Happiness is not in our circumstances, but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are. John B. Sheerin

Photo by Beanworks

Consider your happiness today and the degree to which you let your circumstances determine your happiness. If you are like most people, it may never occur to you that happiness is more than a reflection of the things that happen in your life, the attitudes of those around you and the your degree of success --whatever you conceive it to be.


Happiness runs deeper than the fleeting emotions we feel as we react to the world. It resides in the very core of who we are. If you have trouble finding happiness, try looking within.

If you find yourself thinking that you would be happy if your financial situation changed, remember the work of Marci Shimoff in Happy for No Reason that showed us that once our basic human needs are met, money has no bearing on how happy we are.  

Today, I am grateful for renewed energy, for the bright winter sun and for dark winter skies alive with stars. I am grateful for eyes that see, ears that hear and feet that walk. I am grateful for cold crisp air to fill my lungs, for water to quench my thirst and for laughter that fills the air.

I am grateful for pencils, clean blanks pages and the desire to fill them in. I am grateful for wind chimes, pine cones and rocks.

I am grateful for family and friends who share my life, for pets that trust so willingly and children nestled snug in their beds.

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop and share my day. May your heart be light and your life be filled with the happiness that comes from within.

"There are two great days in a person's life--the day we are born and the day we discover why." William Barclay

Photo by hotblack





Many of us confuse our purpose in life with our job or profession and neglect to find our real purpose.

Purpose is larger than your profession--more than your role in society. You may enjoy your job or relish your role as mother or wife, but that's not your purpose. Your purpose is the over-arching thing you were sent here to do.

You will recognize your purpose as that which brings you joy,  provides you with energy and improves the lives of others. According to Edward Diener, a psychologist and researcher at the University of Illinois, one of the main ingredients necessary to experience a joyful life is the belief that your life has a greater meaning. Those who have a sense of purpose in life, live longer and healthier lives.

Some, of course, experience the joy of finding a profession that allows them to further their purpose in life, but that is not always the case. In Happy for No Reason, Marci Shimoff  shares that a 2005 study revealed that less than 20% of working American's are passionate about their job, leaving 4 out of 5 Americans spending 40 hours or more a week occupied by tasks that do not promote their real purpose in life. If you find yourself one of those 4, it's time to find your passion, harness your purpose and get on with finding real joy in your life.

May your purpose be clear, and your path to happiness come into focus today, as your strive to reach your goals and fulfill your dreams.

Today, I am grateful to be alive, for the ability to pursue my dreams and for the wisdom to recognize my life's purpose. 

I am grateful  for worn comfy slippers that warm my toes, for snow that has enveloped my world, and my husband who tirelessly clears the driveway.

I am grateful to be blessed with two wonderful children who never cease to amaze me with their concern for others, their selfless giving and their sense of right and wrong.

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May your joy be full and your purpose be clear as you go forth to claim happiness for no reason.

Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain...

“Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vintage point.”
- Harold B Melchart



Photo by kananaskis_country


Sometimes, we become so focused on where we want to go that we forget to enjoy and appreciate everything around us. This is particularly true when our goals involve making money or paying the bills.Although keeping your goals in sight and maintaining focus on ways to achieve them is important to success, don't forget that without gratitude for what we already have, the journey is incomplete.

Take the time to look around you today, and learn to express your gratitude for all that is good and just in the world. You may not have reached your goals, yet--but there is great beauty and goodness around you, if you but take the time to look.

Resist the urge to think that you'll be happy when you attain your goals. As we learned in "Happy for No Reason" by Marci Schimoff, if we can't experience happiness where we are, we will not experience it by attaining more money or material things. Happiness comes from within when we appreciate what we have already been given. Only then, can we go forth with confidence to attain our goals.


Today, I am grateful for new fallen snow that envelops the world in white, for Christmas lights that twinkle into the night and for the stars in the heavens that perform their own light show. I am grateful for gentle music, purring cats and the sound of the wind.

I am grateful for eyes to see, ears to hear and a mouth to speak. I am grateful for the natural energy to do the things I love, for words that flow easily from my soul and and the ability to change negative thoughts to positive by simply changing my focus.
 
I am grateful for family, for friends, and for neighbors who keep my world secure, promise a bright future and share my life. I am grateful for opportunities to help others as they meet obstacles in their lives, to share their joy in celebrating their successes and to encourage them when times are tough.
 
And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you celebrate all that is good and pleasing in your life today as you work toward your goals.

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” Frederick Keonig











photo by kakisky



According to Marci Shimoff author of  Happy For No Reason, Americans tend to believe they will be happy if they have more material things. This, however, does not prove to be the case. She cites statistics that over the past 50 years income has increased by more than 2 1/2 times, but the happiness level of Americans has remained the same. Amazingly, over 40 % of the wealthiest American's are "less happy" than the average American.

Believe it or not, once your income level is above $12,000 a year, the amount of money you have does not alter your happiness level. So, what does?

You do. The thoughts you choose to entertain, your ability to express gratitude for what you have and your willingness to give up self-defeating ways of thinking and behaving determines how happy your are.

To be happy, you need to let go of the negative and focus on the positive. One way to do that is to examine your life and express gratitude for what you have. Won't you join me today and take tally of the wonderful things in your life that you are grateful for?

Today, I am grateful for the crystals of ice that form on the car windshield creating a feathery display of artistry. I am grateful for crisp white leaves that crunch beneath my feet, for yellow stars that bid me good morning and for cloudless skies that promise a new day.


I am grateful for lingering geese that have not yet flown south, for busy squirrels that leap from tree to tree and for baby animals that will soon take up their winter's sleep.


I am grateful for a warm home, warm socks and soft pillows on which to rest my head. I am grateful for a sound mind and warm heart to lead me through my day. 

I am grateful for family, for friends and for neighbors that give me a foundation for my life. I am grateful for parents who taught me much before they departed from this world, for teachers who guided me along the way and for classmates who helped me find my direction in life.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop and share my day. May your happiness be great as you focus your thoughts on all that is good and just in the world the world today.

Things do not change; we change. ~ Henry David Thoreau

I found the amazing book Happy for No Reason tucked beneath other more popular books at my local store the other day. I haven't read it all, but the first three chapters have me hooked--so I thought I'd take a moment to share with you today.

For those of you who are not aware, Marci Shimoff appeared in The Secret and does motivational speaking across the globe. I expected to hear more of the same, but I got  a big surprise. I expected to be told that I needed to do to find true and lasting happiness was to change my thinking--but I found much more.

The first three chapters referenced actual scientific studies that supported the fact that--are you ready--we have a happiness set-point ( much like the weight set point) and no matter what happens in our lives we return to the same level of happiness within a very short period.

Unless you suffer from clinical depression or some other biological disorder, it doesn't matter if the event is positive or negative. As human beings we return to the same point we have spent our whole lives functioning at.

The good news is, we can reset our happiness meter and enjoy peace and happiness we never thought possible.

Isn't that just amazing?

Of course, one of the ways to reset your happiness meter is by expressing your gratitude for the things you already have in your life. Check back tomorrow to see what other amazing things this book has to offer.

Today I am grateful for wide-open fields, scurrying field mice and fall berries that continue to linger until snow. For crisp cold mornings and chimneys that send up a straight gray plume, for golden lights that illuminate distant windows and dog barks that tell me the world is wake.


I am grateful for the distant call of the chickadee that will soon find his way to the feeder, for blue jays that teeter on branches looking for a frozen treat and mourning doves as they draw close for cracked corn.


I am grateful for family and friends who share my world, for old friends who have gone on to their own lives in their own worlds and for future friends whose path I am destined to cross.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May your happiness meter remain on full as you go forward to reach your dreams.