Happiness Archives - Page 32 of 40 - Color Your Life Happy

Get a Buddy or Coach for Motivation and Productivity

Photo by crossfitpeachtree on flickr

Even the most industrious of us can benefit from an occasional push to get or keep us going.

My efforts to get out and walk for exercise, for example, were sporadic until I joined a neighbor who walks her dog. We both were happy to join forces because it’s just easier to show up when someone else is expecting you. Even though we have had days when one or the other has to cancel because of our schedules or vacations, we have rolled with the changes and consider our walk as a priority.

One of my writing goals was to create quality articles frequently and in a more timely manner. When I heard of Jeff Herring’s 100 Articles in 100 Days Challenge I jumped on board and began to churn out articles faster using his videos, ideas and the camraderie of the other participants. There were no prizes other than the gratification and sharpened skills at the finish line in July 2009.

In the early stages of writing my book, Color Your Life Happy, I worked with a motivational coach who gave me ideas and encouragement, and was my accountability partner. As I moved closer to the later phases I hired a publishing coach who gave me more specific tips, guidance, inspiration and again, was my accountability partner.

Why does coaching help?

Look at the top achievers in the world, such as Tiger Woods and Tony Robbins and others in sports and entertainment. Even though they live their passion and enjoy dream lives, they have coaches. As a matter of fact, I didn’t make as much progress in my own coaching and writing career until I hired a coach.

Is coaching for you?

Are you working toward a goal and pursuing your passion? Do you sense that you could use an accountability partner, a sounding board and a gentle guide. I urge you to consider getting a coach or buddy to help you stay motivated and increase your productivity.

I have a few coaching slots available in my practice. I’d be delighted to help you set priorities, make action plans and achieve the success you deserve. Get a complimentary session, then decide. Learn more here.

Filed Under: achieve goals, Happiness Tagged With: accountability, coaching, motivation, productivity

Anti-Valentine Day Sentiment is Bonanza for Goodwill

By Flora Leave a Comment

Heart by Gabriela Camerotti on flickr

While many are scampering to gather gifts, flowers and candy to give loved ones on Valentine’s Day, others are ready to dump items that recall memories of relationships gone awry.

Just in time, one Goodwill created a campaign encouraging you to donate those unwanted mementos to them. The Colonial Park, PA Goodwill was accepting rings, monogrammed towels, and wedding gowns yesterday at their Dump Your Ex’s donation drive.

While this is the first drive of this kind for Goodwill, it is common for Goodwill to accept a wide variety of items year round that are unwanted in the wake of relationships that have ended for various reasons.

So, if you have leftover items, especially valuables, and were wondering what to do with them, donate them to Goodwill and remove the clutter from your home and heart.

Be forewarned: Goodwill is not accepting mattresses, firearms and homemade porn.

Filed Under: decluttering, Happiness Tagged With: broken hearts, decluttering, donations, leftover lover's stuff

Billboard Don’t Know Squat About Sexy Songs

By Flora 4 Comments

Photo by Dh33dha on flickr

As I was driving to a business lunch yesterday the radio announcer began to share Billboard’s picks of the top 50 sexiest songs of all time. (We can count on the anticipation of Valentine’s Day to bring out lists such as this.)

Different songs began to run through my head as possible picks.

I didn’t expect to completely agree with songs that made the cut, but come on–Olivia Newton John’s “Let’s Get Physical” is the sexiest song of all time? Evidently Billboard had robots pick those songs.

As it turns out, Billboard’s picks were selected by a robotic and moronic process. The songs that made the list were the most popular based on each song’s performance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (from August 4, 1958 — the inception of the Hot 100 chart — through the Jan. 16, 2010 issue) and that had anything remotely related to sex in the lyrics.

Eew! That method of selection made for some strange bedfellows.

So, it’s not the list that was the problem, but the title of the list. They should have called their list the Top 50 Songs That Stayed on the Billboard List Longest for God Knows What Reasons and That Mentioned Sex or Anything Remotely Related to Sex in the Lyrics.

Billboard don’t know squat about sexy songs.

A sexy song is suggestive, compelling, soul-stirring, and sometimes steamy, throbbing and even instructive. A sexy song isn’t just a set of lyrics, or a soulful singer, it’s the musical lead-in and backdrop and memorable strains . Sexy songs make you want to snuggle, sway with the one you love, and finally to cut to the chase.

I agree with a few of Billboard’s picks

Number 3: I’ll Make Love to You by Boyz II Men (1994)

Number 5: Let’s Get It On Marvin Gaye

Number 22: Freak Me by Silk

Number 36: Bump and Grind by R. Kelly

but no list of sexy songs can be taken seriously without songs by Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass and Barry White.

When you walk into a room and your lover is playing “If Only for One Night” by Luther Vandross, “Turn Off the Lights” by Teddy Pendergrass or “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Baby” by Barry White there is no mystery about how where your evening is headed.

Okay, I know some of you can’t wait to set me straight. Let me have it.

Filed Under: Happiness Tagged With: Billboard's top 50 sexiest songs, sexy songs

Show Your Love, Appreciation or Deep Like in Your Own Way

By Flora Leave a Comment

Photo by Robin Hutton on Flickr

One of the easiest ways to increase your own happiness is to express your love, appreciation or deep like for another person and celebrate in your own way.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, we are bombarded with ads directed at exchanging gifts of flowers, chocolate and jewelry between romantic partners.

Suppose you don’t have an intimate partner or want to share your love beyond the obvious? How about expressing your feelings and reaching out to others beyond your intimate circle.

1. Help feed the hungry or homeless on Valentine’s Day, if possible. Many of these charities require you to sign up ahead of time, so you may have to book yourself for another day. Do it anyway.

2. Buy some of those kiddie Valentine greetings that come in a set of 30 intended for school kids to exchange. Then sign your name and give to your coworkers. Trust me, they may comment, but they will smile and appreciate the recognition.

3. Make something clever using one of Avery’s free “appreciation” templates.

4. Visit a convalescent home on Valentine’s Day and spend time chatting with someone who never gets visitors. By the way, residents are not just senior citizens. There are children and teen residents there as well. Call to arrange your visit ahead of time.

5. Go through your address book and pick out someone who has made a difference in your life. Call them and tell them.

Filed Under: celebrating Valentine's Day, Happiness, volunteering Tagged With: being creative, celebrating Valentine's Day, volunteering

The Lies We Live

By Flora Leave a Comment

Photo by Ruby Glimmer from Flickr

Lies are woven into our lives from early childhood to the end of our lives. They are so pervasive that many go unnoticed and barely cause a flutter. Certain lies are so common, as a matter of fact, that we may not even classify them as lies.

Here are the most common culprits:

Oxymorons–a combination of contradictory or incongruous words

My son swears that military intellgence fits this category. The more cynical among us would also add business ethics and personal computer. But most people would more readily place pairs like white darkness, silent scream and jumbo shrimp on this list.

Euphemisms–an agreeable word used in place of an offensive one sometime to spare feelings, other times to deceive.

rest room for toilet
working girl for prostitute
pass on for die
Nazis termed relocation camp for concentration camp

Weasel words–words used to evade or retreat from a direct statement

Saying the Corvette is virtually handmade means it’s not handmade, since virtually means not in fact.

Doublespeak–a type of euphemism that is uttered in bad faith, deliberately constructed for political purposes, thus usually being used by the government or politicians

Predawn vertical insertion –used by the Bush administration to refer to the invasion of Granada by parachutists

Wastewater conveyance facility — sewage plant

Ethnic cleansing–Serbian government’s term for forcibly removing and massacring Serbia’s Muslim population

This week we’ve explored deception in many forms and situations. It’s clear that lying at all levels is a prevalent part of our lives and that all of us are culprits as well as victims of it.

The good thing about knowing better is it’s the first step toward doing better. Perhaps the knowledge you gained this week about lies can help you avoid deception in all of its forms. Let me know what you think.

First published 2-15-08

Filed Under: Deception, euphemisms, Happiness Tagged With: Deception, euphemisms, Lies