Hello and Thanks for watching — This is the first draft of our video for www.GoInspireGo.com of Jorge Munoz, a man who selflessly has fed over 70k people in the past few years! Wow!
Posts Tagged ‘happiness
11
Aug
09
An Angel in Queens
The song Stand By Me performed by many artists in different countries. From Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. Official web site: http://www.playingforchange…
The Playing For Change Foundation (PFCF) is dedicated to connecting the world through music by providing resources (including, but not limited to facilities, supplies, and educational programs) to musicians and their communities around the world. click here for more info
18
May
09
Caught Up in the Moment
POSITIVE THOUGHTS TO DWELL ON
Many times we spend hours and hours dwelling and ruminating on the negative and fearful things in our lives. Instead, our focus and attention needs to be on the positive, the good, and on thoughts that will move us in the right direction. Read one of these statements to yourself every day — and dwell on it.
If you pay attention to the darkness, you’ll never find the light.
If you study and relive your past experiences, analyzing them, and “getting in touch with your feelings” you will only reinforce those feelings. If you want to get away from a problem, you should not focus on it. Focus on the good, the positive, the beautiful, the nice.
A happy person is fully caught up in the moment –and is not thinking about the past or the future.
Too much thinking and analyzing just makes any problem worse. Today is a wonderful day – live it in the present. click for more
12
May
09
Ten Ways To Be Happier Now
by Rebecca Ruiz, 01.07.09, 05:30 PM EST Forbes
1. Be at the Center of Your Network
In a recently released study of the social networks of more than 4,700 subjects who had been tracked for 20 years, researchers found that happy people tend to be linked to each other through relationships with family, friends and neighbors. Not only were there clusters of happy and unhappy people, those at the center of their networks seemed more likely to be joyful, whereas those on the fringes were more likely to be melancholic.
2. Surround Yourself With Happy People
The same study also demonstrated that happiness is contagious–you can even catch it from a friend of a friend. The researchers found that happiness removed by three degrees can make you more content than an extra $5,000. The same domino effect is true for unhappiness, as well, though the researchers believe negative feelings spread more slowly than positive ones.
3. Watch Less TV
A recent analysis of time-use data from the General Social Survey showed that while Americans enjoy watching television, doing it too often may lead to unhappiness. Dr. John P. Robinson, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland who conducted the research, found that unhappy people watch over 30% more TV per day than very happy people. No similar disparity was found in comparing all other activities, including sports, churchgoing and socializing.
4. Lead an Active Life
Not only do happy people watch less TV, according to a recent study, they also spend more time socializing with relatives and friends, attending church, reading the newspaper, working and even having sex. It’s difficult to tell whether or not these activities are a function of happiness or if the activities lead to happiness, but the study’s author, Dr. Robinson, says contentment is definitely linked to an active lifestyle
5. Manage Your Time Wisely
Surprisingly, research shows that Americans don’t feel any more stressed or rushed than they did in the 1980s, according to Dr. Robinson. But using time unwisely–having too much of it or not enough–was recently correlated with increased levels of unhappiness. Robinson, who conducted the study, found that 51% of unhappy respondents felt they had too much time, compared with 19% of those who felt very happy.
6. Find Ways to Cope
Unfortunate things happen in life, but that doesn’t mean they have to permanently diminish your mood. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, has studied happiness extensively and has found that developing an effective coping strategy is key to overcoming most troubles. There’s also no single way to cope, though she recommends trying to develop strengths you didn’t know you had–like the ability to manage a household budget in the midst of a financial crisis.
7. Set and Pursue Goals
Goal-setting has many benefits, says Dr. Lyubomirsky, also the author of The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want. First, goals give us a sense of purpose. Second, they tend to cultivate self-esteem, since the sense of accomplishment can segue to feelings of confidence. Finally, they add structure to the daily routine of life, which Dr. Robinson’s findings on time-use revealed can be an important component of long-term happiness
8. Don’t Think Too Much
In her research on happiness, Dr. Lyubomirsky often encounters a behavior known as self-focused rumination (in other words, obsessing over the unknown), which many people believe might lead them to clarity or resolution. But according to studies conducted in the past 20 years, such behavior actually fosters biased thinking, impedes concentration and diminishes a person’s ability to solve problems. Breaking this habit can be tough, but Lyubomirsky recommends distracting yourself with engrossing activities.
9. Practice Gratitude
It sounds like a New Age mantra that has little grounding in science, but being grateful can change one’s mood, habits and health. A study conducted by Dr. Lyubomirsky required a group of 57 participants to write down five things for which they were grateful once a week. A second group of the same size did so three times a week. A third control group of 32 did nothing. Six weeks later, participants in the first group were happier, healthier and exercising more.
10. Experiment With Happiness
If the so-called secrets to contentment don’t exactly work for you, try another version or interpretation of the guidelines. You may not have the same success with a particular strategy as others do, says Dr. Lyubomirsky, because achieving happiness doesn’t happen in a uniform way. Instead, think of it as a sliding scale on which some methods work better, while others make little or no difference.
Tried-and-True Strategies
Dr. Lyubomirsky, who is also the author of The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want, has spent much of her career trying to translate findings like ones above into reliable guidelines for those who want to enjoy the benefits of happiness, which have been shown to include increased productivity at work, higher incomes, stronger immune systems and even popularity. Read full article
04
May
09
Seeing Yourself, Being Yourself
27
Apr
09
Life Positively Reinforced
In operant conditioning, reinforcement occurs when an event following a response causes an increase in the probability of that response occurring in the future. Response strength can be assessed by measures such as the frequency with which the response is made (for example, a pigeon may peck a key more times in the session), or the speed with which it is made (for example, a rat may run a maze faster). The environment change contingent upon the response is called a reinforcer. wiki
Why it works click here
A tutorial click here
Positive exercises click here
Positive Reinforcements for your kids click here
Positive Reinforcements for your dog click here
Positive Reinforcements for your cat click here
Skinner on Reinforcement
A Cool Behavior Management Training Video .
In the next half hour, tackle as many of the following suggestions as possible. Not only will these tasks themselves increase your happiness, but the mere fact that you’ve achieved some concrete goals will boost your mood. Jay Gosney
1. Raise your activity level to pump up your energy. If you’re on the phone, stand up and pace. Walk to a coworker’s office instead of sending an e-mail. Put more energy into your voice. Take a brisk 10-minute walk. Even better…
2. Take a walk outside. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning. Find the best walking workout for your exercise style.
3. Reach out. Send an e-mail to a friend you haven’t seen in a while, or reach out to someone new. Having close bonds with other people is one of the most important keys to happiness. When you act in a friendly way, not only will others feel more friendly toward you, but you’ll also strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.
4. Rid yourself of a nagging task. Deal with that insurance problem, purchase something you need, or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a rush of elation.
5. Create a more serene environment. Outer order contributes to inner peace, so spend some time organizing bills and tackling the piles in the kitchen. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Set the timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do. In that time, take a quick look around the house and see how to get organized using everyday items.
6. Do a good deed. Introduce two people by e-mail, take a minute to pass along useful information, or deliver some gratifying praise. In fact, you can also…
7. Save someone’s life. Sign up to be an organ donor, and remember to tell your family about your decision. Do good, feel good―it really works!
8. Act happy. Fake it ’til you feel it. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood. And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable. There’s no need to walk around in a constant state of worry. After all, what’s the worst that can happen if you bounce a check or leave wet clothes in the dryer?
9. Learn something new. Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the Internet reading about it, or go to a bookstore and buy a book about it. But be honest! Pick a topic that really interests you, not something you think you “should” or “need to” learn about. Keep reading: Get happy on the cheap. How to improve (almost) everything in your life, from your dinner order to your career. Learn 60-second relaxation tricks.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/9-ways-to-get-happy-in-the-next-30-minutes-444895/
02
Dec
08
THE BASIC RULES OF HAPPINESS
By taking steps every day to build and maintain our happiness, we are better equipped to operate at our optimum. There are actually ways to help mentally ‘program’ our happiness
MEDITATE: Start your day strong. Take a few moments each morning for prayer and meditation. Studies show that meditation may even change how our brain works by increasing activity in a part of our brain associated with positive feelings. Focus on peaceful and uplifting thoughts. Imagine your day going well. Review your goals and dreams. For maximum benefit, meditate several times each day. Even if you can’t get away from work or family, close your eyes and relax your mind.
APPRECIATE: Think thank you. Being grateful, reminds us of the many things we have to be happy about. For example, if your job’s driving you crazy, appreciate the fact that you have a job. Many people don’t. Spending less time complaining and more time counting our blessings helps us look at the upside of life. We can even be thankful for the problems we don’t have.
CELEBRATE: Thank the universe for all of its gifts. Self-praise is also important. Cheer yourself on. Acknowledge your achievements each day, however small they might seem at the time. Marking our accomplishments is encouraging and reminds us we are on a path of progress. Recite affirmations like, “Way to go“ or mantras like, “Life is so good, life is so great, I just have to celebrate.” They help program positive thoughts. The secret is to remember that there’s something to celebrate in everything.
