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Happiness Is Wanting What You Have

Back to Basics – What is Happiness? For my 150th newsletter I decided to revisit a basic: what is it?  When I deliver a keynote talk on Happiness I start by asking, “How do YOU define happiness?” Once audience members share their ideas, I offer two definitions I favor: One is from the dictionary:  Happiness, … Read more

Happiness is Eating Healthy!

Since I completed a three-week detox just over a year ago, I’m much more mindful of the food that I eat.  I learned then, and have reinforced many times since, that I am what I eat — when I eat junk, I feel like crap; when I eat good food, everything’s easier in my life, … Read more

Happiness is Accepting Life as it comes

My mother turned 75 last month.  She’s in pretty good health for an old lady who raised eight kids and has 19 grandchildren.  My dad passed away 23 years ago, and Mom turned out to be quite the survivor — she went to work for Kelly Girls as a permatemp for many years, finished raising … Read more

Happiness is Chocolate + Mint

While in Costa Rica, I picked up a package of Chiclets Fusion gum — a luscious blend of chocolate and mint.  After consuming the last piece of my stash today, I turned to the web to find out where I might find more.  Alas, it appears this gum flavor is only sold in Latin America.  … Read more

Happiness is Flying High!

Zip Lining over the Costa Rican Rain Forest I had a lot of adventures on my recent vacation in Costa Rica — I explored coral reefs, climbed a mountain on horseback, and allowed myself to be strapped to a steel cable and pushed out of tree — upside down.  Yikes! I took this video on … Read more

Happiness is Being True to Who You Are

One of the other speakers at the Singapore HR Summit was Ngahi Bidois, who calls himself a New Age Maori Warrior.  Ngahi — his full name is , Ngahihi o te ra Bidois, which means Rays of the Sun —  is from New Zealand. 20 years ago Ngahi was a college-educated, high-flying, young executive-in-training with … Read more

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 a Warm Toilet Seat

One consequence of aging is that one gets up in the middle of the night more often.  I hate it when my butt hits that cold seat in the night.  So it’s 3AM in the middle of my first nite in Tokyo, and I gotta go.  I stumble into the hotel bathroom and… OH.  MY.  … Read more

Happiness is Seeing Your Child Succeed

Last week I was privileged to attend Kent State University’s annual Student Awards night.  At this event the university recognizes the accomplishments of its many student leaders and student organizations; it also serves as the transition point for all Undergraduate Student Government (USG) positions. During the past school year our youngest son, Jared, was a … Read more

Happiness and the No-Soda Diet

So, I ran into a friend of mine at the YMCA today.  I see him from behind fairly often, as I walk past the treadmills that he so loves, but it’s been awhile since we chatted face to face. There was something different about him.  Hmmm.  I could not, at first, figure it out. Oh!  … Read more