In response to last week’s Reminder titled, “Do Something Joyful,” I received the following comment from a subscriber about something she does that brings her daily joy: “My mission that gives me daily JOY is to find/make time to phone a friend, usually three at least, who are on my mind. Voices are “our touchstone,”…
I walked into Trader Joe’s feeling a bit down. As I approached a checkout counter with my cart full of groceries, I asked the checker how her day was going. She smiled and answered, “Every day’s a gift.” Then she asked how I was doing. I said I was “hanging in there.” She responded with,…
Alex Trebek, host of “Jeopardy!” passed away recently. Alex was a very special person in that everyone who encountered him, whether in person or on television, loved him including the people he worked for, worked with, as well as the show’s contestants. On top of that, his fans adored him. You never saw anything written…
A relative from Iowa sent this account of some neighborly kindness that happened to her. “My yard is full of leaves. Today I heard a noise and thought that it was my neighbor blowing his leaves. When I went to move my plants outside from the garage, I discovered that the noise was in my…
A friend of mine posted this quote by writer Nikki Banas on Facebook. It’s titled, Impact. I think it captures the essence of why we should be kind. “You never really know the true impact you have on those around you. You never know how much someone needed that smile you gave them. You never…
Your level of enthusiasm plays a vital role in your success. As author Og Mandino put it: “Every memorable act in the history of the world is a triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it because it gives any challenge or any occupation, no matter how frightening or difficult, a new meaning.…
A friend sent me this list of rules for living a happier live. This list is so succinct and so on target that I felt I needed to share it with you. I don’t know who the author is, but I’ve never seen a list like this with so few words that covers all the…
We’ve all heard how happy people are healthier, live longer, do better in relationships and have a greater sense of wellbeing. But what do you do on those days when you just don’t feel happy? The answer is: you fake it—you go through the motions of being happy anyway. According to David Myers, Professor of…
If someone appears to be down, take the time to build them back up. Go to them and say something like, “You seem kind of down today, is everything all right?” Then be prepared to listen to what they have to say and look for ways to lighten their load. Taking a personal interest communicates…
Piero Ferrucci is a world-renowned psychologist and author of a book titled The Power of Kindness. In his book, Mr. Ferrucci references numerous research studies that show how kind people are healthier, live longer, feel better about themselves, are more popular, more productive, enjoy greater success in business and are happier. In addition, kind people are…