Category: Enhancing joy

  • Dirt and beauty

    In 1974 Saudi Arabia was a fabulously rich country, yet its streets were piled high with rubbish. There was no garbage disposal system other than the goats that roamed the streets. The reason? “No self-respecting Saudi would ever collect trash.”[i] Being too proud to deal with their garbage meant that effectively the Saudis were left […]

  • Fear of change creates a comfort trap

    Studies have shown that people who become paraplegics after an accident are only slightly less happy a year later than they were before the accident. By the same token, big lotto winners are back to their previous happiness level within a year. When something big happens, good or bad, people soon become accustomed to it. […]

  • Why me?

    When something bad happens, many people’s first reaction is “Why me?” This is not a genuine question but a rhetorical one; it’s a statement that what happened was unfair and undeserved. As long as we stay in this place of complaining that things are not as they should be, we remain stuck and unhappy. However, […]

  • Other People Can Be So Annoying!

    You’ve probably noticed that other people can be a real pain at times. Interfering, making too much noise, demanding, whining, doing a sloppy job, messing things up, wanting their own way – other people can find a million ways to get under our skin. Yet before we react to them, we must look to ourselves […]

  • Who do you think you’re talking to?

    Something I’ve been thinking about lately is the fact that we are so connected with one another that even in our private moments we are not islands. Our thoughts are always directed at someone – we think to a virtual listener, just as we speak to an audience with our speech. In a way, thoughts […]

  • Start with the physical

    Recently I’ve found myself sinking into negativity, getting irritated with people and their perceived stupidity and thoughtlessness and especially their negativity. Of course, it’s not that people have suddenly got more stupid or unkind. The problem is that I am lacking energy, which means I also lack patience and find it harder to be understanding. […]

  • Make happiness a habit

    You know how to be happy – you’ve done it many times. So why not do it more often? To make happiness a way of life, you need routines that promote happiness. You can’t sustain physical fitness from one vigorous work-out; nor can you maintain happiness by doing something about it just once. Happiness-promoting routines […]

  • Getting through the hard times

    Can we be happy when bad things happen in our lives? Is it even appropriate? First of all, let’s define what we mean by ‘bad things’. Often, the things we get upset about are really only molehills that we make into mountains. Ask yourself: “In a years’ time, will this still matter?” If the answer […]

  • Happiness and singing

    You might’ve noticed that you’re more likely to sing in the shower when you’re happy, but did you know that regular singing actually makes you happier? Research conducted in Australia, Germany and the UK in 2008 showed that members of choirs tend to be far more satisfied with their lives than the average person. The […]

  • New Year’s Resolutions

    Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Broken them yet? If so, I’m sure you’re not alone. Most resolutions are practically set up to fail, because they’re not made in the spirit of self-love and acceptance. Instead, they come from the perspective that we are inherently bad and need to impose control on ourselves. I’ll […]