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A New Jersey Senator acts and dresses as a homeless man for the night. Interesting perspective. 

“I’d always believed that a life of quality, enjoyment, and wisdom were my human birthright and would be automatically bestowed upon me as time passed.  I never suspected that I would have to learn how to live - that there were specific disciplines and ways of seeing the world I had to master before I could awaken to a simple, happy, uncomplicated life.”
-Dan Millman

Happiness, according to this quote, is a self-taught discipline. It is the person’s attitude and outlook on life which makes one happy. While I would argue that happiness is not the goal of life, I do believe it serves as an important attribute to a ‘good’ and healthy lifestyle.

 I wish to further cultivate these seven things  psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky found in a study that happy people do differently. 

1. Express Gratitude: (be thankful for what you already have!)

2. Cultivate Optimism: (develop a hopeful, positive outlook in every situation… you can find the good in nearly everything if you look hard enough… the negative is just always easier to find). 

3. Practice Random Acts of Kindness

4. Nurture Deep Social Relationships: (be true to yourself and others, tell people what is going on in your life. Find people you trust..Do not live life alone). 

5. Learn to Forgive: (yourself and others)

6. Avoid over thinking and social comparison: (if you feel the need to compare, compare yourself to an earlier you and notice how much you have developed).

7. Slow Down: (take the time to savor and enjoy life’s natural joys). 

Obviously the list continues, but I feel these are the top seven easiest things to change within a person’s everyday life to cultivate a feeling of genuine happiness. I also come from a belief that true happiness comes from a spirit of inward joy; happiness is therefore the byproduct of joy (which I believe comes from God).  

Blog inspired by: http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/08/30/12-things-happy-people-do-differently/

A write-up my good friend Kayla Parr sent me …

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. 
When you figure out which one it is,
 you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
  is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty; 
to provide you with guidance and support;
 to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
 They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
 They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
 this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. 
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. 
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. 
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, 
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
 They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. 
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; 
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. 
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.”

— Unknown

Merry Early Christmas!!

Laminin- the ‘cross-shaped’ protein that holds all the body together. This blew me away, please watch until the end to hear the “left hook”. ;)

This is a true story of Mother’s Sacrifice during the Japan Earthquake.

After the Earthquake had subsided, when the rescuers reached the ruins of a young woman’s house, they saw her dead body through the cracks. But her pose was somehow strange that she knelt on her knees like a person was worshiping; her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supporting by an object. The collapsed house had crashed her back and her head.

With so many difficulties, the leader of the rescuer team put his hand through a narrow gap on the wall to reach the woman’s body. He was hoping that this woman could be still alive. However, the cold and stiff body told him that she had passed away for sure.

He and the rest of the team left this house and were going to search the next collapsed building. For some reasons, the team leader was driven by a compelling force to go back to the ruin house of the dead woman. Again, he knelt down and used his had through the narrow cracks to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he screamed with excitement, “A child! There is a child!”

The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a 3 months old little boy wrapped in a flowery blanket under his mother’s dead body. Obviously, the woman had made an ultimate sacrifice for saving her son. When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect her son. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up.

The medical doctor came quickly to exam the little boy. After he opened the blanket, he saw a cell phone inside the blanket. There was a text message on the screen. It said,” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” This cell phone was passing around from one hand to another. Every body that read the message wept. “If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” Such is the mother’s love for her child!!

In honor of Dominick Calia (please click)

My heart goes out to the Calia family today and the many others who have lost loved ones in the tragic event of 9/11 ten years ago. Jackie, I love you and know your dad would be so proud of the amazing girl you have become. <3 I am so thankful for our friendship and feel so blessed to have a person like you in my life. I want to honor your dad today and remember his love for life, family, and sports. 

Hurricane Irene (click for pictures/article)

It is absolutely incredible the damage a natural disaster can do…

One of the best books I read so far this summer. A  couple of weeks ago I finished the book and passed it on to my Aunt Rose and mom. I am normally not a big fiction reader but I consider this book a must read.

Without wanting to give too much information away, the novel is about a man who is on the search for true wisdom. Dramatic change in thinking and living occurs as the main character faces life with all its challenges and trials.

The author does a beautiful job creating an exciting plot intertwined with literary style and quality. The book is very intriguing and challenges the reader to reflect common beliefs and traditions found in religion and life in general. I highly recommend this book for its exciting story, literary quality, overall message, and lessons learned through the ‘found’ wisdom of the main character.  

Let me know what you think of the book if you decide to read it!! Hope you enjoy!

Even though there are many different opinions about this book, I believe The Shack by William Young shares an interesting story that impacts readers in a positive way. Being on the New York Times Best Seller List, this book has been read by millions and continues to strike much conversation among people around the world.

The story revolves around Mack, a man dealing much sadness and confusion over the death of a family member. His life and belief system seems to be in shambles until he receives a note in the mail to meet “Papa” in the exact place his daughter died. Not fully expecting anything and viewing himself as half—crazy, Mack’s curiosity gets the better of him and he sets off to The Shack, the place he experienced the most pain and suffering to meet this so-called person/figure/thing writing the note as “Papa”.

Readers are able to get through the story quite quickly and smoothly since it is a fairly easy read. Yes, the writing style is not the best and I do not agree with some theology; however, I do not believe that should stop someone from reading the book. Readers should just keep in mind that this is a fictional story when reading and focus on the overall message and theme of the book. I recommend The Shack not for the literary quality, but for the overall story. There are some great one-liners and powerful passages throughout the book. I believe people reading will take something from this book that will alter their thinking and perspective.

I would like to thank all our service men and women who dedicate their lives to protect this country. My two cousins, Joey and Kevin, we honor you tonight as you both are overseas serving our country. Thank you all who made this country what it is today, free.