And one of the BEST ways to deal with anything negative is laughter. It’s said that you have not lived a day if you have not laughed and I truly believe that.

The health benefits of laughter.

1. It calms you. A hearty laugh gets rid of body tension and stress, relaxing your body for a good 30-45 minutes after wards!
2. It makes your immune system happy. Laughter lowers the  hormones that cause stress while boosting the ones that enable your body to fight diseases.
3. Just like exercising… laughter releases of endorphins. Endorphins are your bodies own ‘feel-good’ chemical. When released, it advances feelings of happiness and overall well-being. This is why even if you don’t want to exercise at the start, you tend to feel darn good after doing your fitness routine anyway.
4. A good hearty laugh keeps the blood healthily flowing. Ever noticed how you laugh? Your sides move up and down, your mouth pulls at both ends, your jaw muscles tighten, your head bobs up and down, and so on. All these movements increase blood flow all over your body, which in turn protect you against heart problems.

Quick ways to find something to laugh about.

1. Watch a comedy movie or TV show.
2. Look at quirky family pictures/videos.
3. Call a friend who always makes you laugh.
4. Read a book of jokes (or go online and find some).
5. Read today’s newspaper comic strip.

And on this note, I leave you with a Cyanide and Happiness comic courtesy of Explosm.net

When I first read the quote above a couple of years ago, it just rang so true to me. Indeed, sometimes you get tired not by your actions but just by the thought of all those pending projects!

Since I normally handle a couple of projects at a time, I have to make a conscious decision not to stretch myself too thin. By this I mean I always have to get a grip on myself that I don’t get too excited on new ideas and start new projects before I close existing ones. In short, I always aim to be a FINISHER.

So, how do you ensure that your tasks move at a pace that will get you to the end? Read on.

Define the project and what the finished product should be.

Projects can be long or short so this means it can take just one day or even a week or a month. Whatever it is though, don’t start a project without at least a tentative deadline. Also, define what the finished outcome should be. Otherwise, how will you know if the project has been successfully done?

Assuming you’ve specified the project, determined the results, and listed down action steps leading to the achievement of the goal, it’s time to follow-through.

Wake up really early.

I don’t know about you but waking up late during the day makes me lazy the rest of the day. So if I have a certain goal in mind, I set the alarm clock to a very early time.

Exercise and then shower.

To clear my thoughts and put it in the right ‘action frame of mind’, I exercise. The energy boost I get from running or jogging clears my head and pumps up my blood so much that I feel I can handle anything! A quick shower after wards wipes my body and mind clean, enabling me to can sit down and think clearly.

Breakfast and coffee.

Well, a rumbling stomach does not feel good and just gets in the way of what I need to do so I get a healthy breakfast and bring a nice big cup of coffee to my desk. Somehow, a steaming mug of caffeine always creates the right setting on my work desk.

Just do it!

At this point I do not even entertain anything else rather than the task or project I have made up my mind to do. As such, I avoid all calls and don’t even check my Inbox. Depending on the project I want to finish, I would be in this ‘zone’ for the rest of the morning or the rest of the day.

Here’s a great mental tip: make sure you have a list of those things you need to do to finish a project and cross them off after you’ve done them. The mind registers just how much you are finishing and sort of eggs you on to accomplish more, faster.

Keep at your list and before you know it, you would have accomplished what you set out to do.

Say goodbye.

A lot of people try to deal with grief by ignoring it. However, if you do this, you’re not really getting rid of your sadness. You’re just delaying it. And when it hits you, trust me it’s going to be like a sucker punch to the face.

So the best way to deal with a lost of friend is really to say goodbye the best way you know how. It can be as solemn as possible or even a party where all your other friends can gather not to grieve, but to rejoice in how much your departed friend has touched all your lives.

Acknowledge what the friendship has done for you.

We all serve some form of purpose to one another so what has your friend helped you achieve? Were you a better person because of him/her? If not for this friend, maybe you would not have discovered a special talent you have, or not found out just how much you love something (traveling? cooking? etc.). Acknowledge the best thing that came out of that friendship… and pay it forward.

Commemorate the friendship.

There are many ways you can commemorate a friendship. You can get a tattoo or play videos of your gang together each time his/her birthday rolls along. You can make a donation or even establish a charity foundation in your friend’s name.

Build new friendships.

Nothing stops; life moves on and no, new friendships do not mean being ‘unfaithful’ to your old ones. Would your best friend want you to have a lonely life? Of course not. So don’t feel guilty and go out and build new friendships.

To train yourself to take risks in life you should get out of your comfort zone more often. Easier said than done I know but you do not have to make any radical changes today. All you need to do is take little steps and before you know it, you’re daring to live life the best way possible.

Don’t know where to start? Here are a few tips for you.

Get a completely new do.

If a makeover is too drastic or too budget-busting, do the next best thing: get a completely different hair cut. Go completely against your current hair style now, color it even or ‘hide the grays’ and you’ll be amazed at how much this simple thing boost your confidence and thus help you to get out of your comfort zone.

Get a tattoo.

Times are different; having a tattoo does NOT mean you spent some time in jail. It’s a life statement. So go and get inked but don’t settle for what’s ‘normal’. The point is to get out of your comfort zone remember? Dig deep and discover an image that really means something to you and go ahead and get it inked on your body.

Woo-hoo… Karaoke night!

A LOT of people dread karaoke night. The thought of embarrassing yourself in front of many people is just so unbearable.But really, is it? Sometimes, what people remember is not the mediocre singing but the person who was such a ‘kill joy’ because he/she didn’t get up and joined in the fun. Besides wasn’t it William James who said “We do not sing because we’re happy. We’re happy because we sing.”

So let loose, seize the moment and grab the mic already!

Volunteer and help others in need.

No, it’s not all about you. At least, not all the time. Often, we are so afraid to lose what we have that we do not take risks in life. Go out and help others. Open your eyes to the world and to the problems of people around you and you’ll soon see that what you have been worried about losing is nothing at all in the bigger scheme of things.

If you’re less afraid of losing what you have, then you’ll be more willing to get out of your comfort zone and take risks in life.

Good luck!

You know, the older I get, the more I realize that life is actually a lot SIMPLER than I thought. Please don’t confuse simple with easy. A lot of people think that when faced with touch choices, it’s so difficult to arrive at a decision. Actually in most cases, the CHOICE is easy. It’s accepting it or implementing the steps that follow that choice is the one that’s difficult.

So why do I say this? When people ask me what my ‘best tip’ is to reach their goals in life, I say “that’s easy, act on them”.

Goals must be followed by planned action to become a reality. Otherwise, as the great Dr. Nathaniel Branden mentioned above, your goals are just a daydream.

So what’s the key element that you need to make a goal a reality? MOTIVATION.

Motivation is the energy that fuels your actions. And each action made is a step on the ladder that will ultimately enable you to reach your goals.

Of course, planning is crucial to ensure you are doing the right things to reach your objectives in life but all the planning in the world is nothing without proper motivation.

So what can you do to motivate yourself?

For one, keep your eye on the goal and imagine how you will be living your life once you’ve attained it. I had a friend who was not happy at all with his job. He absolutely hated the commute, hated his boss, and hated what he was doing. He told me he really felt he was leading a ‘cubicle kind of life’.

He didn’t have the funds to go back to school and re-educate himself for a new career but he was always good at helping people fix their PCs on the side so he focused on that. His goal became to set-up an online site where people can ask  a question and even call for help when encountering PC problems.

He started to imagine how his life would change. No more alarm clocks (he can wake up when he wants), no more commutes (maybe 5 minutes to get to this home office), no more bosses, and every thing he does has a direct impact on HIS wallet.

This picture was so vivid in his mind that he was truly motivated to take action. He even made a ’schedule’ on when he would sit down and plan his action steps. From this point, it was one task to another. Within 3 months he had his site up, in 6 months he was in full swing online, in 12 months he had increased his savings so that by the 15th month he was able to resign his day job.

He told me that leaving the doors of his work for the last day was one of the happiest moments of his life. He stopped by Starbucks, sat down, and told himself he will enjoy the moment alone for 2 hours of uninterrupted java, chicken club sandwich and reading pleasure.

So you see, MOTIVATION is extremely important. Remember, it’s the energy you need to achieve your goals in life.

The other day I came across these great videos.

This first video amazingly depicts how we engage in procrastination each and every day.

This second video provides great tips on how to beat procrastination.

(Ok, Tip #10 is the marketing part of the video but all valid just the same!)

For example, say you’re in the middle of a conference call or meeting at work, don’t just be quiet and follow what others decide but DARE to speak up and put in your own opinion about the matter.

At home, don’t get into the habit of just eating what your partner puts in front of you but take part in deciding what should be on the table tonight.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that daring to be great is not about focusing on what heroic acts you can do today but rather focusing on NOT being timid or passive about your own day-to-day existence.

Now you may think you’re not passive but take a really close look at say the past 3 days. Can you honestly say you ’seized the moment’ and made a situation or event your own?

Do you see now what I mean by leading a passive life? Don’t let things just happen to you; rather MAKE things happen to you. Following are a few tips to help you change how you live your life and dare to be great every day.

Put yourself out more into the world.

Get pen and paper and draw several circles which represent your life’s different social groups. For instance, one circle for work, one for family, one for friends, one for school (if not for you, draw one that represents the people you meet at your kids’ school), and so on.

In these circles, do people know who you REALLY are? If not, it’s time to put yourself out there! Keep in mind that this is not about ‘being popular’ and you need not be ‘No. 1′ in all the circles. However, do strive to be a ‘moving force’ in at least one circle.

Make decisions.

As I mentioned above, most people don’t even realize that they are living based on decisions made by others. So starting today, be conscious of what you are doing. Is it something you set out to do or something someone asked/told you to do?

Don’t just exist, LIVE.

If you work for others, you can very well say that you simply follow the goals of the company but that’s just one aspect of your life so take control of the rest! Seriously my friend, make the other hours of your day really count.

When Chicken Soup for the Soul first started to become popular I heard a lot of people say that the title was ’silly’. I, on the other hand, thought it was marketing genius. Don’t we all at some level relate to ‘chicken soup’ as something homey? Something that always made us feel good? No wonder then that the book has been a run a way success and that it has spawned many ’sequels’.

Jack Canfield is someone I always like to hear speak. The other day, I came across this video and thought that what he shared was a very simple yet powerful tip for planning your day effectively. See if it works for you too!

1. Yes, get yourself a piping hot bowl of chicken soup.
2. Time for change, paint your bedroom. Too much work? Paint just ONE wall a happy color and spruce it up.
3. SIMPLIFY your life.
4. Bake a batch of cookies and make gifts out of them.
5. Settle down for a House, MD (or any TV series you like) 24-hour marathon.
6. Start a journal.
7. Start doing yoga.
8. Create a “Things I Must Do Before I Go List”, cross-out things you’ve already done and start making plans for the things you still have to do.
9. Beat someone at chess/Wii/Monopoly, etc.
10. Hop on your bike and go where your pedals take you.
11. Start avoiding negative people.
12. Begin saving again!
13. Stop agonizing over things/situations/people.
14. Hug someone.
15. Throw caution to the wind and be silly.
16. Remember a lost love with fondness.
17. Create (or foster) a relationship with someone today.
18. Let someone else ‘take charge’ so you can just chill.
19. Finish something longggg overlooked on your TO DO list.
20. Play dance music the minute you get out of bed.
21. CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!

There you have it; 101 ways that you can try to make your life burst with happiness. Sometimes, we treat life questions such as ‘what makes you happy?’ too deep. Hopefully these 101 tips will show you how easy it can be to focus on making yourself happy each and every day.

1. Feeling really blue? Call your mom and bawl like you used to do when you were a kid.
2. Prepare a picnic. It doesn’t matter if it’s just for yourself or with a loved one.
3. Call your best friend.
4. Go ahead… prepare yourself a hard drink if you need one!
5. Call for your favorite take-out food!
6. Do volunteer work.
7. Get a massage.
8. Go out and do some gardening. There’s something soothing having the earth between your hands.
9. Go out and RUN. Break into a sweat.
10. Go to a nearby museum (or go online) and read up on history. The triumphs of the past will lift your spirit.
11. Go out and do at least ONE good deed (help someone cross the street, carry a heavy bag, get into a cab, etc.)
12. Buy/read an autobiographical book based on someone you admire.
13. Buy some flowers!
14. Say a solemn prayer.
15. Sit down and count your blessings.
16. ALWAYS celebrate your birthday.
17. Go out and buy 12 Thank You or Hello cards and send them all out.
18. Let go of a grudge. Forgive someone.
19. Say YES to something you’ve been putting off for yourself.
20. Say NO to something someone has been trying to make you do.
21. Send happy thoughts to someone.
22. Go to church.
23. Light scented candles and sit in the quiet darkness for a few minutes.
24. Treat yourself to a 5-star breakfast!
25. Sleep in.
26. Laugh out loud; be happy without inhibitions.
27. Bake a cake… and eat it too.
28. Try something you’ve never done before.
29. Fiddle with your favorite tech gadget.
30. Go to an art museum and look at great paintings.
31. Go swimming.
32. Meditate.
33. Take a… road trip!
34. Be spontaneous. Do the first thing that comes to mind now.
35. Go to the hairsalon/barber.
36. Bond with a sibling.
37. Drive around; have no destination; just enjoy the journey.
38. Kiss your partner d-e-e-p-l-y.
39. Pop some fresh popcorn.
40. Go to an antique shop and just wander around.
41. Go to your local pub.
42. Go to a nearby beach, dig your feet deep in the sand and feel the sand between your toes.
43. Take the weekend COMPLETELY off. No work, no calls, no family, no friends. Just be with yourself.
44. Go to a nearby orchard or farm and pluck produce from the earth/trees.
45. Buy a ‘just because’ gift for your mom/dad/siblings/friends.
46. Text a simple “I love you” message to your loved one.
47. Prepare your all-time-favorite sandwich.
48. Look at butterflies.
49. SMILE!
50. Close your eyes and daydream.