A Little Happiness is Better Than None.

Slide by Pink Sherbet Photography

Don’t overlook a small joy just because you’re expecting something bigger.  Don’t overlook a smile, a compliment, or your favorite song on the radio by being too busy listing your woes. There’s a reason for the saying “count your blessings.”  It’s an important reminder to help us remember that each day has good things in it that help to counter all the other sad, depressing and upsetting things that happen.

So many of us go through our days on autopilot.  We get up, go to work, eat dinner and go to bed to start the day again.  We rarely stop and appreciate all the positive things that occur. Those easily overlooked little things – a helping hand at work, quick checkout lines, or relaxing in the setting sun while twilight pinks and purples fill the sky.

Where did the insidious belief that more is better come from?  Why do people insist on admiring multi-taskers and workaholics?  Do they smile more from all that extra overtime money?   Do they enthusiastically take on new assignments with a positive attitude?  Not most of the overachievers I know.

A little light, a little joy, gives us hope for something better.  Playing with your toddler, cuddling with your cat, smelling flowers blooming or even having a headache disappear can improve your day.  Training ourselves to notice these small wonders can add up over time, making our overall days seem happier and more enjoyable.

Most of simply yearn to worry less and be thankful more. We want more time – time to relax, to read, to play with our kids, or take a walk, to listen to music, or to count the stars.  We want to have fun.  To laugh, to smile, to be stress-free.

Speaking for myself I find that the best way to accomplish this is to begin to notice what is good about my day. Make a gratitude list.  It could be silly things like “both cars are fully operational today, the dog hasn’t been sick, and I found $2.00 in my jeans pocket.”  Small things yes, but if we don’t consciously notice them, they slip from our mind like a good idea not written down.

A positive attitude helps too. Ever notice how many times people bring up stories from the news?  How many of them are happy?  Make it your mission to spread good news.  Tell them about the honor student you know, or how your repair bill was less than you thought.  Share stories of scientific breakthroughs, a local hero or money saving sales in your area.  Practicing this habit can be greatly beneficial.

Be alert to the good things in your day, and you’ll find yourself more relaxed, and a little happier. To my way of thinking, a little happiness is better than none at all.  :0)

Hogwarts is coming to Orlando!

Harry Potter theme park sign by Jonathan D. Bloom

Universal Orlando recently released some information about their upcoming new theme park – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  For Harry Potter fans young and old, this will be a fantasy land like no other, it’s sure to be a hit!  Full of the all the charm and whimsy of the book, this attraction is set to open in Spring 2010.

You will enter through the magnificent gates into the grandeur of Hogsmeade Village.  Once inside you will be shut off from the outside world as you are greeted by the  signature whistle and the sight of the Hogwarts Express.  Many of the favorite shops and pubs from the story are recreated here in all their medieval glory.

There will be eateries featuring food from the books, favorites such as Butterbeer or pumpkin juice at the Three Broomsticks, and sweets like chocolate frogs or Bernie Bott’s Every Flavored Beans at Honeydukes.  Shop at Ollivander’s for your own personal wand, or stop in Dervish and Bangs for Quidditch equipment and Triwizard souvenirs. Try Zonko’s joke shop for a bit of Weasely-inspired zaniness!

The Dragon Challenge will be a twin high-speed roller coaster with elements from the story.  The Flight of the Hippogriff is a family coaster simulating a flight over the school grounds.  There is also a recreation of Hogwarts Castle.  Here everyone, whether Gryffindor or Slytherin, will be welcome.  Visit the cozy common rooms, or the great feasting hall.  Every sight and sound will immerse you into the magical world of Harry Potter and his friends.

For a unique vacation you won’t soon forget, try traveling into another world.  For more information, visit the web site at Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and be sure to check out the “First look” video at the site.  I can’t wait!!!

For other great Harry Potter fun, check out the fabulous web site at Muggle Net.com.  Read up on the latest news, view gallery photos, play games and learn about the World of Hogwarts.  See you soon!

P.S.  Stop by my other web site Fun Spirit for a funny look at “How to Deal With Harry Potter Haters.”

10 Reasons Football Season is Great for Women.

On Any Given Sunday by John-Morgan

Ready or not ladies, football season is back. Men all over the country sit glued to their television sets for hours at a time, immersed in every toss of the ball.  Completely unaware of the passing of time, news of the day, or any person beyond the vicinity of the living room.

But that’s no reason to despair.  There is plenty of good news for women whose men are mentally, physically or emotionally unavailable. Time is once again your friend.  The day is yours for the taking.  Uninterrupted bliss awaits.  Whether serious or fun, now is the chance for:

1. Nap Time! This is what you’ve been waiting for.  A moment when there is no hammering, mowing, or other noisy interruptions.  Now you have at least a four-hour stretch of free time.  Take a hot bubble bath, put on some candles and music, then take a leisurely nap.  There’s nothing like ME time.
2. Less Cooking. Another happy benefit of game day is the fact that you don’t have to do any cooking unless you want to.  Get him some beer or soda, chips and dip and have pizza delivered and you’re done for the day.  Catch up on your reading, watch some movies you’ve been waiting to see or whatever other fun thing you’ve been missing.
3. Shop Till You Drop. Get your purse, call a friend, and hit the road for an all-day sales bonanza.  While he’s glued to the TV you are free to hit as many stores and shops as your poor little feet can handle.  Totally unfettered by time restrictions or unwanted male opinions.  It’s great to be a woman!
4. Home Improvement Projects. While men think they are the only ones who know how to correctly paint a wall or hang a picture, we love to do those small touches that make a house a home.  Now is the time to visit Home Depot, Lowes or your other favorite store to find the lighting, curtains, or area rugs you love.  Without all the long lines.
5. Long Chats. There’s never enough time to stay in touch with everyone you want to.  Take advantage of this disturbance-free time zone to call your mother, sister, or best friend.  Chat away without fear of time limits or sighs of impatience.
6. Do Some Girlie Things. Color your hair, have a pedicure, get a facial – or better yet a massage!  Watch a movie that makes you cry – without the guilt.  Do some aromatherapy with a great lotion, scented shampoo, candles or air freshener.  Is your favorite scent gardenia, lavender or rose?
7. Spiritual Awareness. There are times when you long to be alone.  A chance to meditate, pray, or have some quiet time to talk to God.  Whether you go to church or stay home, this is a perfect opportunity for the peace and stillness you seek.
8. Do Something Silly. Dance and sing while pretending to be your favorite rock star, build an ice cream man with peanuts, M&M’s, and a chocolate smile, or go on cute overload and look at all those emails of playful puppies, kitties and adorable babies until you’re smiling from ear to ear.  Have fun!
9. Connect With Nature. Take a walk and see how many birds you can spot.  Plant some late-blooming flowers in containers on the porch.  Take your dog to the park or drive to the mountains for some fall color.
10. Join Him. The best thing about guys and football, is when they want you to share, you only have to be in the same room.  Set up your scrapbook or photo album to organize as you watch.  You don’t have to pay much attention, as long as you cheer when the touchdown or field goal is scored (for the right team of course).  You don’t both have to do the same thing to enjoy your time together.  :0)

Have Fun Being Yourself!

Making Music by nyki_m

We all have weird and unique, hobbies, interests or talents.  I have recently been reminded how fun it is to indulge in them. And how fulfilling it can be.  Our passions – those activities that feed our joy and happiness, are vital to our wellbeing.  No matter what others think, you need to pursue your passions to give excitement and satisfaction to your life.

Whether you love riding ATV’s through the mud, studying poetry, dancing, singing, or using your belly as a bongo drum, it is important to do things you enjoy. Just as some people love country music, and some love rock, we all like to do different things.  While classical music could be viewed as an alien form of torture to a hip-hop fan, to the right person it is an uplifting, mood-enhancing pastime full of emotion and beauty.

Be yourself.  Don’t change to fit someone else’s idea of you. If you’re a woman who loves power saws and wood working – go for it.  If you’re a man who loves drawing and sculpture, join a class with like-minded souls.  Step away from fear.  Fear of embarrassment that people think you’re silly.  Fear of failure because you’re not skilled at your task.  If it makes you happy – then go for it!

Not sure what your passions are?  Google some ideas on the Internet, or go to the local library and browse some books.  When you find something that peaks your interest try it.  By yourself.  Don’t have any family or even friends there to influence you.  If it makes you smile, laugh or motivates you to do more, you’ll know you’ve found a new calling.

One of my greatest dreams is to write for a big greeting card company like Hallmark.  While that may never happen, I do still love both writing and greeting cards.  I love to visit the Hallmark web site to see all the great cards they have and to visit some favorite characters like Maxine and Hoops & Yoyo.  I also love to make up my own greeting cards for family and friends.  I love rhymes so most of mine are like that.  They are often silly and not too great, but they enjoy the personalized gift, and I enjoy the process of creation.

Here’s a quick sample:

With a flick of the wand

And a swish of his cloak

Girls giggled and swooned

Over that Harry Potter bloke

He works with Dumbledore

To catch You-Know-Who

His friends Ron and Hermione

Stand by him too

He’s dashing and clever

And oh so smart

That black-haired rascal

Captured many a heart

Snape creeps along

And Malfoy sneers too

Keep your eyes peeled

And watch what they do

Sad and exciting

What a tale to tell

I sure hope in the end

It all turns out well!

Silly yes, but I’m sure a few of my friends will enjoy the fun of the film and a silly poem to boot.  :0)  I may not be great, but it’s still fun and that’s what counts.

There is great happiness in doing what you love. If you can’t do it for money, you can certainly do it for fun.  When times are tough, say financial difficulties, a lost job, family illness or other problem is when you need the comfort and mood-boosting effects of your passions the most.  Even 10-20 minutes a day can help – heck even 5 minutes of music during a stressful day at work can turn your frown upside down.

Be your weird, strange, unusual kooky self.  It’s okay to love Audrey Hepburn – even if you’re only twenty years old.  Go ahead and be the only history buff at work.  Feel free to advise friends of the benefits of digging in the dirt for semi-precious gems.  Go ahead and build 25 custom-made birdhouses for your backyard.  You’ll love it, and it’ll make you happy.  When you’re happy so are those around you.  Remember your positive attitude may just rub off on the rest of the world.  Isn’t that a beautiful benefit of being yourself?

Free Time is Overrated.

Picture by Randy Son Of Robert

Most of yearn for free time.  Time to lean back, relax and do absolutely nothing.  Sounds like paradise right?  Well . . .maybe.

The thing is that when we have lots of free time, say like a vacation, we often do less with our time.  Sometimes this is a good thing.  If you have a very busy work or home life, you may need every minute of free time you can get.

Too much free time can be a motivation killer. Think about it.  Let’s say you are laid off from work and you have all day to yourself.  You believe you will be super-productive – no stressful boss looking over your shoulder, plenty of time to get things done, etc.  But the truth is, too much free time can lead itself to procrastination.

This is what happens to me.  When I am left without a schedule or daily plan, I tend to accomplish much less than I do during a regular work week.  I get the essentials done, but I overestimate the amount of time I have.  So I  put off easy tasks for tomorrow instead of getting them done today.

One reason free time is so easy to misuse, is that it seems endless. Many times weekends are like this.  Sometimes we are constantly structured in our daily routine; get up and ready for work, work for 8 hours, come home, eat dinner and clean, then go to bed.  The weekend is then like a free-for-all.  Wake up whenever, have a leisurely breakfast, do a little shopping, and bam – it’s 9:00 p.m. already.

Another key to using free time is to plan for it. Recently I have been out of work.  Instead of using my time to go to the amusement park, visit the ice cream parlor or go tubing down the river, I found myself struggling to get my daily chores done.  I would have much rather spent at least ½ my time doing those things I enjoy – that’s why I want time off in the first place.  But because I didn’t schedule my day, I lost more time to unexpected diversions – say a TV show, 2 hours cruising the Internet, or an unintended nap.  Making my time at home sadly unproductive.

If you’re a well organized, highly productive person who has no problem with these things – please kindly ignore this advice. If however, like me, you find yourself floundering in a sea of time with no clear plan of action, feeling strangely unmotivated and bored, take heed.  Try a few of these simple solutions to put your free time to use.

1. Make a list of the top 10 or 20 things you need to get done this week.  Break them down into a daily list and try to spend the first part of your day on that.  Leave your afternoons free for fun.
2. Check in with others. When you lose ambition or direction, call a friend for help.  Someone doing multiple tasks each day is much more likely to help you be efficient with your time.  Use their assistance wisely.
3. Do the fun things first. Do those things you really want to first.  They will energize and inspire you, and if you take Monday and Tuesday to play at the beach, the rest of the week will seem much easier.  (If you like rewarding yourself, you can reverse this and give yourself a bonus AFTER you’ve done the job interviews.)
4. Start. This is one of my biggest problems.  I see a project as too big and feel overwhelmed, so I just don’t do anything.  Don’t get sucked into this pit.  If you do something, anything, it is better than nothing.  Small things add up.  Update your resume today, and apply for a job tomorrow.   Do something now.
5. Challenge yourself. Race to see if you can wash all the dishes before the next TV show.  Bet yourself you can do 5 chores before 10 a.m., then go watch a movie you’ve been waiting to see.  Make it a game, have fun, and enjoy the process.  It’ll make it much easier for you to keep going.

Smile Everyday.

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

Start each day with a smile. Try to fit in as many as you can.  Just talking with friends or coworkers can spark a grin.  Discussing funny TV shows or commercials, venting frustrations about being overworked or counting idiots in traffic can be a great vehicle for fun and laughter.

Smiles are contagious too. Once you start smiling, others will start.  Try an experiment and see how many people you can get to smile in a meeting or conference room.  Share a funny experience about your child, a picture of your pet or some other tidbit and let the room lighten up before the information flows.  It will make for a more relaxed and productive time.

Smiles are good for you. When you smile, it changes how you feel.  It’s hard to stay angry when you’re smiling.  Don’t we all have fights that end like that?  You’re right in the middle of a big tirade about how unjust life is, how no one listens or cares about you, then suddenly your dog runs over wagging her tail and offers her tummy up for a rub and you totally lose track of what you were mad about.

Smiles promote positive connections. A true smile is recognized by most everyone.  When you smile with your heart it shows.  We all know that used-car salesman smile and that we should avoid it.  But a real honest-to-goodness feel-good smile can light up a room, or make someone’s day.  Getting the smile is almost as great as giving it.

Smiles are fun. Smiles accompanied by giggling are likely to make you instantly popular as people come to investigate the good news.  Ever drive down the road listening to a comedy tape?  Ever noticed the people in the other car smiling at your laughter, even though they have absolutely no idea what’s so funny?  That’s the power of a smile!

Smiles are free. One of the great bonuses of smiles is that they cost nothing.  In fact, giving smiles away enriches those that give them.  Smiles can bring relief, hope, perspective and relaxation.  Sometimes all at once!  Smiling is a great gift to give when times are tough – they’re a treasure that everyone longs for.

Smiling becomes easier the more you do it. This is really true!  When you find things to be happy about, even in the midst of turmoil, it brings peace and spreads love.  Smiles are a sign of joy and caring.  When you give someone a smile, most often it is returned to you.  Smiles often multiply, bringing more joy and laughter with it.

Smiles help heal. Anyone who is stressed out, in pain or suffering knows that a simple smile can start the road to recovery.  Smiles can ease tension, relive pain, and inspire a new outlook.  Whatever kind of day you are having, a smile can make it better.  Try it today and see.

Reversing the Fear Button

Why is fear so powerful and convincing? When we see or hear something that pushes our primal fears; of not having enough shelter, food, or good health, our fear center takes us over and we become powerless.

Suddenly we start to listen once again to that false voice of self-criticism inside us.  The ones that tells us we’re not enough; not smart enough, not successful enough, not dedicated enough, just not enough

Our fear can be over anything at all; fear we are not worthy of love, fear that we will never achieve our dreams, fear of not enough money, or fear of dying.  Even when these fears are totally false, still we can fall victim to them.

I remember when I was around 26 and I started thinking about death.  This lead to an irrational fear – not of dying, but of suffering.  Suddenly I started imaging all the potential ways I could be being kidnapped, tortured, beaten or worse.  These worries would pop up when I was walking to the car alone, in the dark of night, or even in a crowded store with too many strangers.

But most of this fear is irrational. It comes from our “old brain,” the one that said “Run before you’re trampled to death!” and “Look out for that snake!”  We don’t need these adrenaline-filled warnings anymore, yet our bodies are still primed to produce them.

Too much fear rewires the brain.  When we worry too much, our brains slips into a pattern, like a groove on a record, that’s hard to break out of. And since we are often surrounded by bad news – murders, disasters, illness and problems abound in the nightly news, it’s easy to believe the world is a scary place.

So what is the opposite of fear?  Joy!  Happiness, fun, laughter and love. But how do we break away from fear and into the bright light of smiles and peace?  There is no easy answer, but here are a few ideas that seem to work best for me:

1.  Distraction. One great way to get rid of fear is to distract your mind with another activity.  It could be doing the dishes, making dinner, solving a puzzle or walking the dog.  You could listen to some music, watch TV, or read a book.  Often just taking your mind off your worries for a while will help you see them in a more realistic light and this will banish the baseless fears easily.

2.  More fear. While this may sound strange, it works for me.  For instance, I love to watch horror movies, read scary books, or even try something new like white-water rafting that I am somewhat afraid of.  The over-the-top fears in the horror movies help to give perspective to my own fears – real or imagined.  Doing something I am afraid of, like navigating a rushing river in just a raft full of air builds confidence, and that too helps get rid of fears of being unworthy or no good.

3.  Building happiness skills. This one is harder and not effective in the short run, but provides greater benefits over the long haul.  Building happiness skills, like gratitude, optimism, stress relievers and other techniques help me to find the good things in my life and build on them.  Finding new ways to laugh, recognizing blessings I have overlooked, like having good health or reliable transportation help me to relax and feel more secure about my life.

4.  Attack them. Sometimes the only way to get rid of fear is to attack it head-on.  Since much of what we fear will never come to pass, this is often an effective technique.  Take a piece of paper, and write down what is bothering you.  Then list 5 steps you can take to do something about it.  Even if you can not start them right away, simply having a plan can bring peace of mind.  Seeing things in black and white also takes away the power of our imagination, and we find that we are well prepared to solve our own problems.

5.  Get reinforcements. Fear does not survive well in groups.  It thrives in loneliness and isolation.  When fear is overtaking you, get help.  It can be friends, family, a counselor, or a support group.  It could even be a blog where you give the help to others that you thought you needed yourself.  Other people can find the flaws in fear’s logic and blow a hole through it so big that it can’t survive.