Happiness—How To Get More, And Why You Need To

April 18, 2013 by MikeTremba Leave a Comment

Here’s a great tip: Smile.

Feel better? You should; smiling releases endorphins that improve your mood, no matter how low you feel, or how forced the smile is.

On that same strain, if you force yourself to laugh for long enough, you’ll actually burst into genuine, uncontrollable laughter. And laughing reduces anxiety, tension and is even rumored to inhibit cancer cells from developing.

Now, we can’t all walk around laughing and smiling all the time (although, wouldn’t that be a wonderful world to live in?), but there are dozens of positive life changes we can make to maximize the happiness in our lives.

Don’t Trust Me Because I’m A Doctor

There are plenty of healthcare “professionals” out there with quick-fix diet plans that promise an immediate boost in self-esteem, energy and happiness, with no risk and a massive price tag.

You know who else will try to sell you on their product with this kind of rhetoric? A drug dealer.

You don’t need to put chemicals into your body to increase your well being. In fact, a great deal of diet shakes, pills and powders only serve to temporarily (if at all) enhance your mood, only to beat down a few hours later with a terrible crash.

Again, a lot like a drug.

Out With The Bad, In With The Good… Food!

The first thing you can do to immediately increase the happiness in your life is slice out unnecessary and harmful foodstuffs; that includes sugary energy drinks, coffee, and alcohol.

While cutting out the bad, make a simultaneous effort to introduce the good. Eat fresh fruit and vegetables; if you’re a carnivore, only purchase organic, free-range meat; cut back—or entirely avoid—unnatural sugar, and drink plenty of water.

What you put in your body determines how your mind functions. If you want to increase happiness, it’s imperative that you improve your dietary health.

Happiness Is Healthy

I don’t think there are too many people out there who would pass up on the opportunity to live a happier life. Life today is riddled with stress and disappointment, so a little extra boost is something everyone’s self-esteem could use. However, there are wrong ways to increase your emotional well-being Pumping foreign chemicals into your body is definitely one of them. Plus, it’s totally unnecessary; your body has everything it needs to boost itself up naturally.

Just like smiling and laughing can improve your health, studies have shown that happier lives tend to be longer ones—sure, the good may die young, but the happy live to ripe ages.

Not only is it an important social and emotional move to increase the happiness in your life; it’s crucial to your health.

Sculpting your body is as much an internal endeavor is it is external; In one particular lifestyle program, The Truth About Abs, reviews of lifelong diet and exercise plans will tell you that being healthy and happy does just as much to improve your outward appearance as it does your inward perception.

So, want to ramp up the stores of happiness in your vault? Do a few sets of sit-ups and a then head out on a run (as far as you’re able to go). You’ll get an immediate burst of positive energy, as well as the long-term payoff of a healthier body.

It’s As Easy As 1-2-3

It’s important to recap: When it comes down to it, three minor adjustments to your daily routine can add a world of happiness, even if you already inhabit a happy world. And if you’re frequently unhappy, stressed or overwhelmed, well… you need to make these changes, and incorporate them into your normal lifestyle habits.

Thinking back to what we just went over, I’d bet that simply:

Cutting chemicals, like coffee, processed foods and sugary treats out of your diet
Fitting an hour of physical activity into every day, and
Smiling…

…will have your well-being flipped into high gear no matter how helpless your emotional state may feel.

Happiness is one of the most important aspects of being alive;

It helps you realize and appreciate the things that make life worth living, and exudes energy that attracts people to your presence. The happier you are, the happier you will be.

About the author: Dr. Mike Tremba looks for ways to find happiness in everyday life. In addition, one of his other passions is helping others eat well, exercise, and lose weight as he’s done himself. His website at http://www.NaturalWeightLossTruth.com is one place where he gets to share that passion to the countless people he’s served. In addition, he loves spending time with his lovely wife Shari near the beaches of the Gulf Coast.

Looking for Inspiration? Check Out These 10 Uplifting Films

April 11, 2013 by Scott "Q" Marcus Leave a Comment

Films hold a power over us—sad films make us cry, comedies make us laugh.

So, why not seek out films that inspire us to greater heights? This article looks at 10 uplifting films to select when looking for the best Blu ray movies to inspire you and your family.

“Bend It Like Beckham” (2002)

This soccer-themed comedy drama features Parminder Nagra and Kiera Knightly as two teenage would-be athletes. Nagra’s character, Jess, is forbidden from playing the sport by her conservative Sikh family, but she manages to attend matches and win accolades without their knowledge — for a time. The girls battle social pressure and the fallout from a love triangle to reach their dreams of playing soccer at university.

“The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)

A story of hope blossoming in unlikely places, “The Shawshank Redemption” follows convicted murderer and former banker Andy (played by Tim Robbins) through his double life sentences and longtime friendship with fellow convict Red (Morgan Freeman). Andy wins the trust of the warden, who wants him to help launder money. The friends hatch a plan to use the ill-gotten money for better purposes.

“Singing in the Rain” (1952)

Musical comedies can’t help but be inspirational, and “Singing in the Rain” is one of the best of its time. Part love story, part tale of personal ambition, this light-hearted look at the transition from silent film to “talkies” is a feel-good classic.

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)

In order to reach her dream Dorothy has to go on a terrifying journey and kill a wicked witch. It all seems like too much for a little girl from Kansas, but with help from her friends she — and they — triumph. Watch this musical with tissues and the mantra, “there’s no place like home.”

“Schindler’s List” (1993)

The Spielberg tour-de-force film based on the book by Aussie novelist Thomas Keneally illustrates in black, white and a splash of red just how deeply one man can touch the lives of many others. Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, is a Nazi Party member who uses his factory to keep Jews away from concentration camps. Based on a true story, “Schindler’s List” is an affirmation of human decency worth watching time and again.

“August Rush” (2007)

August Rush, played by Freddie Highmore, is an orphan — or so he was told. But, born with the ability to hear music everywhere, August believes he will one day be reunited with his family. He never loses hope, even after falling in with a conniving racketeer played by Robin Williams. By the time August meets up with his mum and dad, viewers feel like they’ve had a family reunion of their own. [Read more…]

The Most Important Question

April 10, 2013 by Scott "Q" Marcus Leave a Comment

You followed a passage faithfully through a lush forest, now standing at a fork in that path; one bearing leads slightly northwest, the other, tending to the southwest. Standing at this juncture, you place your hand over your eyes to block the glare of the setting sun, and strain while scanning the horizon. Ahead lays a long, grassy, seemingly endless prairie with hills on either horizon, obstructing your view from where each trails leads.

Yet, you have stood in this place before.

You know with certainty that in one direction lays a picturesque, emerald city, chock-full of light, music, and gladness. In that township is great joy and contentment. Should you opt however for road number two, what waits at its terminus is far less glorious, resembling the ruins of the firestorms of Dresden. There lies darkness and foreboding, sadness and frustration.

Although either direction assures you a safe arrival at your destination, the route to happiness is rocky, long, and hilly; it will require effort. Its alternative beckons with a flat, easy-to-navigate, and well-worn, shorter course.

Which path do you choose?

We’d all like to say that we’d choose the first. After all, look what waits at the end of either. It’s a no-brainer.

Yet, when we analyze our histories, the reality is that too often, we opt for the alternative; the smoother, shorter, easier pathway guaranteed to lead in the end to a sense of defeat and unhappiness.

Let’s examine some real-life situations, shall we?

Stick with your diet for one more hour and go to bed happy and proud, or give in and eat the bag of chips now, berating yourself all day tomorrow for tonight’s poor decision. Which do you choose?

Hold your tongue until you can figure out a more productive way to bring up your frustration to your wife, or let loose with a blast of heated epithets driving a hurtful spike in your most important relationship. Which do you do?

Put $200 away into your retirement fund, knowing it will be out of reach for the next decade, or buy a new TV even though you don’t need one. “A” or “B” please?

[Read more…]

The Most Powerful Force

March 25, 2013 by Scott "Q" Marcus Leave a Comment

Know there is a greater force than your own.

Ask for guidance when you need it.

It matters not what you might call that force.

Some call it, “God” or “Spirit,” or “Universe.” Some have no name for it at all. However, we are all connected to an energy more powerful than anything we can possibly imagine.

When you doubt your abilities or when you are unsure what to do, let it speak to you.

Then, be silent long enough to hear the answer.