Can you really say that you dare to be great each day of your life? It’s a pretty tough statement to live up to isn’t it? For me, the trick is (if one wants to call it a trick) is to focus on being AWARE of your actions decisions.

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.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Jack Canfield, the co-creator of the super successful book Chicken Soup for the Soul.

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!

Here’s the final part of posts here and here on 101 Ways to Make Yourself Happy.

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.

Here’s a continuation of my post the other day on 101 Ways to Make Yourself Happy.

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.

Everywhere you turn today people are trying to find ways to tighten their belts and supplement their incomes. Today, I’ll be going over a few things that will indeed help you earn a little more cash for yourself.

De-clutter your home and have a garage sale.

It always amazes me how much money is ‘lying around’ in people’s homes. One neighbor of mine a long time ago kept mentioning that times are hard and that she didn’t how to make ends meet.

However, she had a huge house, two cars, and a pool at the back.

Actually, what she was really telling me was that she was not financially liquid. I told her one time to sell the 2nd car, sell the house and move into a smaller home. She really didn’t like me saying that.  She has since left our neighborhood and I wonder sometimes what she did.

My point is this, people complain about how little they have when in fact they have a lot. All you need to do is take a quick glance around you and ask yourself this: is this something I NEED or just something I WANT?

Be ruthless with your de-cluttering. (Personally, I don’t like keeping something I haven’t even touched in 3 months but that may be too harsh for you.)

Before you know it, you have a TON of stuff that’s actually worth a lot of money. Host your own garage sale or attend a car booty in your area to convert those things to hard cash!

Upgrade your skill set so you can advance at work.

A lot of companies actually support the advancement of employees by subsidizing courses or classes that their employees can take. Ask if your company has a program like this and if so, well take advantage of it!

You’ll be enhancing your skills, which in in turn will be a good way to not only secure your job but to also increase your salary.

Do freelancing work online.

One of the easiest and fastest ways to earn extra cash today is do freelance work online. There are plenty of online marketplaces that you can go to offer your services. You can do typing jobs, online research, act as someone’s secretary, do writing work, create images, and more, for a global audience.

The best part is that you can do this from the comforts of your own home. And it’s actually good entrepreneurial training too.

For instance, if you’ve ever wanted to be your own boss, try your hand at doing freelance work first. This way, you can see how you communicate with clients on your own, how you sell your skills, and how good you are at meeting deadlines.

Start as slow or as fast as you want but be serious. Most online clients are able to provide feedback on your work so putting only 50% of yourself in freelance gigs will hurt you. However, if you’re good, you’ll never be in need of money again because there’s always something to do for someone online.

Yesterday, my spouse and I were out having dinner with some friends. One of them commented that we looked great and “happy”. This comment spawned a whole discussion about happiness in general and suffice it to say, we all ended up declaring the things that made us happy.

It’s amazing to me that most of the things that make us happy, in general, are very alike. So feel free to go through the list and if I missed anything, feel free to comment and add to the list!

The following items can be taken as ‘pick-me-uppers’. That is, things you can do if you’re having a bad day or simply go through the list to sustain a ‘happy momentum’!

1. Take a walk… alone. It’s always good to go out to just clear your head and be with yourself.
2. Go to your local bakery shop and surround yourself with the uplifting scent of freshly baked goodies.
3. Snuggle up in bed or on your coach and read a book.
4. Coffee!!! Brew a cup of your favorite java fix or walk to your nearest cafe.
5. Get into your most comfortable pair of ‘house clothes’ and chill out on the couch.
6. Go horseback riding.
7. Stay in bed all day.
8. Go to Youtube; locate your old favorite songs and sing your heart out.
9. Sit outside, close your eyes, and feel the sun on your face.
10. If you’re feeling really blue… CRY like you’ve never cried before. Just let it go.
11. Pull out an old family album and look at happy family pictures.
12. Go out to the nearest kid’s playground, watch the children and soak in their happy innocence.
13. Tune to your favorite dance radio station, turn the volume way up and DANCE.
14. Call someone you haven’t talked to in a LONGGGG time.
15. If you owe someone an apology, say sorry now rather than let the feeling gnaw at you for ages.
16. Knock on the neighbor’s door and have tea/coffee with them.
17. Watch a good comedy series on TV.
18. Go to a nearby forest or field, sit right smack in the middle of it and just be ‘peaceful’ with your surroundings.
19. Cook some comfort food.
20. Go out and buy a pet!
21. Go out and SHOP.
22. Eat chocolate!
23. Go through your old clothes and start piling a stack for charity.
24. Close your computer for the day. (No peaking!)
25. Prepare a surprise for someone you love.
26. Make a list… of all the things that’s great about yourself.
27. Prepare a bath and forget the world for an hour or two.
28. “Forget” your mobile phone at home and go out for the day.
29. Go out in the rain.
30. Make love the best way you know how!

Stay tuned for a continuation of this list!