Word-Of-the-Week #760: Happy
February 28, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #760: Happy
Happy – feeling or showing pleasure, joy, or contentment.
How would you rate yourself when it comes to being happy? Is your glass overflowing (or at least half full)? Is your outward demeanor friendly, warm, welcoming?
Another good article “Tips for being happy (even when you’re not) at work and elsewhere,” by Phil Blair, co-founder of Manpower San Diego and author of “Job Won.” He writes, “I enjoy going to events where I’m likely to meet new people. And more often than not, I look for that person who’s standing alone, miserable because they don’t know anyone.
Maybe it’s a holdover from my teen-age years when my father took our family to South America and Africa and I was always the “new kid” in school. I know how it feels to be the “outsider.”
Conversely, when I’m at business functions or social events where I know almost everyone, I make it a point to introduce myself to the few people I don’t know. I’ll share some pleasantries and find out an interesting tidbit or two and then introduce them to others.
Believe me, the relief on their faces is palpable. All of a sudden, they’re more relaxed because they now “know” someone – me – who’s taken an interest in who they are, however short our conversation.
When I do meet someone I haven’t met before, it usually takes less than a minute to decide whether they’re happy in their lives or not. Truth is, I’m not that interested in meeting someone who, despite my best efforts at introducing myself with a smile, remains outwardly unhappy.
In Loving Memory of Our Dixie Doodle!
I’d much rather be around positive, upbeat people, those who see the glass of life at least half-filled instead of running on empty. No matter what’s going on in their personal or professional lives, their outward demeanor is friendly, warm, welcoming.
The people I prefer to be around – and offer career advice to, if sought – are dependably friendly and enthusiastic. They avoid saying negative things about others. They’re capable and confident, but they’re able to laugh at themselves. They don’t take themselves too seriously. They’re able to mask a bad day, or that morning’s silly squabble with a spouse, or that lousy job they can’t wait to leave.
How is that possible, you ask? Take a few sips from this half-filled glass
- Make an effort to be happy. You might think I’m being overly Pollyanna, but I truly believe that happiness is largely a life choice. Same with being unhappy.
- Smile more. Believe it or not, one of the natural effects of smiling is that you will feel happier. Turns out that the very act of smiling stimulates the flow of neural “messages” known as neuropeptides that ward off the ill effects of stress. Try it.
- Stop complaining. Unless you’re able to offer real solutions to real problems, no one wants to hear your complaints. No whining.
- Be friendly. Just as no one likes being around a complainer, no one likes co-workers who are prone to being grumpy or downright rude. No matter if they’re geniuses or not.
This week’s focus is on being happy. How often do you smile? Would your friends, family, and co-workers say that you are positive and upbeat? Can you laugh at yourself and not take things too seriously?
Stay Tuned! More on this next week…
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Word-Of-the-Week #759: Venturesome
February 21, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #759: Venturesome
Venturesome – having a disposition to undertake ventures; adventurous.
How often do you get out of your comfort zone? When was the last time you felt adventurous? Are you able to recognize opportunities and take them?
This is my birthday month and it’s a BIG ONE! So when my thirteen-year-old grandson asked if I would pick him up from school and have a sleep over I thought to myself, “What would be FUN for us to do?” And the answer was, “Go to iFLY!”
I had parachuted in 1981 and wanted to do a tandem free fall. But I never did so this was the next best thing. It simulates the feeling of free falling by floating on air. We had a blast and I have a return ticket so I can do the same thing with his seven-year-old sister at another time!
I found this post “Invoking the spirit of adventure” by Psychologies and am including excerpts. “Do you find yourself hesitating to take chances? Does fear prevent you from achieving your dreams? Writer Juliet Davey discovered how travelling has deepened her self-knowledge and awareness and here, she shares tips for living an adventurous life – and you don’t even have to leave the country. It’s all about pushing those boundaries…
“Adventure is not outside man; it is within” ― George Eliot
The responsibilities of modern living do not always permit us to travel, but we can still cultivate our adventurous spirit. The opportunity for adventure is available to us daily. Here are four handy tips to access the essence of this spirit:
- Do not let your fears rule you – the adventurous spirit is never certain of the outcome but is open to new experiences regardless. We all feel fear but the adventure-seeker takes action despite that fear.
- Embrace the unfamiliar – travel takes you to unknown places and requires you to live in the present. But you can expand your horizons every day no matter where you are. By embracing places and people that are different from our norm, we can heighten our awareness and learn something new. Doing something out of the ordinary can also increase confidence.
- Follow your heart – adventure comes to those who seek it. I love the Anais Nin quote: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” So if you have always wanted to take a cooking class, skydive or learn to sing, now is the time. Stand inside your truth. Follow your heart.
- Seize opportunities – recognize opportunities and take them. This is your chance.
This week’s focus is on being venturesome. How open are you to new experiences? When was the last time you did something out of the ordinary? Do you follow your head or do you follow your heart?
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Word-Of-the-Week #758: Valentine
February 14, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #758: Valentine
Valentine – a card or gift expressing love or affection.
Did you give or receive a card or gift expressing love today on Valentine’s Day? Are there any other days during the year that you give a gift or a card that expresses your love or affection?
Since today is Valentine’s Day I felt it was a good time to revisit what I wrote several years back. In the Calendar section of the LA Times there is a feature titled, “UNDERRATED” & “OVERRATED” every Sunday. In “OVERRATED” they wrote, “Valentine’s Day: 
With apologies to jewelers, movie studios and chocolatiers who count on us showering our loved ones with gifts for this magical 24-hour period, we encourage you all to fight the hype. Honor and adore your special someones, certainly, but do the same on any given Sunday. The commercial frenzy of this day strikes us as the romantic equivalent of New Year’s Eve: amateur night.”
Well, I agree! It would be a real shame if I only had one day a year to look forward to giving or receiving a gift or card expressing love or affection. I feel very lucky because Chris and I shower each other with words of love and give cards all year long. And what I like most is that they are given when they are least expected.
I have said in prior WOW’s that we do not give Birthday or Christmas gifts. It’s just not FUN when you have to “come up with something.” Chris wanted a new lens for his camera so he bought it and I said, “Oh great, that’s your Christmas present from me.” And I bought a sweet little emerald in Cartagena that was made into a ring and he gave me that for my birthday. Hey, what could be better? No pressure and no disappointment!
This week think about how you feel about Valentine’s Day. Is it the only day of the year that you give or receive a card or gift expressing love or affection? What if you created one day a week or a month as your surprise Valentine’s Day? How much effort does it really take to honor and adore your significant other? And how nice does it feel to be honored and adored?
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Word-Of-the-Week #757: Rejuvenated
February 7, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #757: Rejuvenated
Rejuvenated – restored to youthful vigor or appearance.
When was the last time you felt rejuvenated? Do you have an exercise routine that you follow diligently? How disciplined are you when it comes to eating?
This week features the 2nd part of Kavita Daswani’s LA Times article, “To feel rejuvenated at age 95, try living fearlessly.”
To Recap: “Phyllis Sues is writing her first book, “20 Tips to Change Your Life,” pushing the notion that it’s never too late to develop at least a few healthy habits. She believes that the key to longevity and lasting health lies in remaining active, open-minded and unafraid to learn new things. And her big secret? She enjoys a steady diet of buttery mashed potatoes, bread, El Pollo Loco and nightly helpings of ice cream — but says it’s all in the portions.
Here’s how she does it:
- Develop a routine
Every morning when you wake up, say out loud, ‘Good morning, good morning, I love this day, I’m out to play, I’m not going to delay.’ And then, do something. I do 20 minutes of stretching in bed before yoga. Sometimes I jump rope or lift weights. My living room is my gym.
- I have issues, but …
I have rotator cuff problems in one shoulder, a ruptured bicep, meniscus in the knee and neuropathy in my feet. I want to feel good. I want my body to be in perfect shape. And it’s very difficult as you age because things start to fall apart and you have to fight like crazy. It’s an uphill battle.
- Carbs, come on down
I’ve never weighed more than 100 pounds, but I can eat whatever I want. I just don’t eat a lot of it. Breakfast is a slice of cinnamon raisin toast with Irish Kerrygold butter, peanut butter and sliced bananas, and an espresso. I like El Pollo Loco chicken breast or thigh, nothing else with it, and I have it with a salad. I love mashed potatoes with butter and heavy cream. And every night, I alternate between Häagen-Dazs Coffee and Vanilla Bean ice cream. Mostly I eat alone, and I find I eat even less when I’m by myself.
- Move. Listen. Learn.
That is my philosophy. To be sedentary is terrible, so move. Dance, walk, anything, just move. Then, know how to face challenges, because there are so many out there. Receive them and respond to them, and learn something every day, a new language, a musical instrument; it will keep you all there. I’m so driven and I don’t give up; no matter how difficult something is, I will accomplish it.
This week’s focus is on feeling rejuvenated. Have you made excuses for why you can’t do something that you know would make you feel youthful vigor? How disciplined are you when it comes to eating? How would it feel to move more, listen more, and learn more every day?
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