In her wonderful book, The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want, Sonja Lyubomirsky tells you how to be happy today.
She shares twelve simple activities to attract happiness. We’ve listed them here for you along with our thoughts on each one.
By Bigg Success Staff
03-25-08
Timeless Principles
We probably have more today than any generation since the beginning of time. Yet are we happier?
According to news reports, the answer is no. Research seems to support that notion. So why aren’t we happier?
It seems that many people relate happiness to monetary success. As a bigg goal-getter, you may be one of those people. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you realize its limitations.
Its limitation is that happiness from monetary success is short-lived. You’re happy when you reach that level. Then you start looking at all the people who are at a yet higher level. All of a sudden, you’re unhappy again.
Define your desired destination
A better approach is to clearly define the lifestyle that will make you happy. How much money will it take to support that lifestyle?
Create a plan to invest your money wisely so your money makes enough to support that desired lifestyle. Now you’re free to spend your time however you choose. Now wouldn’t that make your happy? Happiness is freedom; freedom is happiness.
Then resist the temptations (and there will be many) to want more than that, unless you clearly understand why it will make you happier. And getting to boast about your bigg new you-name-it to your neighbor probably isn’t sufficient!
It’s a very short-term thing. You’re seeking long-term happiness. What makes you happy? Define it. Get it. Enjoy it.
The journey has its rewards
You don’t have to wait to be happy until you reach your final destination. Enjoy the journey as well! You’ve determined what will give you the freedom to spend your time however you want. You’ve mapped out a plan to get there.
Now, celebrate each accomplishment along the way! Stop and smell the roses!
Appreciate how far you’ve come. Be thankful for what you’ve learned. Be grateful for all the people who have helped you get there.
As you develop this attitude of gratitude, you’ll find that you’ll be happier now. You’ll enjoy the journey more because you’re taking time to appreciate what you’re experiencing – both the good and the bad. These experiences are building a better “you”.
If you’re happy and you know it …
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Happy Valentine’s Day everybody! Cupid sent an arrow through the window of The Bigg Success Show studio today. Here’s what he said in the note he attached to it.
| Dear George and Mary-Lynn,
I love The Bigg Success Show! I wanted to write and ask you to share a message with your audience. It’s great that people today are getting more and more education. But I’m distressed because so much emphasis is placed on thinking logically. I’m afraid that we’re losing our ability to listen to our hearts. So I’m hoping you’ll share my 4 steps to heading in the heart direction. Love and kisses, Cupid |
|---|
Cupid’s 4 steps to heading in the heart direction
#1 – Figure out what your heart desires.
You know deep in your heart what you really want. If you were living your heart’s desire, 11 what would you do every day?]
Would you be in a different career? Spend less time at work? Own your own business? Spend more time with your family and friends? Volunteer for your favorite cause?
Only you know your heart’s desire … what is it?
#2 – Use your head to plan how to get your heart’s desires.
You know where you’re at and you know your heart’s desires. How do you connect the dots?
Do some research. Test some ideas. Try to find ways to get where you want to be. Not all your ideas will work. No worry. Keep coming up with solutions to get what your heart desires.
#3 – Believe with all your heart that you can do it.
Believe until it becomes a burning desire. You just can’t be happy until you achieve what you set out to do. Your heart will never be full.
You have to believe SO much that you just KNOW you can do it. Even more that that – you WILL do it because you remember the old quote, “If you believe it, you can achieve it!”
#4 – Put your whole heart into pursuing your heart’s desires.
The first three points have prepared you for this one. Now you’re ready to play the game. Go for it! Give it everything you have!
Along the way you will face adversity. Never give up. Your head will tell you to quit – listen to your heart and keep going!
Cupid’s advice for the heart-broken
You may have tried following your heart and fallen flat on your face. No worry – that will happen.
It’s better “to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” It’s better to pursue your passion than just let life pass you buy. The 53 biggest regrets most people have] are for things they did NOT do. Don’t look back on your life and wonder what might have been.
Thanks for sharing these heart-felt tips with us, Cupid!
Our bigg quote today is by Jacque Benigne Bossuel.
Sometimes thinking outside the box is a matter of getting inside your heart.
Next time, we’ll ask you to solve a riddle – Where are you are if you ain’t where you are?
Until then, here’s to your bigg success!
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By Bigg Success Staff
01-23-08
Work-Life Balance
Like most professionals, you probably feel pulled almost constantly. Work demands spill over to home and vice versa. You often feel pulled in several directions at once. You try to sort things out by priority, but what do you do when everything is a high priority?
There’s a great article at the Business Week site called Custom Building a Life.
Jeff Weinstein tells his story to Nick Leiber. We give a “BIGG salute” to them both! We’ll give you a summary here, but you should definitely read the article.
Jeff started The Counter, a restaurant that serves custom-made burgers at a great price, in 2003. He mentions three goals for his business at that time:
By Bigg Success Staff
01-11-08
Leadership Skills
News on the job front is that employees are increasingly unhappy with their jobs. There’s an old saying:
People join companies. They leave bosses.
So if you’re the boss, you bear the brunt of the responsibility for making your employees’ work experience satisfying. Of course, some people are only happy if they’re unhappy. Hopefully, you weed those people out BEFORE you hire them!
So, we’ll assume that your 84 employees are generally happy people, which means they have the potential to be happy employees]. This may surprise you –
You are the single most important factor
in your employees’ level of job satisfaction!
That’s particularly important if your employees deal directly with customers. As you might know from The Service – Profit Chain:
Employee satisfaction⇒Customer satisfaction⇒Revenue growth⇒Profit growth
What can you do to make your employees happier? Many unseasoned managers think that people only want more money or more benefits. Give me … give me … give me!
That’s not the case, though. Check out what your good employees want from you:
Your employees want to know that they aren’t just a “number” to you. That they matter! That you are genuinely interested in them. In helping them do their jobs better. Helping them build their skills. Helping them make their lives work. Show a genuine interest in your employees and you’ll be surprised what happens! Good people perform for good bosses.
Your employees want to understand how they make an impact. Help them understand the big picture and their role in it. Businesses and organizations serve people. Help them understand how they improve people’s lives. Share information about your business and industry. Discuss your goals and progress toward them. Make them a part of something bigger than just a job.
Good employees want regular input on their job performance. You’re the person they expect to get it from. Make time for this incredibly important part of your job. When one of your employees does something exceptionally well, make a bigg deal out of it. Praise him or her as publicly as you possibly can. When they fall short of your expectations, offer constructive advice privately – one-on-one.
Don’t get so busy doing your job that you neglect your most important duty – to serve your people. Make this your top priority and you’ll find bigg success as a leader!
Hear today’s lesson and laugh on The Bigg Success Show.
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(Image of duck family by pedrosimoes7, CC 2.0)
