heart. People who have one or more close friendships are happier. It doesn’t seem to matter if we have a large network of close relationships or not. What seems to make a difference is if and how often we cooperate in activities and share our personal feelings with a friend or relative. “Active-constructive responding,” which is the ability to express genuine interest in what people say, and respond in encouraging ways, is a powerful way to enrich relationships and cultivate positive emotions.
🖋 Writers’ Wisdom ~ What Interests You?
“As a start-up writer, there is need for you to define your area of interest. You should know what inspires you to becoming a writer. Choose what interests you most and make it your pathway to achieving your dream, then work on it. Both fiction and nonfiction writers have everything in common- they are writers, authors, and the both achieve greatness and influence when they write prolifically.” ―
Health Hack ~ Watch Out for the Holiday Season Weight Gain
That time of year is upon us again—when parties, big family meals, and other holiday get-togethers spell the potential for weight gain. Studies have linked the holiday season (mid-November through December) with weight gain ranging from 1 to 3.5 pounds, on average. . . . We want you to enjoy the holidays, complete with the splurges you may desire. But if you want to have your cake and literally eat it too—and notgain weight—there’s a simple behavioral modification technique that might well help, as a study in Obesity recently reported: Weigh yourself every morning. Regular self-weighing has been shown to help people lose weight and is a hallmark of Weight Watchers. The National Weight Control Registry, which tracks people who have successfully lost and kept weight off, considers it a particularly effective strategy for maintaining long-term weight loss.
Today’s Smile 😃
Today a man knocked on my door and asked for a small donation towards the local swimming pool.
I gave him a glass of water.
Inspiring Hack ~ Climbing Your Mountain
“Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of the fairy tale.” ―
Today’s Poem ~ Falling Stars
Falling Stars”
Rainer Maria Rilke
Do you remember still the falling stars
that like swift horses through the heavens raced
and suddenly leaped across the hurdles
of our wishes–do you recall? And we
did make so many! For there were countless numbers
of stars: each time we looked above we were
astounded by the swiftness of their daring play,
while in our hearts we felt safe and secure
watching these brilliant bodies disintegrate,
knowing somehow we had survived their fall.
🍎 Health Hack ~ Put the Brakes on Worry
Call Out Your Worries
If they’re stuck inside your mind, worries and “What ifs?” can grow unchecked. Say them out loud, and they might just vanish. You can test this tactic first: Start to recite the letters of the alphabet in your head. When you get a few letters in, say something out loud. Notice that your ABCs came to a halt? That’s what can happen when you give voice to your worries.
Today’s Poem ~ La Reina (The Queen)
La Reina (The Queen)
Pablo Neruda
I have named you queen.
There are taller than you, taller.
There are purer than you, purer.
There are lovelier than you, lovelier.
But you are the queen.
When you go through the streets
No one recognizes you.
No one sees your crystal crown, no one looks
At the carpet of red gold
That you tread as you pass,
The nonexistent carpet.
And when you appear
All the rivers sound
In my body, bells
Shake the sky,
And a hymn fills the world.
Only you and I,
Only you and I, my love,
Listen to me.
🖋 Writers’ Wisdom ~ Be Careful Who You Listen To
“Do what you love. Use the talents you were given. When you begin your journey as a writer, you’ll be told that you can’t, that you won’t, that you mustn’t. But look closely at the lives of those who are discouraging you and ask yourself if this is someone you should be taking advice from.” ―
