Happy?
Ray Mitchell
Happiness is never stopping to think if you are.
Palmer Sondreal
One of the things that make me happy is the people I know and like including most of you. If you are like I am you don’t have much use for unhappiness. Unfortunately many of us spend too much time letting things get us down, it really does not have to be that way.
Yesterday I was sent an article written by Sylvie Strong entitled Eight Keys to More Happiness in Your Life. It is too long to include in its entirety but I would like to share some of it that I especially like.
Keys to More Happiness in Your Life
Happiness Begins With Your Body
Focus on a healthy body first. Get plenty of sleep. 8 hours if you can spare it. If you cannot get 8 hours every night, go to town on a weekend night and go to bed without setting your alarm for the morning.
A healthy diet is critical too. Consult a nutritionist or educate yourself on healthy eating habits. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
Exercise. If you do not use your body, you will begin losing the use of your body as you get older. Nothing helps your mental and physical wellbeing better than regular exercise. Hit the gym or your local yoga class a few times a week. Even taking a walk a few times a week can help.
Take Stock Of The Good Things In Your Life
You are luckier than you think. It is helpful to periodically take stock of all of the positive things in your life. Your family and friends may rank high on that list. Your health may as well. By focusing on the gifts you have received you will have perspective on the lemons that life throws at you.
Everything is Gray
Our minds tend to want to think in black and white. But human motivations and behaviors are generally shaded in gray. Rather than attaching absolute qualities (good or bad) to people, recognize that human beings are very complicated.
Avoid Negativity
Negativity can ruin your life. It affects your mood and your health. It poisons your relationship with other people. Recognize negativity in yourself and let it simply float away. If you find yourself drowning in negative thoughts, sometimes it helps to stop what you are doing and do something completely different. Go for a nice brisk walk through the park or go have some ice cream! A positive outlook can improve your life. A negative one never does.
You Are A Social Animal. Act Like It!
Human beings are social creatures. Invest in your social network and make spending time with friends and family a priority. Become involved in social activities that bring you in contact with new potential friends. There is nothing more detrimental to your mental health than being alone.
~~~
Nobody really cares if you’re miserable, so you might as well be happy.
Cynthia Nelms
~~~
Father Murphy roared from the pulpit to his parishioners: "The drink has killed millions-- it rots their stomachs and they die in agony. Smoking has killed millions--it coats your lungs and you die in agony. Overeating and consorting with loose women have also killed millions."
"Scuse me, Father," hollered O'Reilly from the back, "but what is it that kills the people who live right?"
~~~
Truth has no special time of its own. Its hour is now - always.
Albert Schweitzer
~~~
Jewish Weddings
What are the main differences between orthodox, conservative and reform???
At an orthodox wedding, the mother of the bride is likely to be pregnant.
At a conservative wedding, the bride is likely to be pregnant.
At a reform wedding, the Rabbi is likely to be pregnant.
And at a Reconstructionist wedding, the groom is likely to be pregnant.
~~~
I know you can be overwhelmed, and I know you can be underwhelmed, but can you just be whelmed?
~~~
A fourth grade teacher was giving her pupils a lesson in logic.
"Here is the situation," she said. "A man is standing up in a boat in the middle of a river, fishing. He loses his balance, falls in, and begins splashing and yelling for help. His wife hears the commotion, knows he can't swim, and runs down to the bank. Why do you think she ran to the bank?"
Little Mary raised her hand and asked, "To draw out all his savings?"
~~~
The pilot announced that “the weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but they'll try to have them fixed before we arrive”.
~~~
Jane had a system for labeling homemade freezer meals. She would carefully note in large clear letters, "Meatloaf" or "Pot Roast" or "Steak and Vegetables" or "Chicken and Dumplings" or "Beef Pot Pie."
Everyday when she asked her husband what he wanted for dinner, he never asked for any of those meals. She decided to stock the freezer with his various requests. What he really likes.
In Jane's freezer now you'll see a whole new set of labels. You'll find dinners with neat little tags that say: "Whatever," "Anything," "I Don't Know," "I Don't Care," "Something Good," or "Food."
No more frustration for Jane because no matter what her husband replies when she asks him what he wants for dinner, it's there waiting.
~~~
"Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll.
The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!”
Oscar Wilde
~~~
A couple was celebrating their golden wedding anniversary on the beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Their domestic tranquility had long been the talk of the town.
"What a peaceful & loving couple." everyone would say.
The local newspaper reporter was inquiring as to the secret of their long and happy marriage.
"Well, it actually dates back to our honeymoon in America," explained the man. "We visited the Grand Canyon in Arizona and took a trip down to the bottom of the canyon by horse. We hadn't gone too far when my wife's horse stumbled and she almost fell off. My wife looked down at the horse and quietly said, 'That's once.'
"We proceeded a little further and the horse stumbled again, this time causing her to drop her water. Once more my wife quietly said, 'That's twice.'
We hadn't gone a half-mile when the horse stumbled for a third time. My wife quietly removed a revolver from her purse and shot the horse dead. I shouted at her, 'What's wrong with you, Woman! Why did you shoot the poor animal like that? Are you crazy??' "
She looked at me, and quietly said, 'That's once.'
"And from that moment... we have lived happily ever after."
~~~
"My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met."
Rodney Dangerfield
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Wife says to her husband, "What did the doctor say!"
"He said I should slow down."
And her comeback is, "How does a man who has been rear-ended by a recliner slow down?"
~~~
The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.
James Openheim
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Stay well, do good work, and have fun.
Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at rayk...@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://raykiwsp.wordpress.com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.
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