"Be a lamp for the world. For if you are the lamp, surely you will never live in darkness." ~David Leonhardt
"Do unto others as you would have done unto you. In fact, if you want to be happy, make others happy. Yes, it works like magic, because nobody is as happy as someone who dedicates himself to making others happy." ~David Leonhardt
"Don’t make quitting an option if there is something you want to achieve." ~David Leonhardt
"Feeling lost? Don’t worry, every road leads somewhere. Sometimes, if you feel your life is stagnating, it’s not the direction that matters, but rather the movement. Get up and go. Move. If you feel like you’re going nowhere, start living just by going somewhere." ~David Leonhardt
"Happiness comes from within, as does the lack of happiness. Like a turtle with its shell, you will bring your happiness and unhappiness with you wherever you go." ~David Leonhardt
"Let us hold true to our values, but compromise when it is appropriate…and not judge others who choose where to draw their lines." ~David Leonhardt
"Never fear, there are many other things that grow in volume when shared: joy, ideas, support, friendship...to name just a few." ~David Leonhardt
"No love is not always the answer, for many reasons. But love is never the problem." ~David Leonhardt
"No matter what you do, failure is a possibility…even if it is not an option. If you have tried your best, if you have learned what you can from the failure, if you are ready to meet your next challenge more determined than ever…then there was no failure." ~David Leonhardt
"Perspective is very important. Sometimes we create misery or stress for ourselves by taking the wrong perspective. Will something really matter in the long run? Did that person do that on purpose? Can I wait just a little longer? Sometimes an objective response to questions like these can reduce a lot of stress and worries." ~David Leonhardt
"Push back those shoulders. Back and up. Yes, this simple posture correction will help you maintain stronger bones for longer in your life, but it will also immediately boost the energy to your life. " ~David Leonhardt
"Nobody can be everything to anybody. Even the best of friends, even the husband and wife who share completely, need others to round out their friendships and supports." ~David Leonhardt
"Reach for the top, but enjoy where you are wherever you land, you will go far." ~David Leonhardt
"Thrills are high; happiness is long. A momentary jolt of euphoria is not what happiness is about. Happiness is about being at peace with yourself. It is about feeling fulfilled. It is about acceptance and generosity and enjoying whatever you are doing." ~David Leonhardt
"Want to make this world a better place? Smile at someone who looks down and can really use an uplifting moment. There is no greater gift that you can give. When it comes to charity, it’s not how much you give that counts; it’s what you give." ~David Leonhardt
"We can do great things if we set our minds, no our entire beings to it. Enthusiasm is an uplifting feeling that spreads like wildfire and makes things happen. If there is something great you can do, for the world, for your family, for yourself, get enthused today." ~David Leonhardt
(The Happy Guy)
by David Leonhardt
A short friendship poem (perfect for Friendship Day)
Choose friends wisely, the portrait they paint
Is who you are and who you ain't.
Friendship is life's great support
When friends are of the right sort.
For all your dreams do they make room,
Or bring you down with doom and gloom?
You will know a friendship is true
When it brings out the best in you.
Give Hugs and Get Healthier
When you’re feeling gloomy and someone comes up to you to give you a hug, it could really lift your spirit. But did you know that there are also health benefits to hugging? Studies have shown that it causes the release of a hormone called oxytocin. That hormone has been proven to help lower levels of stress and anxiety, reduce blood pressure, boost the immune system, increase tolerance to pain and perhaps even speed up the healing of wounds.
Others
ACT
Here is another very simple formula to feel happier almost immediately:
Act happy, be happy.
Yes, it’s really that simple. Make a smile, say something nice to somebody, tell a joke, act like you are happy. It is really quite amazing how our own actions affect how we feel about ourselves and about life.
The opposite is true, too. If you act unhappy, that is just how you’ll feel.
Act happy, be happy.
The Happy Guy
APPRECIATE
Imagine a world without sun; now appreciate the weather.
Imagine a world without water; now appreciate whatever there is to
drink.
Imagine a world without people; now appreciate the people you know.
Imagine a world without sleep; now appreciate the bed you have.
Imagine a world without thoughts; now appreciate the ideas you disagree with.
Imagine a world without food; now appreciate the lineups at the grocery store
The Happy Guy
ATTITUDE
After Thomas Edison’s lab went up in flames, he was heard to say, "There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew." Three weeks later he delivered his first phonograph.
Do I have to tell you that the moral of this story is that is it not events, but our reaction to events that defines the difference between disaster and success? ~The Happy Guy
"Imagine opening a treasure chest. Pull the latch open. Listen to the rusty hinges as you slowly lift the lid. Sense the anticipation, the thrill that in a moment you know you will come face to face with treasure beyond your wildest dreams.
Lift that lid higher. Don't worry about the squeaking from the rusty hinges; that's just the sound of treasure long gone unappreciated. That's it. Lift a little higher. It's almost open.
Ah, now feast your eyes...on your life!
Now isn't that something to treasure?" ~~David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy
"Too angry, too often? Try visualizing a calm, relaxing experience. Draw on your imagination to transport yourself to a place where anger just does not fit.
Imagine yourself relaxing in this experience. It will be much easier to let go of the anger when you are feeling relaxed." ~David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy
"You know you are having a good day when...
You wake up and you say to yourself, "This will be a good day."
You decide to like what they are serving in the cafeteria.
You decide your coworkers do not control your feelings.
You know you'll get home eventually, even if traffic is slow.
You absolutely love your pillow when it's time to sleep." ~David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy</blockquote>
CONFIDENCE
"Amateurs built the ark Professionals built the Titanic"
If you have ever had any self-doubt. If you ever wonder if you can really do something, consider this lesson in shipbuilding. Put your heart and soul into what you do and you can do it. And whether you succeed or fail, you will absolutely be happier knowing that you gave it your best shot.
Happy Guy
DREAMS
Don't hitch your dreams to someone else's rocket. Their rockets are all heading of to their dreams, to fulfill their destinies, to make them complete. Your dream is your own. It is unique. It can be achieved only by your efforts and your will.
Make the time, make the effort, make the commitment. Follow your own dream - launch your own rocket. ~David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy
FRIENDSHIPPOSITIVITY
A real friend increases your self-esteem
A real friend shows genuine affection
A real friend does not judge you.
A real friend is there when the crocodiles attack.
A real friend makes you a better person.
Why not be a real friend to someone?
Happy Guy
If you try hard enough, you can find something to be miserable about in pretty much any situation. But finding something to be pleased with is so much easier…and so much more satisfying.
As I often tell my daughters, “OK, go ahead and cry if you prefer to feel sad. But when you think you would rather be happy, you can stop crying." ~David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy
SETBACKS
Setbacks happen. Close the door on them right away. If you have to write down a paragraph on a setback, then write "The End", do so. If you have to write down your setback and throw it in the fireplace, do so. If you have to change your clothes to start afresh, do so.
Set back your setbacks. ~David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy
THANKS
Hell is a warning that has kept many a man on the right path.
Sickness is a measuring stick against which we can appreciate health.
Gravity makes us fall to the floor and hurt ourselves, thus protecting us from floating up, from where the fall would hurt us so much more.
Let us give thanks for our most treasured woes. ~David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy
TIME
Rush. Rush. Rush. Rush. Rush.
Stop. Take a little time to breathe, to bask in the company of yourself or some people you care about. To close your eyes and feel your being. To stop thinking of the ever-growing to-do list. To recharge your batteries in a calm, peaceful way.
There'll be time enough for worries, for thrills, for toiling and for laughter later. A period of calm is needed, too. ~David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy
LOVE
If you love somebody…
Let go of their hand.
Let go of their sight.
Let go of their company.
But never let go of their heart.
The Happy Guy
REGRET
Some people have many regrets. Some people have few. Here are a few things nobody regrets...
Being too kind
Being too generous
Being too helpful
Being too fair
Being too happy
Being too interested
Being too warm
Being too understanding
Being oneself
Being too cheerful
Being too forgiving
Being too positive
Go ahead and do as much of these things as you wish. You won't regret it. ~David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy
TREASURE
Have you ever thought of happiness as a treasure? It is. Perhaps the greatest treasure you’ll ever know.
The good news is that there is as much treasure as you want, and it is accessible as you choose to make it. So why not go on a treasure hunt today. Look for the positive in everything. There is one, you know. Even in the worst destruction of wartime, even in the most unspeakably hideous acts of inhumanity, there is a positive.
I am not suggesting that there is no right moment for grieving or for shock or even for anger. But most of the time, a treasure hunt for the positive will help us feel happy. And even on those rare occasions when there is a real tragedy, a treasure hunt for the positive can help us cope better.
Here is a sample of what I mean, from a tweet (a post on Twitter) published by @jodenecoza while I was drafting this
"Got soaked in a rainstorm and then warmed up with hot tea and ginger snap biscuits! Everything has its upside in life."
The Happy Guy
WIN
How many people have quit, just before they would have struck gold, we will never know. But if you quit, you will never know how close you came to winning.
Losing is not the biggest tragedy…but almost winning surely is.
The Happy Guy
WONDER
The Seven Wonders of the World:
To see
To feel
To laugh
To hear
To smile
To touch
To love
The Happy Guy
YOU
A poem by “Mystic Dave” Lanier
No matter where you go,
be it near or far,
when you finally get there,
well then, there you are.
Find you are the same one,
who tried to go away.
Travel can't change you,
only the place you stay.
Perhaps you will see
something that is new.
Find that you are wiser,
and find you are still you.
The Happy Guy
