Invest in Relationships - Always make sure your loved ones know you love them even in times of conflict. Nurture and grow your relationships with your family and friends by making the time to spend with them. Don’t break your promises to them. Be supportive.

Keep Your Word - Honesty is the best policy. Every action and decision you make should be based on honesty. Be honest with yourself and with your loved ones.

Meditate - Meditation gives your very active brain a rest. When it’s rested you will have more energy and function at a higher level. Types of meditation include yoga, hypnosis, relaxation tapes, affirmations, visualization or just sitting in complete silence. Find something you enjoy and make the time to practice daily.

Mind Your Own Business - Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Don’t judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you.

Optimism - See the glass as half full. Find the positive side of any given situation. It’s there – even though it may be hard to find. Know that everything happens for a reason, even though you may never know what the reason is. Steer clear of negative thoughts. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought.

Love Unconditionally - Accept others for who they are. You don’t put limitations on your love. Even though you may not always like the actions of your loved ones – you continue to love them.

Persistence - Never give up. Face each new challenge with the attitude that it will bring you one step closer to your goal. You will never fail, as long as you never give up. Focus on what you want, learn the required skills, make a plan to succeed and take action. We are always happiest while pursuing something of value to us.

Be Proactive - Accept what can not be changed. Happy people don’t waste energy on circumstances beyond their control. Accept your limitations as a human being. Determine how you can take control by creating the outcome you desire – rather than waiting to respond.

 Self Care - Take care of your mind, body and health. Get regular medical check ups. Eat healthy and work out. Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of water. Exercise your mind by continually energizing it with interesting and exciting challenges.

Self Confidence - Don’t try to be someone that you’re not. After all no one likes a phony. Determine who you are in the inside – your own personal likes and dislikes. Be confident in who you are. Do the best you can and don’t second guess yourself.

Take Responsibility - Happy people know and understand that they are 100% responsible for their life. They take responsibility for their moods, attitude, thoughts, feelings, actions and words. They are the first to admit when they’ve made a mistake.

Begin today by taking responsibility for your happiness. Work on developing these habits as you own. The more you incorporate the above habits into your daily lifestyle – the happier you will be.

Most of all: BE TRUE TO YOURSELF.

If you’ve been a little down in the dumps, feeling insecure or perhaps not feeling as confident in your ability as you’d like, I have a great tip for you. My suggestion to anyone looking for a success track to run on, or to a person who is looking to get back on one, is to start capitalizing on short-term victories. That means specifically focus on tasks you can achieve daily. The principle is to start with an adversity over which you can succeed, and gradually take on more and more difficult tasks. Nothing succeeds like success.

Another technique used by many people in developing or maintaining a winning feeling is what we call the reflection method. Think back during a time where you were really successful at something… we all have times to which we can relate. It could have been a sale, a particular speech, a school play, or standing up to the town bully. Each one of us can reflect back on a moment in time to recapture that winning feeling.

Professional sports coaches often replay winning games of the past for their team prior to a big game to stimulate and create a winning feeling!

Years ago, a good friend of mine had left his job and a company that he had worked with for many years. He was one of the top execs with his company and had done extremely well. He had left because he wanted to start his own business. I told him he could use one of our offices until such time as he was ready to open up his own office.

In any event, I happened to be in the office one afternoon and Grant, who normally was very upbeat and positive, was really having a difficult time. After a few moments of small talk, it became apparent what the problem was. Grant had hit the terror barrier and the possibility of starting his own company was overwhelming him… he just didn’t think he could do it. Here’s a man who had risen to the top of his field, made a high six-figure income for years… and yet was still having doubts as to his ability to start his own company.

I asked Grant to go home, get a notebook and start to write down all of his accomplishments, as far back as he could remember. The look on his face was priceless – I’m sure he thought I’d lost my mind. I told him that the accomplishment could be small or large… it didn’t really matter. The point was to focus on something positive. I still remember him asking, “Well, what if I only fill half a page.” I just smiled and asked him to do his best and start writing.

Monday morning came and Grant was back in the office with a notebook full of accomplishments. I smiled and said, “You must have been fairly confident, you picked up a good sized notebook!” We both had a good laugh. Grant went on to build a multi-million dollar financial planning company and later franchised the operation to extend across Australia!

This is a great exercise for anyone needing a bit of a boost. What would give you a winning feeling of pride and satisfaction? Remember… a winning feeling is a confident feeling and one that forgets misses, and reinforces successful attempts.

Wrong. Here are some ways that you can help other people–and make yourself feel great, at the same time–in under five minutes.

1. Be friendly. I’ve decided that there are five degrees of social interactions with strangers: hostile, rude, neutral, polite, and friendly. I find it very difficult to be downright friendly to strangers, but I always find myself energized and cheered by a friendly interaction. It only takes an extra minute to exchange a few pleasant words, but it makes a real difference.

2. Say “yes.” If you can, and if you should, say “yes.”

3. Say “no.”  In many circumstances, we find it hard to say “no” — partly because it will hurt someone’s feelings, partly because it closes a possibility that could otherwise remain open. But waiting to hear “no” saps people’s energy by keeping them hoping for an answer they aren’t going to get. If someone is waiting for your “No,” put them out of their misery.

4. Sign up on the national organ-donor registry. This takes no time at all, and the consequences could be HUGE! Tell your family that you signed up, too. Remember, the one minute that someone takes, right now, to sign up on the registry might save YOUR life six months from now. And vice versa.

5. Lead them not into temptation. It can feel generous, friendly, and fun-loving to urge people to take another piece of cake, to drink another glass of wine, or to make an extra purchase, or to urge them to give themselves a break by skipping the gym, skipping class, or quitting smoking next week instead of today. But when you see people truly trying to resist temptation, encourage them to stick to their resolutions.

6. Do someone else’s chore. Don’t you sometimes wish that someone would do one of your little jobs? If nothing else, to show an awareness of the fact that you faithfully do it, day after day? Cleaning up the kitchen or starting the office coffee-pot, even though it’s not “your” job, helps people feel appreciated and cared for. One of my Twelve Commandments is to “Spend out,” which reminds me not to keep score, not to focus so much on everything coming out even - like chores.

•  Happy Everafter In Your Eyes - Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun
• Happy - Max Sedgley - Chillout Session 6
• She’s Only Happy In The Sun - Ben Harper - Diamonds on the Inside
• You Could Be Happy - Snow Patrol -Eye’s Open
• Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy - Queens of the Stoneage - Songs for the Deaf
• My Happy Ending - Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin.

How many happy tunes do you listen to?

Here is a song list with everything from Bob Marley to Madonna, expressly created to make you smile:

1. Aerosmith, “Pink:” From 1997’s Nine Lives. That album was one of the band’s most underrated. This song is very tongue-in-cheek and fun, much like the band itself.
2. Bob Marley and the Wailers, “Three Little Birds:” Featured on the brilliant album Legend, released in 1984 (3 years after Marley’s death,) this song has an upbeat message: “Every little thing is gonna be alright.”
3. The Clash, “Rock The Casbah:” From 1982’s Combat Rock. The Clash were so very far ahead of their time. Combat Rock and Sandinista are two of the best albums in rock history. The Clash were not known for making “happy” music per se, but this song was an invitation to the suppressed people of the Middle East to rock out.
4. The Cure, “Close To Me:” The Cure is NOT a happy band by any stretch of the imagination, but this song’s finger-snapping beat, tinkling piano and horns make it happy in spite of the not-so-upbeat lyrics. “Friday I’m In Love” has happier lyrics, but “Close To Me” is a more joyous musical experience.
5. Information Society, “What’s On Your Mind:” This dance hit from Information Society’s 1988 eponymous album is about a relationship at a stand-still because of lack of communication. It’s on the list simply for its great beat and catchy synthesizers.
6. Lauryn Hill, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You:” This remake of a 1967 Frankie Valli song is perfectly suited to Hill’s smoky voice. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is a worthy purchase. The song is one of two hidden tracks at the end of the album.
7. Madonna, “Like a Prayer:” It’s hard to be in a bad mood when singing along with a gospel choir.
8. Mary J. Blige, “Real Love:” Before Mary was the hip-hop queen she is today, she had this first hit in 1992. The irresistable piano loop and drums sampled from the 1988 Audio Two song “Top Billin’” make this song catchy.
9. Naughty by Nature, “Ghetto Bastard (Everything’s Gonna Be Alright:)” The beat and bass line of this song are what makes it great to listen to. The lyrics are plaintively about the trials and tribulations the band went through growing up in New Jersey.
10. Nikka Costa, “Swing It Around:” This song is the definition of funk. The heavy, humming bass and Costa’s soulful voice bring back the era of Etta James and Nina Simone. Costa’s CD, Can’tneverdidnothin‘, is a dirty, bluesy trip across musical genres.
11. Prince and the New Power Generation, “Sexy M.F.:” Speaking of funk, this is one of Prince’s most dirty, fun tracks. The lyrics are not for the faint of heart, but the horn section is amazing.
12. Suzanne Vega, “Tom’s Diner:” This little song about a day in the life of…wait for it…Tom’s Diner…was a hit for Vega in the early 90’s. The catchy beat, smooth vocals and simple story make you forget your own life.
13. Yerba Buena, “Guajira:” The group, named after a “good tea” or “good herb” penned this song in honor of a popular style of Columbian music. YB’s sound is Afro-Cuban-Columbian-Hip-Hop. This song was tailor-made for hip swiveling.

Google was conceived by its two founders in the mid-1990s Larry Page and Sergey Brin from their garage. The Google search engine launched in late 1998 and since its launch Google has changed they way we search for information.

“Googol” is the mathematical term for a 1 followed by 100 zeros. The term was coined by Milton Sirotta, nephew of American mathematician Edward Kasner, and was popularized in the book, “Mathematics and the Imagination” by Kasner and James Newman. Google’s play on the term reflects the company’s mission to organize the immense amount of information available on the web.

Since the launch of the Google Search Engine, Google has gone on to launch Google Maps, Blogger, Gmail, Zeitgeist and much much more. Google even has a timeline dedicated to the launch of Google in Australia.

So happy birthday Google.  Heres to the next 10 years.

Appreciate Life. Be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. Develop a childlike sense of wonder towards life. Focus on the beauty of every living thing. Make the most of each day. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Enjoy Life. Take the time to see the beauty around you. There’s more to life than work. Take time to smell the roses, watch a sunset or sunrise with a loved one, take a walk along the seashore, hike in the woods etc. Learn to live in the present moment and cherish it. Don’t live in the past or the future.

Do Something That You Love. Some statistics show that 80% of people dislike their jobs! No wonder there’s so many unhappy people running around. We spend a great deal of our life working. Choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it. Make time to enjoy your hobbies and pursue special interests.

Choose Your Friends Wisely. Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals. Friends that have the same ethics as you will encourage you to achieve your dreams. They help you to feel good about yourself. They are there to lend a helping hand when needed.

Be Considerate.  Accept others for who they are as well as where they are in life. Respect them for who they are. Touch them with a kind and generous spirit. Help when you are able, without trying to change the other person. Try to brighten the day of everyone you come into contact with.

Learn Continuously.  Keep up to date with the latest news regarding your career and hobbies. Try new and daring things that has sparked your interest – such as dancing, skiing, surfing or sky-diving.

Creative Problem Solving.  Don’t wallow in self-pity. As soon as you face a challenge get busy finding a solution. Don’t let the set backs affect your mood, instead see each new obstacle you face as an opportunity to make a positive change. Learn to trust your gut instincts – it’s almost always right.

Laugh Loud and Laugh Often.  Don’t take yourself – or life to seriously. You can find humor in just about any situation. Laugh at yourself – no one’s perfect. When appropriate laugh and make light of the circumstances. (Naturally there are times that you should be serious as it would be improper to laugh.)

Learn to Forgive. Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you. Forgive others for your own peace of mind. When you make a mistake – own up to it – learn from it – and FORGIVE yourself.

Gratitude. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings; All of them – even the things that seem trivial. Be grateful for your home, your work and most importantly your family and friends. Take the time to tell them that you are happy they are in your life.

Next week we’ll continue this list of Habit of Happy People, so in the meantime let us know what makes you happy.

Thats right, Matt travelled the globe and danced with hundreds of people and then posted the clips on the internet. You can check the video clip out on You Tube here

If you haven’t seen this video, you should check it out. A young man from America who’s shown us the importance and joy in world travel….he had a great idea and shared it. Watch, it’ll make ya cry and laugh, and just be happy to be human.

You hide the phone bill from your partner because you have entered one too many Ring-N-Win competitions!

You have 40 boxes of Kleenex tissues sitting in the cupboard, because you just had to win that fluffy new bathrobe!

You buy 3 tins of dog food to enter a competition and you don’t have a dog!!

At the slightest sound, you rush to the front door thinking it might be the Courier delivering a prize!

Your relatives start to speak to you more because they know you can’t possible use all of those movie tickets that you have won!

You HAD to make the switch to broadband so you could get more competition entries in!

You get a speeding ticket on the way to the Post Office because you just had to get there before closing time to find out what the registered mail article you have had delivered is!

Prizes turn up on your door step and you can’t remember what you entered to win it!

Where does happiness come from? Does it reside inside of us, or does it come from external sources? There are a number of variables that make a far greater contribution to happiness than external and more superficial factors. Some would argue that you can find happiness. Sometimes happiness is elusive, depending on what’s going on in your life at the time.

But what distinguishes happy people, is that they have a different attitude - a different way of thinking about things and doing things. They interpret the world in a different way, and go about their lives in a different way.

It has been suggested that there are several factors that contribute towards our happiness. This is an ‘equation for happiness’ suggested by Martin Seligman, an American based psychologist:

H = S + C + V

H = Happiness
S = Set range - (genetics: about 50%)
C = Circumstances (8-15%)
V = Voluntary Control - (past, present, future)

Happiness is something that means different things to different people, but overall it seems that it is the way we choose to think about ourselves, our place in the world, and the world around us, and how we act in that world, that differentiates the happy people from the less happy people.

Maybe there are things you can do to find it.

With thanks to www.reachout.com.au