New Name, New Vision, New Mission

April 22, 2013 | Posted in Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully | By

Have you ever driven past a store-front and seen a canvas banner hanging in front of the old signage “Under New Management” and wondered what will change with the new management?  Well. . . . consider this post to be my virtual canvas banner.  We may look the same on some levels, but many new great things have taken place. We’re under new management, new name and new vision with a new mission. We’re shaking things up around here and we wanted to share the good news with our fans.

After lots of paperwork, forms, phone calls, re-writing of vision statements, mission statements, life purpose workshops and several trips abroad to ruminate on what the future should look like for moi; we are fully sailing under the new banner of GaiaHart.com. Funny how many people have divulged to me that they had changed their name or go by a nickname after I shared my name change story with them. . . quite fascinating, the name thing.

Still getting the details of websites, the blog now has a new facelift while dealing with other digital stuff  and the old monikers of Gail Hahn and Funcilitators.com, but we are in full swing with a new personal name of Gaia Hart and doing business under my new name and continuing with BizBuilderCards.com.  Rest assured the bits and bobs will be changed in the near future to match the new legal names.

What does this mean?  It means I outgrew my old name, threw off the old persona, stepped up to a new potential with a new name: Gaia = Greek Godess of Earth Energy, and Hart = Heart stemming from the School of Love as evidenced in my life purpose created in my fingerprints.  The Gaia Theory is that the Earth is self healing and that there is an interconnectedness to everything. I like that – the thought that we are all connected and healing together. It represents a spiritual growth and change in the mission and structure of my life and my work which represents my life purpose. . . . which is helping you find yours. . . .

My company name change from Fun*cilitators to my new personal name moves the energy from the focus on fun, teambuilding, and organizational training and keynote speaking to working with clients one-on-one in a personal or small-group setting to help you discover the art of living and leading Hartfully. Voila – a new mode of sharing my expertise in creating energy at all levels for leaders, executives and entrepreneurs. What this means for me is that I get to go deeper with each client and what it means for you is that you get my undivided attention to your needs. We get to pick the location of our working together and how we work together – completely customized to fit us both. Funcilitators.com served me well and served thousands of satisfied clients over the past 16 years and now it’s time for a change to better serve my clients with what they need most – personal attention and expertise to shine the light on their blind spots and ignite their energy to another level.

Stay tuned for what is to come. . . new designs, new programs, new ways to connect to your capacity. Our BizBuilderCards.com biz has expanded immensely in recent months. We’re now doing business cards, custom calendars, photo albums, canvas prints and more gourmet goodies to send your gratitude to those who matter in addition to our traditional custom cards, postcards and tri-panel cards. Why not test drive the Gratitude Challenge by sending 30 cards in 30 days to see how it changes your life and the lives of others with a simple connection and thoughtful word. .  .  brownies never hurt as a thoughtful gift either. Check it out at SOCGratitude.com/9431.  Let me know your results – I’d like to share the good news stories with our fans.

What does your name represent? What does your business name represent to you and to others? What’s in a name is a whole lot of meaning. What kind of meaning are you giving to your business and your life? Does your current name represent all that you could be or something that you were? Have you outgrown your name or are you itching to change? Only you know the answer to that.

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Being Unreasonable May be Your Answer to Success

March 1, 2013 | Posted in Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully | By

Practice the mindset and manifesting secrets of the masters for unreasonable success.

If you keep doing what other people want you to do, and thinking about what other people want you to think, what do you suppose is likely to happen?

Repeating the successes of the past, preserving tradition, doing things as they are “supposed” to be done, will- at best – produce results like those had before.  Except that in this new future – our present – those results can’t possibly be as good, as productive, or as powerful as they once were.  And probably not
as much fun, either.

Unreasonable success requires unreasonable approaches to the future. Breakthroughs needn’t happen by chance. You can create them at will. Breakthroughs are great leaps forward, and while they can happen by accident, they can also happen by design.

Here are principles of Being Unreasonable

1. Don’t base your life on what’s likely. Base it on what you dream about

Take the possible further. Chart the course of your life not on what you think probable, not on what you think possible, but on that about which you think fantastic.  The biggest breakthroughs and biggest successes come from dreamers.  (Caveatfanaticus {dreamer beware}: It will still you take all the same work to get there – dreams just don’t yield results without action.)

2. Expect the best

Expect the best from those around you. Expect them to be successful. Count on it. Plan for it. Budget for it. Expecting the best gives you the highest likelihood of getting whatever IT is.  Start with the best case scenario and figure out how insure it. By the way, expecting the worst has a similar, but opposite, effect.

3. Don’t think, “Can I accomplish it?” Think, “How can I get this done?”

If it is worth doing, and you have strong reasons for doing it; you’ll find a way. Stop worrying if it is possible. Trust me, it is. Focus your deepest mind on how to make it happen.  Remember the best answer to “How…?” is “Yes.”

4. Back yourself into a corner, so the only place you can go is forward.

Warrior-sage Sun Tzu wrote that nothing is as dangerous as an enemy backed into a corner.  They will fight to the death for the have nowhere else to run.  Don’t think about “enemies,” use this strategy on yourself.

5. Cut your timelines in half. You’ll do better work.

Not only does work expand to fill the time available, so do our schedules, creating a viscous and every-expanding circle. We need pressure to accomplish great things. Shorten your timeframes, cut them in half. Then tell your friends. Your work may not be any better, but you’ll get it done in less time.

6. Ask people for a lot. They just may give you what you need.

Shrinking violets rarely accomplish anything, and asking for what you want will often get it for you.  People like to serve. People like to accomplish. People like to win against great odds. Why not ask them for everything.

7. You don’t have to when someone says you should

People say, “you should” when what they really mean is, “In the past, most people I have known have done thus-and-so.”  Ask, “Why should I?” whenever the conversation turns to shoulds and shouldn’ts.  Should is the road to mediocrity.  “Why should I” is the first step towards majesty.

8. If you’re not scared, you’re not doing anything worthy.

All great ventures things in life contain elements of profound risk, and the promise of failure as well as success.  Courage isn’t acting without fear, it is being afraid, and acting anyway. If you are not at least a little afraid, you are probably not doing anything worthy of the name great. Unreasonable people are
often afraid.  So what, just be sure you are afraid of the right thing.

9. Don’t worry about getting it just right.

Perfection prevents progress. New ideas must be tested against human beings. If you wait until you get it perfect, it may be too late. It may be never. Think functionality and workability. Experiment in the chaos of the real world, and fix the problems that arise later.

10. Freedom comes from responsibility

Be fully responsible for your actions and the effects they produce. Most people look for outside causes. Unreasonably lay claim to every miracle and debacle within your sphere of influence, which includes, by the way, everything. Make it all yours, for that’s the only way to exert dominion over your world
and gain freedom.

 

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Bouncing Back for Your Comeback: Getting Real About Resiliency

February 12, 2013 | Posted in Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully | By

As the economy limps out of the pits with so many people fallen down during the past few years; I’ve noticed how some people have bounced back quite nicely while others are still stumbling along. It’s curious to me what kind of characteristics, behaviors, mindsets and other stuff do the Bounce-Backers have that the Stumblers may not possess….or just not know that they possess?

After many lengthy conversations with clients and others who have both bounced back and stumbled back; along with more research and reading on the topic of human resilience and the art of the comeback. I’d like to share some of the findings from my hunt for answers.

Psychologists agree that some people are born with more resilience than others and they also point out that it’s within all of us to cultivate more resilience by adjusting how we view adversity. Do we let it become our total reality forevermore or do we think of it as a temporary detour, a bump in the road and a minor setback? Do we let our adversity (name your favorite: divorce, death, disease, debt, addiction, foreclosure, job loss) define us, or is it just life? I’m pretty sure nobody who has lived very long has escaped all of the aforementioned situations. Resilience refers to our capacity to deal with discomfort and adversity. It’s not just a reactive skill set, but a set of characteristics and traits that enrich our lives.

Highly resilient folk are adaptive to situations, remain flexible and even welcome and thrive on change. It keeps them on their toes, excited for new challenges and they expect to bounce back and have the confidence that they will. There is no question in their mind that they have the skill sets and the mind set to attain something bigger than the adversity flavor of the moment. They have a knack for creating good out of what may seem to others as bad luck.  They can see the other side and are creative thinkers.

According to top researchers here are the 5 most powerful ways to get real about resilience and bounce back for your comeback:

1.   Positive Thinking, even in the midst of adversity. Resilient people can still hold positive thoughts about positive outcomes during a negative situation while others may only hold onto the negative and really can’t see the positive in an adverse situation. Our emotional patterns are triggered by our thinking patterns. So if we want to curtail negative emotions, start with more positive thoughts such as how did this seemingly “bad” thing happen and what good can come of it – what is the lesson. One way to build on this skill is to notice, appreciate and be grateful for more positive things in your life to build your positivity muscle and build resilience and make positive life deposits, so when there is a negative withdrawal; you already have so many grateful deposits that you can balance it out.

2.   Look for the Learning Point. The more you look for the lesson to be learned in adversity and how it can help you grow, evolve and become better; the more you use it as a tool for growth, then the more you will rise above the issues. When you become bigger than your problem, your ability to handle bigger and bigger issues grows as well. Learn to problem-solve as soon as you see something looming. Cultivate your curiosity about adversity issues and embrace a learner’s mindset.

3.   Be in Service – Gratitude Pushes out Fear. When gratitude and service in love and kindness come in the front door; fear runs out the back door. Open your mind and open your heart to turn situations around and teach others how you got through it to help them through similar adversity. How can you pass along what you learned to others seeking help and support? Put things into perspective by being grateful for all the things that are going right in your life so when adversity strikes, there is a much bigger ratio of things that are going well. One of my mentors challenged her people to change up how they answer to the ubiquitous question of “how are you doing?” and I will challenge you to the same. Instead of saying “fine”….say “I’m grateful, and you?”. It reminds your brain how grateful you are to be alive and be in the presence of others who care enough to ask. See how you feel after practicing that little change in your life for a few weeks. It’s a reminder to yourself just how grateful for everything we are.

4.   Honoring Yourself and Your Body – Taking Care of the Temple. Cultivating good health habits, eating right, getting enough sleep and exercise help make our body strong and our resilience strong…or at least easier to deal with the stresses that come with adversity. I just heard a story by Brian Williams on the Nightly News that stated 41 million Americans are sleep deprived costing companies over $63Billion per year in productivity loss. I don’t know about you but if I don’t get enough sleep, I’m worthless. My brain doesn’t fire as fast, I’m groggy, I can’t focus and my energy wanes. Good sleep is essential to building resilience. Taking care of yourself also means taking care of your social connections and I don’t mean social media and the so-called “friends” you may have online. I’m talking the real deal. The people you can call when your car breaks down or when you break down to come listen or help or lend a hand. Real friendships, love and connections help build resilience. During my world travels; I’ve always found that if I’m traveling solo and bump up against an adverse action it feels a little scary, but if I’m with a friend in a similar situation it becomes and adventure and a challenge and we rise to the occasion and start problem-solving.

5.   Laugh Through it – Hold onto Your Humor. Not that it’s a laughing matter, but laughter can get you through some tough spots. It can be pain relieving – as found by Dr. Norman Cousins in his famous book Anatomy of an Illness, finding that 10 minutes of good belly laughter can induce 2 hours of restful sleep without medicine in patients. As a Certified Laughter Leader; I’ve lead groups and coached individuals and practiced laughter to reduce tension during tense moments. When you consciously choose to be playful with a situation, it becomes empowering that you do have a choice in the matter and it signals to your brain and body that you are bigger and better than the adversity – you can laugh at yourself or the situation. Laughter is a release of tension – the same as crying and sometimes you do both, but get it out of your system to build your resilience.

Those are your marching orders to help you bounce back for your comeback. I hope you find some ideas that help you get real about your resiliency and here’s to facing adversity and laughing in its face. Cheers to you for your courage to step forward from (temporary) setbacks!

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Your New Year Assignment

January 28, 2013 | Posted in Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully, Wealthy Woman | By

So now that you’re past all the partying, whooping it up and forgetting about real life for severl weeks; it’s time to hunker down and get a little more serious about what you really, really, really want out of your life this year. I’m not talking about those crazy resolutions of losing weight, working out more and eating right…. although those may be a part of the plan. I’m talking the deeper stuff, the soul-connection kind of stuff that will move you towards your life purpose. What I call the Hot 100 list.

Writing down, or typing, cutting and pasting or digitally pasting photos, pictures, drawing and coloring AT LEAST 100 things you can do to move your life forward towards your purposeful goals this year. For left brainers and the check-listers; numer your page 1-100 and then write down your desires so you can feel the success when you check them off. For you right brainers, use the Vision Board method and cut and paste to your heart’s content. For the most bang for your buck, do both. And READ YOUR LIST and LOOK AT YOUR VISIN BOARD DAILY. Don’t sock it away on the shelf only to dust it off and look at it next year.

Studies have shown that these images get locked into your subconscious and there is a wee bit of magic that happens as you begin manifesting your list. It must be viewed often to keep it on the top of your mind and let is soak into the back of your mind. Stretch yourself to come up with at least 100. I always have more – there’s just too much to do, see, be to stop at 100. Let it simmer for a while, come back and add more. Some goals can take several years to attain and some can be done in an afernoon – write them down. One of my goals took 27 years to achieve. Don’t forget to celebrate your successes when you can cross one off the list.

As part of your assignment; take the Gratitude Challenge. I dare you to send 30 personal cards to 30 people in 30 days at http://socgratitude.com/9431

What’s really cool is that you can also create your vision board on one of the cards and send it to yourself so you have a portable version. I took a photo of mine and carry it with me on my iphone so when I’m in waiting mode; I can pull up my dreams and desires, read my life purpose, check out my life vision and then do a gap analysis and see what I already have achieved and what I still need to do.

Happy writing and card sending. Report back to me how it went. Cheers!

 

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Gratitude Isn’t Just for Thanksgiving

November 25, 2012 | Posted in Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully | By

It’s a little odd to me that so much emphasis is placed on shopping around the day that is meant for being grateful. Others may say they’re grateful for the sales…. or grateful to get out of the house and away from football… or grateful that some have left the house to leave them alone to watch football.

As  one who gratitude at the forefront of daily activities and not just focus on it for one day; it’s become not only a way of life,  but a lifestyle and way of making a living through giving. How about we place more emphasis on the “thanks” and “giving” part of the holiday the other 364 days of the year and see what happens? Why not take the Graitidue Challenge and send a card of appreciation a day for 30 days to those to whom you’re grateful and see how your life changes, see what doors may be opened up, or what lines of communication may become unclogged, or what hearts may be opened up. You never know who may be hoping for something to happen in their life and you just may be the one to make it happen.

If you’re up for taking the Gratitude Challenge; send me an email Gaia@GaiaHart.com and let me know you want to take it and I’ll show you how you can easily send 30 cards in 30 days or turbo-charge your gratitude and send 60 cards in 60 days that will be delivered to the recipient’s mailbox by the postal service inside a stamped envelope all from the comfort of your home computer, or Ipad, laptop or even your Iphone. Anyplace you can get an internet connect, you can send a card or a gift that will be printed in 24 hours and shipped out immediately to anywhere in the world.’

The Wall Street Journal just ran an article this week about gratitude and how the workplace ranks dead-last on the list of places where thankfulness is practiced. How sad is that? We’ve been cooking along with recognition programs and incentives, then, wham, the economy goes south and so do the workplace “thank you’s”. With budget cuts go the formal recognition programs. I challenge you to not let a downfall in a formal program to create a downfall in your civil duties to spread gratitude throughout your office. John Templeton Foundation cited in the Wall Street Journal article that only 7% of bosses and 10% of colleagues on average are being thanked by their colleagues. Jack Welch, known for his tough management even says that it’s part of a manager’s job to show gratitude to their people.

From years and years of research and work in this field, I’ve experienced the same findings with my clients: when workplaces head towards the “no gratitude zone”, then morale, productivity decline and the profits are not far behind in the freefall. Gratitude is not only good for people, it’s good for business.

What are you doing to thank your colleagues, your clients, customers and your friendss throughout the year and not just on one or two days of the year? Sometimes it can fall on deaf ears in the clatter of everything at once on one day, but it is held in high esteem when it is given throughout the year on a continual basis. Go ahead, I dare you to take the Gratitude Challenge and see what happens in your life. Send me and email at Gaia@GaiaHart.com and I’ll show you how you can simply and easily send 30 cards in 30 days or turbo charge your giving to 60 or 90 cards in as many days. You’ll be glad you did.

Check out this video on the power of gratitude and sending a heart-ful card:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5kPwXihumM&list=PLtUVv9eXCdIKmF4MMCOVMBuzeZ1nrrUQF

Thanks for stopping by – I’m grateful to have this forum for my toughts…. though my thoughts have had a different focus for most of this year….. more later on contraction and expansion……

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Writing Effective Affirmations to Affect Change

September 22, 2012 | Posted in Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully, Wealthy Woman | By

Not all affirmations are created equally. I’ve been doing this and coaching this for several decades and creating effective affirmations is both an art and a science. I wanted to share some tips on writing effective affirmations that will work for you and not against you in manifesting what you want in your life.

1. Start with the words I AM. Whatever follows I AM will come looking for you. The Universe will give you want you ask for. If you’re saying I’m sick and tired of…  Guess what? You will be sick and tired because that is what followed I AM. It takes some practice to convert old habits of saying whatever you’ve been saying behind I AM. This is one of the most powerful lessons in re-programming your mind and your mouth to bring about change in your life. Start with I AM and follow it by positive affirmations of your BE, DO and HAVE. Your subconscious follows that diretive and sets in motion things to make it true.

2. Use words that state the present tense and not the future so it is as if it already is. State it in the now.

3. Be specific – remember that the Universe takes orders directly and so does your subconscious. If you just say I want potatoes. The Universe doesn’t know if it’s French fries, mashed, boiled or baked. Be specific.

4. Involve as many senses as possible to make it real. What does your affirmation feel like, smell like, taste like, look like? What do you feel like when you hear it and say it – what kind of emotion does it involve and elicit? Make it dynamic and moving for you. This is not the time to be ho hum about things. What gets you excited?

5.  State affirmations in the positive and not what you don’t want. If you want peace, don’t march against war, march for peace. Your subconscious needs direct orders – state what you want in a positive way so only the positive image is implied.

6. Keep it short and sweet. No lengthy affirmations with lots of “ands”. If one affirmation gets too long, break it into two.

I hope this is helpful in creating your list of affirmations and manifesting the life of your dreams. I’ve put mine on a card and carry it with me wherever I go and take a peek when I’m in the waiting room or travelling or have some down time to keep them top of mind. Cheers to manifesting your dreams!

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How Self -Talk Affects Success

May 7, 2012 | Posted in Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully, Wealthy Woman | By

What we think about, we bring about and we give energy to what we focus on. So as long as we complain about our current circumstances, our mind will focus on it and keep us stuck. By continually thinking, talking, writing, complaining aobut a current situation; we are continually reinforcing the very same neural pathways in our brain that got us there in the first place.

We need to send different vibrations to our brains and create different neural pathways by thinking, doing, writing about, reading about, speaking about and envisioning the reality that we want to create. If we keep these thoughts on the top of our mind, we can get unstuck and move our way towards the success we want, edging out the old stuff that we don’t want without thinking about it. The way to get unstuck is to take action and actions start with thoughts. We must flood our brain with unconscious thoughts and conscious thoughts and images of this new reality. This is why vision boards or treasure maps of what we want in our lives is so vitally important – to give our brain something to land on.

Stop telling your hard luck story. Stop all the stories that got you stuck or in your current circumstance because it will keep you there. Just shut up about it already. If somebody asks, then all you need to say is that you know more now than you did yesterday and then do what politicians do and change the topic to what you’re doing now and in the future to create your new future. I once started in a join venture with some other speakers and authors to talk about life’s transitions. It became clear to me that if I continued down that path to speak about and write about the tough stories and how it catapulted us into life transitions, that it would keep me stuck in the story. Once I was enlightened to this fact, I immediately and abruptly pulled out of the venture to save my own success and sanity and to stop the story dead in its tracks. One of the best decisions I ever made and in the nick of time before it did any more damage.

Get ouf of the endless negative self-talk loop. The self-talk starts with a thought, then comes out of your mouth or stays in your brain only talking to you, then if affects your self-image and your subconscious takes over and believes what you say and think and then that affects your performance because you believe that’s who you are. If you want to be successful, you must jam the negative self-talk airwaves and replace it with more positive self-talk, beliefs and stop the negative stories. Focus on what you want and not on what you don’t want.

One way to do this is to do a vision board. I have created one inside my medicine cabinet so I see it at least twice per day when I brush my teeth and get ready for the day and when I get ready to turn in for the night. I start my day with images of what I want my day and my life to look like and I have those images fresh in my brain to dream about when my mind is most receptive to images. I also have created a tri-panel card from BizBuilderCards.com that I carry with me in my purse so when I’m waiting in lines or have some extra time, I look at the photos and read my affirmations. I’ve also taken photos of my vision boards and carry it with me on my Iphone.

Another way is to write down positive affirmations  in the present tense, as if they already happened. If you writ them in a negative fashion of what you don’t want, it puts that image in your brain and you start focusing on that. If you write in a future tense, your subconscious will always keep it in the future, just out of reach. Start focusing on who you are now, who you want to be, what you want to do and what you want to have. Be, Do, Have. It must start with Be. Be the person you want to be and do the things you want do to and then you will have the things you want to have. It starts with thoughts and self-talk about who you want to be and your subconscious and your body and your life will follow.

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Practicing Safe Stress for the Holidays & Any Day: 25 Tips to Good Moods

December 6, 2011 | Posted in Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully | By

Some people, it seems, are just born with a more optimistic attitude and outlook, while others focus on the gloom and doom. The research on optimism fills volumes and I wanted to give you some quick tips on practicing safe stress, being more happy and how to be in a better mood for the holidays and every day. It may take more effort during the blustery gray, rainy/snowy days of winter amidst the holiday bustle; but well worth it for your own well-being and for the sake of others in your path. Our energy is contagious – just ask Caesar Milan – the Dog Whisperer – our energy is everything to a dog…and to your neighbors, co-workers and your spouse and friends.

Since your time is short, I’ll make this snappy:

  1. Get moving – I prefer to think of it as “activity” vs. “exercise” – it just seems more palatable to people to relieve stress and release endorphins. It can be a full-blown cardio/strength/flexibility workout or a brisk walk in the park or even mall walking (before the stores open and before the crowds arrive). If you haven’t tried Zumba or hip hop classes – the music alone will put you in a good mood, even if you’re out of breath.
  2. Eat breakfast and include protein – some research says eating 60% more protein if you’re lifting weights – donuts don’t count.
  3. Be smart about your diet, less white stuff, more color, more water-content food/drink, variety and healthy. Enjoy some of your favorite good mood foods in moderation – whatever that may be, cookies, mac and cheese, eggnog, dark chocolate…. think comfy food.
  4. Hug it out – physical affection and the power of touch helps with happiness – petting a puppy or kitten can help lower blood pressure and calm your nerves.
  5. Get outside – breathe in fresh air, get out in the woods and catch the negative ions from the pine trees -leave your cell and texting activities in your pocket – this is about nature and you communing and not about you tweeting that you’re in the woods.
  6. Be in the moment, experience it fully and decide what types of moments you want to have. Don’t like crowds – then avoid the mall, agitated in line – change the time of day for this activity. Stressed over the big holiday feast – suggest a nice restaurant or change it up. Financially stressed about all the gifts you need to get – let everybody know you’re opting out of unfettered consumerism this year and want a pot-luck social gathering instead – don’t fret about the future. Choose wisely where your brain is and focus on the here and now.
  7. Be grateful – fear goes out the back door when gratitude walks in the front door. Decide to be in a state of grace and gratitude and you will be granted more things to be grateful for.
  8. Say nice things to others – compliments share positive energy and that’s contagious. Help make the holiday bright with sincere positive praise.
  9. Focus on making happy memories – invest in experiences and bring others along for the ride. Shared experiences amp up the positive vibe.

10. Listen to upbeat music, dance, sing.

11. Play with your pet or visit a dog park and delight in their bouncing energy.

12. Smile more and stand/sit up straight – good posture promotes elevated spirits. Smiling stimulates the thymus gland, which produces T-cells, which means people who are smiling get sick less often and feel better than those who don’t smile. Smiling is also contagious. At least a hundred studies on how smiling can actually lift your mood – it fakes out your body into thinking it’s happier.

13. Wear comfortable shoes – comfy clothes too. Comfy doesn’t equal sloppy or baggy – when you feel better about your looks and your looks feel better, everybody is happier. A recent survey found 41% of women felt happier when they felt prettier. I’m guessing the men felt happier too.

14. Cashmere, cashmere, cashmere – who couldn’t be in a better mood when you slip on some cashmere?

15. Friends, friends, friends – in any way shape or form of personal contact and socialization elevates our energy. Choose positive friends and be a positive friend – nobody likes being around negative people.

16. Avoid over-obligations and over-scheduling, especially during the holidays. If you need a holiday from the holidays, you missed the point.

17. Laugh out loud – cultivate your sense of humor. As a Certified Laughter Leader who studied how laughter and fun affect us in positive ways; it actually changes your brain chemicals and changes the chemical make-up in your blood. They’ve found markers in your blood which change even when you anticipate a good time or a funny movie or fun activity – even days before the activity.

18. Be kind – kindness also changes your blood chemistry and raises serotonin, which counter-acts depression. Whether you are the giver, receiver or witnessing by-stander, kindness works.

19. Positive self-talk – it’s a tried and true tip to blast yourself with positive self-talk and avoid beating yourself up through your self-talk. Our mindset is EVERYTHING. Our behavior starts with our thoughts – choose wisely to change your outcomes.

20. Try something new – enjoy beginner’s brain again and experience some wonder and awe in your life – discover something new you didn’t know how to do before: cooking, weaving, skiing, dog-sledding, volunteering, wearing red lipstick, painting, riding a unicycle or Zumba.

21. Upbeat live entertainment: comedy clubs, karaoke, theatre, ballet, concerts, coffee shop guitarists and children’s plays.

22. DECIDING to be in a good mood – just change your mind to change your energy and you can change your life and also change the energy of those around you. Your colleagues and friends will thank you.

23. Get plenty of sleep, or take naps. Most Americans get far too little sleep – no wonder we’re a nation of tired and cranky people. It’s hard to be in a good mood if you’re completely exhausted. Can you get help, delete some of your chores, set boundaries, close the door, do not disturb.

24. Keep a check on what you watch on TV or view on your computer or listen to over the airwaves – we’re bombarded with negativity.

25. Outsource the things you don’t enjoy or are not comfortable doing, barter or negotiate something different. Hire somebody to do whatever is not in your zone of excellence or genius and pay them for their skills to make both of you happier.

26. Volunteer to help out your community, a favorite cause or favorite place – being of service serves all involved and puts you in a better mood to feel needed and worthy and that what you’re doing matters.

That’s enough to get you started on the right path to save yourself this holiday and every day you want a little mood lifter. And as a gift to you, 1 extra tip…always give more than expected! A happy life is just a bunch of happy moments and good moods all strung together. I invite you to create your own list or maybe cut your list into strips and put in a jar. Whenever you’re feeling low, grab a piece of paper with one of your activities or ideas on it and do it right then.

Here’s to happier holidays by practicing some safe stress and being purposeful about putting yourself in a good mood. Everybody else wants you there as well. Cheers!

 

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