posted December 06, 2010 05:14 PM            

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quote:

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I miss my cupcake
where has it gone
i wish it were here
at the wave of my wand

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posted December 06, 2010 05:21 PM            

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quote:

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I miss my cupcake
where has it gone
i wish it were here
at the wave of my wand

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posted December 06, 2010 05:49 PM            

Do something first thing in the morning that will ensure your day is a success. This is the ace in the hole. It’s easy to roll out of bed and onto the couch for some TV or into email for the rest of a meaningless day. You know this isn’t the best way to wake up on top of the world.

You know how good it feels to make progress on the meaningful things in your life. So do something about it. Have a simple plan the night before of what you’ll tackle first thing in the morning. For me this is usually writing or getting active outside with a workout.

posted December 06, 2010 06:07 PM            

Don’t rush through tasks. One of the quickest creators of stress and killers of happiness is rushing and believing you don’t have enough time to smell the roses. There is always time. And if you don’t, the roses will eventually die.

Only plan to do 1-3 core things each day. Let the rest be a bonus. Plan twice as much time as you think it will take and don’t fill every second of your calendar with tasks.

Humans are notorious for having ridiculous expectations of what we can get done in a day and how quickly things take. Hence we’re left with a day full of stress and constant rushing. Speed alone can cause immediate stress.

posted December 06, 2010 06:45 PM            

3. Save time to be in awe.

If you always feel rushed, you’ll never feel you have time to enjoy the subtle, non-task-related wonders of life. Do the above and you’ll create space to be amazed by the world.

Walk in the sand with bare feet, play with a dog, feed a duck, go on a walk with no destination, catch a sunset, be in nature or just find a bench and watch the world happen around you. You pick.

4. Get lost in a happiness flood.

Spend a few minutes thinking of all the bits of life that you are grateful for. The big and the small. What are you proud of? What’s made you smile recently? Think of the things that create an immediate smile.

Who are you thankful to have in your life? What people, experiences and things make life rich? You can do this anywhere–while on your walk or a workout or while on the bus. Your call. I love doing it while on my morning run.

When we are in an emotional state of pure gratitude, it’s impossible to feel negative emotions like stress, anger, or unhappiness. The simpler the things you can find to feel grateful for, the more often you’ll find yourself inundated in it.