Happiness is Good Airplane Food – and Chocolate Dessert!

In two days I’ve spent a total of 23.75 hours on a plane, most of that on two Japan Airlines (JAL) flights from Chicago O’Hare to Narita International in Tokyo and then from Tokyo to Singapore.  I’ve been unconditionally delighted with the meals four meals I’ve had thus far. I’m a vegetarian, and so am … Read more

Happiness is Watching Your Child Succeed, Part 2

I am so excited!  My oldest son got engaged last weekend to a wonderful young woman who makes him very happy. In the improbable manner of the world, Justin (from Cleveland) met Katie (from Pittsburgh) while they were attending a Second City Improv workshop (in Chicago) two summers ago.  Apparently it was love at first sight. … Read more

Happiness is Making Do With What You Have

It is a gray, dreary day.  Neither of us wants to grocery shop in the rain.  Yet, we must eat something. On the counter we assemble all the fresh food remaining in the house: 1 lb of carrots 3 large yams 4 overripe tomatoes 1/2 pint of mushrooms 1/2 bag of frozen corn 2 apples … Read more

Happiness and Integrity

Reflection: it is difficult to experience true happiness when one does not live in integrity. You can experience pleasure, yes.  But true happiness, as it is related to meaning and engagement with life, is difficult to achieve and impossible to hold when one is out of integrity. The word Integrity comes from the Latin, “integritas” … Read more

We Might As Well Dance

Someone sent me this lovely poem and I so want to pass it on.  A fabulous Thought for the Day: Life is short. Break the rules.  Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly.  Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are … Read more

Happiness is a Warm Towel

My wife and I recently completed a “remodel on a budget” on our bathroom.  With minimal investment — new towel holders, a couple of shelves, a new rug, and some spray paint — we converted from a blue & mauve color scheme to a bold purple & white, which was a pretty dramatic transformation. But … Read more

"Too Much" Dark Chocolate? Impossible!

“Do you really need that?” my wife asked as I dropped a dark chocolate bar into the grocery cart. “One can never have too much dark chocolate,” I countered.  She gave me a look…. “I think you have an ample supply,” she offered, grimly.  Hmmm. Curious, I set out to learn just how much chocolate … Read more

Chocolate Speaks Louder Than Words

So, I get a package in the mail from a Happiness Coaching client.   No idea what’s in it.  I open the box and… it’s full of Chocolate!  A RAINBOW of Lake Champlain chocolates. The coolest part:  The logo on the side of the bars.  I dunno if you can see it on your screen — … Read more

Happy-Making With Wordle!

I came across an incredibly fun and visually creative Web 2.0 site today: www.wordle.net. It brought a smile to my face, and I decided to share! You link to or paste in text (e.g. from a blog, article, whatever) and the site creates a Tag Cloud (visual word cluster — such as you see at … Read more