Our happiness is affected by a variety of temporary feelings and circumstances. If you run out of gas and are late to work, if your boss gives you a big raise, if your spouse goes to bed angry with you, if the flowers you planted bloom beautifully, if you twist your ankle—all of this temporarily […]
A New Year’s Prescription: Choose to Be Grateful
Want something inspiring and possibly life-transformative to do for the new year? Try putting more effort into being grateful. There are many experiences, emotions and events that have happened to you that no doubt you are not grateful for. If you don’t have enough money to make ends meet, if you lose a loved one […]
Happiness Requires Us to Seek Out New Challenges
People who are happy seem to understand that happiness is not just about doing things you like, or doing what you’re good at, or doing things that give you pleasure. True happiness sometimes requires us to grow, to stretch our limits, to try new things, to seek out new adventures, and to be open to […]
The Search for Happiness
We don’t usually examine how we could be happier. We tend to look at how we can experience more pleasure. So we lust for a nicer car, a bigger home, flashier jewelry, more fashionable clothes, more entertainment, a bigger TV and more expensive toys, to name a few. If you were willing to pay close […]
Warm Fuzzies and Cold Pricklies
I remember hearing this tale years ago. I am recounting it here to the best of my memory. Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a village in which everyone acted considerate, polite and friendly toward each other. Walking down the street of this village, you would be likely to hear one […]
Here’s What You Have to do in Order to Forgive
Dear Neil: Could you address the subject of forgiveness? Although I know what it means to forgive, I’m baffled by how to do it. My wife abruptly dumped me for another guy, and I feel extremely hurt, rejected and humiliated. I really cared about her, supported her, was good to her and I loved her, […]
The Art of Living Well
What meaning do you draw from your failures, tragedies, betrayals, disappointments or mistakes? What helps you spring back when things don’t go your way, or when you’re dealing with the various setbacks and bummers that life invariably throws your way? Whether it is a religious belief, the desire to win the heart of one special […]
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Wanting What You Have It has been sad and disquieting to watch the Tiger Woods story unfold, because his story reflects something about all of us as human beings. Tiger Woods is arguably the best golfer ever. He is considered one of the best athletes in the world. He has earned a billion dollars, […]
Helping Yourself Flourish
Note: This is the second of two-part series. The following is a continuation of the traits that are associated with flourishing and thriving in life. This list was stimulated by the book Flourishing (Edited by Corey Keyes and Jonathan Haidt, American Psychological Association). These traits give people the inner experience of well-being and are associated […]
Creating Feelings of Personal Well-Being
Note: This is the first of a two-part series. Quick. Without thinking a lot about it, can you say what makes your life worth living? Perhaps you’ve noticed that some people go through life reluctantly, as if dragged against their will. They don’t feel that they make a difference, and nothing they do seems to […]