Ways to Rediscover Happiness

Find your direction: A life without purpose can be painful. So the next time you have a totally free day, use it to really think about your direction in life. What do love doing? What gets you out of bed? Where does your sense of accomplishment come from? With a clear direction, you can build towards success in a linear fashion. Every day, every moment you move further in your direction, youll get a boost of happiness-producing dopamine. Good job, you! You know you feel happier and present a better side of yourself when you feel successful. Direction is where it all starts. Practice gratitude: Gratitude is a strange sensation. It comes from acknowledging someone has helped you and having the grace to thank them, both internally and externally. Understanding gratitude can help you in two ways. Youll get that others care about you, and youll form a bond with someone who has helped you. Both lead to a stronger sense of belonging. Gratitude is not to be confused with indebtedness, which can lead us to avoid those who love us. Its all about how you perceive the help you receive. Adopt more optimism: We all know a happy-go-lucky lifestyle can lead to problems. But with the right balance of optimism and responsibility, one can feel invincible going through the day. Understand that things wont always work out, and dont let negative results in one part of your life spill into other areas. Realize the road will be bumpy, and embrace the challenges ahead. Laugh at them. If your current strategy isnt working, find a new one. Dont dwell. Do, not, dwell. Consider religion: Im not a very religious person, though I will say a quick prayer before a flight or long bus ride. While Im 99% practical and scientific, I have known friends to find peace of mind through spiritual outlets. Plus, the recent work of Sonja Lyubomirsky suggests that religion helps people recover from aversive events and return to happiness. Reduce material wealth: Its tempting to spend heavily, especially if were wealthy or supported by someone else. But surrounding ourselves with new TVs, the latest Apple products, clothing well beyond our means, and a closet full of shoes will only cloud the path to happiness. In fact, reducing our material possessions can free up our sense of being and make us realize what actually makes us happy. Buying a new possession will bring short-term satisfaction but when that feeling vanishes youll be worse off than before. Put your health first: Your health should always be number 1. Yet in a world where that new bar is right around the corner and social pressure through fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) is everywhere, we often forget how much were stepping on our health. Try seeing how a weekend full of herbal tea, yoga, and extra sleep feels compared to a weekend full of late nights at the bar trying to impress your friends. Despite how strong and smart we think we are, much of our happiness begins with health.

Face stress head on: This is a BIG one. Were all bound to have bad days. People crap on our desks, dont thank us, and treat us like garbage. Moreover, we have to deal with ourselves. Doubtful, insecure, and depressed at times. At the end of the day were sometimes so drained even our favorite things look ugly. How we deal with these issues and release them from our minds is crucial. Drugs, alcohol, and other vices will worsen the problem. Healthier outlets like the gym will help. But most important of all is how we process our problems. Communicate often: As simple as it sounds, some of the happiest people are the ones who can stomach their pride and talk through problems. Communication, just like going to the gym or considering religion, is a positive coping mechanism that helps us find the source of unhappiness instead of burying it. Seek out family members: As we grow up and move to new parts of the world, its harder to stay in touch with family. But we all have email. If were lucky, our family members live in the same country. Making an effort to check in, listening to your sibling or parents problems, and actively helping them will actually generate more happiness in your own life. If all nine methods fail you, I have a final question you can ask yourself. Where do your strongest talents intersect with the worlds greatest needs? Find this point in life and youll surely have arrived at happiness.

15 Reasons to Run for Your Life

Start running from People who keep hurting you. Stop wondering why people keep hurting you. Ask yourself, Why am I continuously allowing this to happen? Speak up. Stand up for yourself. Sometimes we suffer, not because of the violence others inflict on us, but because of our own silence. Love that lies. If another person steals the heart of the person you love, be thankful that you learned the truth sooner rather than later. Because their love was never true true love cant be stolen. We have to accept the fact that some people are going to stay in our hearts for a long time, even if they dont stay in our lives. Procrastination. Sometimes we ask questions not to seek answers but to affirm something our soul knows already. Youre not doing yourself a favor by merely hearing the same answer from people over and over again. It is accepting the truth, making a conscious change and finally moving on to other things that is your answer. Give your soul a chance to explore the life you are meant to live. Stop asking the same questions at some point you have to make a decision and take action. Impatience. The principle part of faith is patience. When we walk by faith there will be times when we hear and see nothing, and are tempted to aggravate a situation in the best effort to make things happen faster. We are tempted to sway from being faithful and patient, and attempt to create more options for ourselves, without pausing long enough to notice what is. A faithful mind requires a patient will. Things will not always seem to move fast enough in your life, but they are usually moving as fast as they should be. Superficial stereotyping. If you judge others by their skin color, their body size, and their outer beauty, you will miss EVERYTHING about who they really are. Materialism. No matter where life takes you, big cities or small towns, you will inevitably come across small minds people who think theyre better than you people who think that material possessions, dressing a certain way, driving a fancy car, etc. makes you a worthwhile human being. But material things dont matter. What matters is having strength of character, integrity, and a sense of self-worth. And if youre lucky enough to have any of these things, never sell them. Never sell yourself short. Rushed relationships. Dont rush into any kind of relationship. Work on yourself. Feel yourself, experience yourself and love yourself. Do this first and you will soon you will get the attention of the right people, and gradually attract them into your life. The reckless expectation of perfection. Dont berate others for not being perfect. Admire them for not being fake. Even though you probably sometimes get confused, you dont really want your friends and lovers to be perfect. What you do want is people you can trust, who treat you right people you can act silly with, who love being around you as much as you love being around them. People who only tell you what you want to hear. Its so easy to believe someone when theyre telling you exactly what you want to hear. But you have to watch what they do too. Actions speak louder than words actions speak the whole truth.

People who continuously overlook your worth. You are not a back-up plan. You are worth more than someones second choice. You cant force yourself to stop loving someone, but you can tell yourself that you deserve better. Never settle for second best. Always look out for number one. Because you cant expect to be someone elses priority if you arent your own. Situations that force you to be someone youre not. In this crazy world thats trying to make you like everyone else, the toughest battle youll ever have to fight is the battle to be yourself. And as youre fighting back, not everyone will like you. Sometimes people will call you names because youre different. But thats okay. The things that make you different are the things that make YOU. A long-term situation or routine that you hate. Its better to be a failure at something you love than to succeed at doing something you hate. Dont let someone who gave up on their dreams talk you out of going after yours. The best thing you can do in life is follow your intuition. Take risks. Dont just make the safe and easy choices because youre afraid of what might happen. If you do, nothing will ever happen. The easy-street mentality. Most great things must be earned. There is no elevator to success; you must take the stairs. So forget how you feel and remember what you deserve. Right NOW is always the best time to break out of your shell and show the world who you really are and what youre really made of. Chances must be taken, mistakes must be made, and lessons must be learned. It might be an uphill climb, but when you reach that mountaintop it will be worth every ounce of blood, sweat and tears you put into it. Self-doubt. When you become your own best friend, life gets easier. There is nothing to hold you back except you. You are limited only by your imagination. Rest in the knowledge that you dont have to prove yourself to anyones heart but your own. Negativity. Sometimes life sucks. Sometimes life gets so hard that you dont want to get out of bed in the morning. Sometimes life is so stressful that all you want to do is cry. But sometimes life is beautiful. Sometimes life is so awesome that all you want to do is smile. Sometimes you just have to stay positive, and push through the hard times. Why? Because life is worth it. The good times are worth it. You are worth it.

How to Energize Your Brain

Main Practice 1. Breathe in through your nose slowly while silently chanting Sooo in your mind. 2. Breathe out slowly while silently chanting Hummm in your mind. Try it right now for 9 slow breaths and experience what happens to you. How So Hum Works Prana, or Chi, is pure energy filling the air around us. Your complex nasal passages have the wondrous ability to extract prana from the air as you breathe in. The extracted prana goes straight up into your brain. By slowing your breathing, and chanting So Hum, you can enhance the process and become consciously aware of it. The slow out breath releases accumulated negative energies like stress and tension. You get energized on the in breath and relaxed on the out breath. So Hum Add Ons There are several easily learned additional techniques that will amplify your So Hum practice. Each of them will add another powerful dimension to your experience. Proper Breathing Use abdominal breathing. Breathe with your belly, not your chest. As you breathe in, your belly goes out. As you breathe out, your belly goes in. Your emotions will calm automatically. Singers breathe like this. They call it diaphragmatic breathing. Allow your breath to become smooth without jerking or roughness. If your breath flows smoothly, so will your mind. No pauses between breaths. Just allow each breath to flow smoothly into the next. Let your breath become very quiet so that the only sound is the silent mantra Sooo Hummm playing in your mind. Sound like a conundrum? Try it. Visualization On the in breath, see brilliant white light flowing into your nostrils and up into your brain as you silently chant Sooo The brilliant light transforms your brain into radiant blue/white light. On the out breath, see dark dirty energy going out of you as you silently chant Hummm You free up more space to breathe in more light on the next in breath. As you become accomplished with this visualization, you can take it to a higher level. Sweep the light up through your brain then down through your body on the in breath. On the out breath, the light settles into your body. With each breath you become lighter and lighter more and more energized. Counting Count your breaths from 1 to 9. Then start over again at 1. Counting your breaths gives your mind something to do. Your mind will be happy instead of creating complaints and negative thoughts about your meditation practice. And your mind may begin letting go of its all consuming thoughts and worries.

Mudras Mudras are hand positions. There are hundreds of different ones. Each mudra allows energy to flow through you in a different way. Gyan mudra has become very popular in the West. It inspires expanded wisdom. Hold your hands palms up with the backs of your hands resting on your knees. Touch the tips of your first finger and thumb together, forming a circle. Your other three fingers should be extended, but relaxed. Relaxing mudra. This mudra allows tension and stress to drain away. Hold your hands palms down on your knees. All your digits should be extended but relaxed and pointing towards the ground. The ancient practice of silently chanting So Hum can be done anytime without anyone knowing youre doing it. This makes it ideal for quickly energizing yourself while relaxing. And, with daily practice, your consciousness grows and grows, expanding towards realization.

Top 10 Ways to Sleep Smarter and Better

10. Reduce Screen Time Before Bed Stop checking your email or watching TV just before bedtime and youll sleep better. A recent study shows that people who consume electronic media just before bedtime report lower-quality sleep even when they get as much sleep as non-pre-bedtime screenheads. Using a light-emitting device before bed like a flickering TV or computer monitor stimulates the brain in a different way than the way the body was intended to move towards sleep (gradually as the sun set). Thats why it is so easy to waste sleepless hours flipping from channel to channel. The exposure to light stimulates the brain and creates a false alertness and stimulation. 9. Exercise to Enhance Sleep You already know that exercising provides lots of good health benefitsa good nights sleep being one of them. But make sure you exercise in the morning or afternoon, not at night, to see the benefits while you dream. CNN reports: The National Sleep Foundation reports that exercise in the afternoon can help deepen shut-eye and cut the time it takes for you to fall into dreamland. But, they caution, vigorous exercise leading up to bedtime can actually have the reverse effects. A 2003 study found that a morning fitness regime was key to a better snooze. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center concluded that postmenopausal women who exercised 30 minutes every morning had less trouble falling asleep than those who were less active. The women who worked out in the evening hours saw little or no improvement in their sleep patterns. 8. Eat to Enhance Sleep Some foods are more conducive to a better nights sleep than others. You already knew about warm milk, chamomile tea and turkey, but Yahoo Food lists others, like bananas, potatoes, oatmeal and whole-wheat bread. You find yourself fighting off afternoon droopy eyelids at the office? Here are some pointers on eating a less nap-inducing lunch. 7. Master the Power Nap Slowly but surely, the benefits of the classic, 20-minute power nap are getting more recognition, with big companies installing sleep pods at the office and more software applications like Pzizz helping to set the right power nap aural scene. 6. Avoid the Soul-Shattering Alarm Buzzer No one likes starting the day by getting ripped out of bed by that evil BEEP BEEP BEEP of the alarm clock, but some sleepyheads ignore anything gentler. 5. Solve Problems in Your Sleep Wrestling with a tough decision, stuck in a creative rut or having a hard time solving a complex problem? Studies show that a little shut-eye can help you tackle problems and make tough decisions. 4. Beat Insomnia with Visualization Theres nothing worse than laying awake throughout the night, watching the clock tick away seconds knowing youll be a zombie the next day. When insomnias kicking your sleepy butt, use a self-directed meditative visualization technique to quiet the whir of a racing mind.

3. Shortcut a Long Nap with the Clattering Spoon Artist and napper Salvador Dali had an interesting nap technique, based on the idea that your body benefits from just getting to sleep as much as a couple of hours worth of shut-eye. He purportedly used a spoon to wake himself up just as he lost consciousness. Lie down or sit in comfy seat holding a spoon in your fingertips. you should be holding it in a way that - when you loose consciousness (sleep) you drop it the Clatter (put a big plate on the floor under your hand) will wake you. and you get woken JUST as you enter the best dreamy bit of your sleep. Alternatively, hold a bunch of keys: same effect. 2. Take a Caffeine Power Nap Need a turbo boost to beat the sleepy doldrums pinch? Try a cup of coffee followed by a quick 15-minute nap to reboot your brain and get you going again. 1. Teach Yourself to Lucid Dream Arrive at school naked in that terrible dream last night? Turn nightmares around by knowing youre dreaming while you do it. Lucid dreaming opens up all sorts of possibilities for controlling where and how your dreams go. Teach yourself to lucid dream by keeping a dream journal and learning reality checks and dream extending techniques.

8 Ways to Simplify the Pursuit of Happiness

1. Lose yourself in something that moves you. To truly flourish in life you have to let go a little, lose yourself in the moment and become fused with other people, experiences, and tasks. This happens sometimes when you are engrossed in a challenge, or when the artist inside you becomes one with the creative task at hand. It happens sometimes while youre playing sports, or listening to music, or lost in a good book, or when you feel completely enveloped by anothers love. And it happens most when you emotionally connect with someone who shares your visions. In other words, long-term happiness isnt just about conscious achievement; its also about the unconscious part of your mind naturally intertwining with the ideas, passions, work, people, songs, and stories that move you. Read The How of Happiness. 2. Know what you want and commit to it. The words aware and commit are so powerful. Its amazing what you can do once youre aware of what you want and you commit to doing it. If you can honestly say that you are fully aware of your desires and what they entail, and that you are devoted to doing what it takes, you are already in a high spirited state of mind. Being aware and committed means you are informed alert, knowledgeable, prepared and you have the mindset to visualize, strategize, focus, and achieve. The more aware you are of life and its difficulties, and the more committed you are about how you handle both good and bad situations, the less stressful life will be in the long-run. 3. Guard yourself against dream crushers. Stop sharing your dreams with people who try to hold you back, even if theyre the people who are supposed to support you parents, siblings, friends, etc. If youre passionate about something out in the world that you want to explore an interest thats a little different than the norm something that makes you a bit EXTRA-ordinary, youll never get there if you listen to people who keep telling you youre not extraordinary. Instead, youll likely settle into the comfortable, ordinary role they expect of you. And thats not likely a happy place for you. 4. Find the right day job. Lack of passion is fatal. Happiness is spending your life in your own way. This is especially true when it comes to lifelong work. Your day job should be the place where your interests meet the worlds needs.

If you want to pursue happiness through your work, dont look at a list of popular trades, pick one at random and dedicate your time to learning it. Rather, find something that truly interests you like writing, and indulge your mind in the infinite possibilities of fusing your thoughts with the written word. Or maybe for you its boating, in which case pursue a position in the maritime industry and allow yourself to long for the endless immensity of the sea. Or You get the idea. When you appreciate what you do for a living, happiness and success tag along. Read The 4Hour Workweek. 5. Focus on the way you want to feel. You will begin to become happier and more successful the minute you decide to be. Knowing how you actually want to feel is the most potent form of clarity that you can have. Generating these feelings is the most powerfully creative thing you can do with your life. Your thoughts create your reality: A positive context leads to positive actions, thoughts, and feelings, which gradually lead to positive results. This mindset is the magic ingredient that helps you persevere in the face of challenges, setbacks, pain, and even personal injury. 6. Maintain a flexible, constructive perspective. Forget all the reasons it wont work and figure out the one good reason it will. Its possible that you wont get the exact results you had anticipated, but thats OK its still progress as long as you learn from the results you do get. And perhaps with your newfound understanding youll discover a way to achieve even better results than you had originally thought possible. Your choice of perspective has the power to build or demolish. Your mind has the uninhibited ability to take any experience and create a meaning that deprives you or one that can literally make you jump for joy. Read Awaken the Giant Within. 7. Drop the comparisons. Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is simply understanding that youre OK just the way you are. Dont let the silly little dramas and dilemmas of each day get you down. There is no reason for you to feel sorry for yourself, and there is no point in acting in such a way that others feel sorry for you. Forget about where others are in their lives. You arent competing against them; you are supposed to be right where you are. Every life is unique. You were born to do things that have never been done, to understand things that have never been understood. And youre doing it. The aches and pains you feel are the side effects of personal growth. How would your life be different if you stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about your life and how you think it should be? Let today be the day you look at the positive aspects of this journey that is uniquely yours.

8. Help others smile. In your pursuit of happiness as unique as it may be to your own specific needs dont forget that youre a member of a world that is far greater than yourself. There are simple things you can do daily to lift the human spirits around you things that are effortless and free and related to your pursuit. And best of all, happiness begets happiness; when you do these things to help others, you dont just lift their spirits, you lift your own as well.

10 Powerful Things to Put on Your To-Do List Today

Give yourself some me time. Yes, you had battles to fight, insecurities to overcome, loved ones to contend with, and goals to achieve. But a break from it all is necessary. Its perfectly healthy to pause and let the world spin without you for awhile. Its good for you to spend time alone. It gives you an opportunity to discover who you really are, and to figure out why you truly are always alone. Meditate on your own inner voice. Some people will kill you over time if you let them; and how theyll kill you is with tiny, harmless phrases like, be realistic. When this happens, close your ears and listen to your inner voice instead. Remember that real success in life isnt what others see, but how you feel. Its living your truth and doing what makes you feel alive. Celebrate your efforts, not your outcomes. Failure keeps you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only faith and determination keeps you going. So stay focused, and celebrate your efforts, not your outcomes. Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them is what gives life meaning. Remember that the opposite of failing is not succeeding; the opposite of failing is trying. Mind your reactions. If you can change your mind, you can change your life. You have a train of thought on which you ride when you are alone and quietly thinking. The worth of your life to yourself and others, as well as the happiness it brings, depends upon the direction in which this train is moving, the baggage it carries, and the emotional space through which it travels. Between lifes stimulus and your reaction is where this space exists; within it is your power to choose how you react, and in your reaction lies your growth, freedom, and happiness. Exercise your positivity. You deserve a day in which worries dont get in the way of your happiness. A day where, even if some people are insensitive or unkind, youre not going to mind because you realize that the blessings you received are far greater than the burdens you once experienced. You can create a day like this for yourself. There is power in positivity. Focus on the next logical step forward. There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them. So keep your hope alive. Dont dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energy moving forward toward a solution. If you take full responsibility for yourself and your current situation, you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams, and you will discover a way to get there. Practice genuine kindness. The best choice you can make is to be genuinely respectful and authentically kind. Though your kindness will not always be returned, it will certainly be noticed. And even when its not fully appreciated by others, your kindness will always inject more positive value into your own life. What you give comes back to you in ways that are impossible to predict. So give your kindness as often as you can, and enjoy the more positive world you are helping to create. Express your appreciation to those who have earned it. You develop three kinds of friendships in life: friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for a lifetime. Take note of who these lifetime friends are and never overlook their worth. Just because they are reliable and there when you need them, doesnt mean you should fail to give thanks and appreciation on a regular basis. To value someone too lightly is to risk missing their goodness before theyre gone. Be grateful for all the blessings you already have. We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. What if you gave someone a gift and they neglected to thank you for it? Would you be likely to give them another one? The daily events in your life respond the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must be grateful for what you already have. Enjoy yourself. In between all your goals, priorities, obligations, and everything else that might appear on one of your upcoming todo lists, there are moments called life that still have to be lived and enjoyed. The trick is to make the best of each moment, and value

it for what its worth. In other words, dont wish all your time away by waiting for better times ahead. Smile, right now, because you can.

8 Pillars of a Nutritious Life

Nutritious Life teaches people to listen to their bodies and empowers them with the support and tools they need to create change towards an enriching and balanced life. Really, food is just one piece of the nutrition pie. Some people are already great eaters, but they are not meeting their wellness goals and it is my job to look at the whole picture and see what needs tweaking and refining to get them to their most nutritious selves. There are 8 pillars that make up a Nutritious Life. Each one is equally important to personal well being and combined make up the whole person. 1. Drink Water Our bodies are 50-75% water. The most common reason people are sluggish in the afternoon is due to dehydration. If we dont drink enough water our bodies do not work properly; we become tired and do not metabolize food properly. Diet soda does not count. Nor does juice, sweetened teas or energy drinks. It is a must to get your water in. Water also helps us feel clean, healthy and refreshed. Begin every a.m. with water and a slice of squeezed lemon. (Lemon in water helps detoxify the liver keeping it in greater health to metabolize foods we eat). I know water doesnt always feel so exciting you can also use unsweetened tea, seltzer and mineral water and count it towards your water intake. Take a tea break for green, black, white or herbal mid-morning and mid-afternoon. 2. Eat Empowered Feel empowered putting the most nutrient rich food in your body. This is all attitude. So, its not I cant eat the dessert. Its, I can eat these delicious blueberries! When you focus on how good you feel fueling yourself with the best foods you will continue to be motivated to eat these foods. The benefits from skin health to weight loss, and all thats in between, will follow. 3. Exercise Aside from burning calories, exercise is important because when you exercise your body releases endorphins, which make you feel good and motivate you to eat well, do your job well and simply be happy! Weight bearing exercises increase muscle mass, which in turn burns more calories even while you are sitting on the couch. Interval training is also important to help rev your metabolism for hours after you have left the gym. 4. Pamper Thyself Treating yourself to something special can have emotional and physical benefits. Simple small indulgences, like a manicure, massage, or bubble bath can make you look and feel great. The time that you spend caring for yourself physically can reap huge mind and body rewards. 5. Sex Is there a link between low libido and weight? Absolutely! The good news is that not only does losing weight help your sex life, but having sex also helps with your weight loss! First of all, while its not (usually!) as strenuous as an afternoon of tennis, sex does burn calories. Second, researchers know that oxytocin - a hormone released after orgasm in men and women, through cuddling, and even by simply holding hands - acts as a soothing antioxidant and may make it easier for people to stick to their healthy eating style. 6. Sleep DeepResearch is really getting stronger in this area we now know that people who sleep more tend to be healthier weights. When you are well rested you make better food choices, have more energy to go the gym, walk to work or take time for your favorite activities. When you are not well rested, your defenses are down and you are more likely to overeat and make poor food choices. Lack of sleep causes your levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress, to rise. Get better zzzzs by practicing a calm ritual before bed. Try dimming the lights in your bedroom and reduce stimulation by turning off the TV, computer, and yes even your phone! 7. Stress Less Stress increases the amount of cortisol in our bodies, a hormone which makes our bodies crave carbohydrates and store fat around the tummy. So, even if you dont eat more due to stress you can still gain weight due to stress! To make matters worse, stress also causes

an increase in appetite We all know what that does! Make time in your day to unwind and reset. Take 5 minutes to sit quietly and practice deep breathing or go for a walk outside for a breath of fresh air. 8. Your World The environment around us can impact both our mental and physical health. There are some things that we cant always control - like the traffic or the construction down the street. But there are plenty of factors that are within our reach and can make a big difference in our lifestyle and mood. For example, make a clutter-free zone in your office or home or turn off the TV when you arent really watching.

9 Foods That Fight Fatigue

Pumpkin Seeds The fatigue-fighter: Magnesium

If your 30-minute workout leaves you feeling like you just climbed Mt. Everest, you might be low on magnesium. When researchers at the U.S. Agricultural Research Service restricted intake of the mineral among 13 women ages 47 to 75 for 4 months, they found that those with magnesium deficiencies required more oxygen uptake during physical activity, used more energy, and therefore tired more easily. Snack on 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds and youll take care of about half of your recommended daily allowance, 310 mg for women (320 mg for ages 31+) and 400 mg for men (420 mg for ages 31+). Yogurt The fatigue-fighter: Probiotics

A stomachache could spell sleepiness if youre among the more than 1 million people in the United States who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Because research suggests that an imbalance in microorganisms in the digestive tract is partially to blame for CFS, Swedish researchers tested the effects of eating yogurt rich in probioticsgood bacteria that aids digestive healthon 15 CFS patients. After eating 2 deciliters (about 6.8 ounces) of yogurt twice daily for 4 weeks, 14 of 15 study subjects reported improvements in fatigue symptoms, physical health, or mental health. Wheat Bran Cereal The fatigue-fighter: Fibre

You know that fibre can help you fight fat, and it turns out the nutrient can also help you feel more awake. Researchers at the University of Cardiff in Wales found that people who ate high-fibre wheat bran cereal suffered less emotional distress, experienced fewer cognitive difficulties, and were less fatigued than their counterparts who did not eat as much fibre. Study participants reported a 10% increase in energy levels and reduced fatigue 2 weeks after increasing their fibre intake. The UK scientists credited these improvements to better digestive health. Whole Grains The fatigue-fighter: Complex carbohydrates

They might be a diet taboo, but carbs are essential to boosting energy. To stay out of a slump, pick complex carbohydrates such as whole grain crackers or a bowl of oatmeal over refined carbs, like foods made from white flour. The body digests and releases complex carbs slowly, keeping your blood sugar (and your mood) stable. Simple sugars, like those found in sweets and processed foods, on the other hand, provide a quick burst of energy, but cause your blood sugar to plummet just as quickly as it spiked. Walnuts The fatigue-fighter: Omega-3 fatty acids

Belgian researchers found that patients with CFS had low levels of omega-3 fatty acids, and those with the most severe fatigue symptoms exhibited the greatest deficiencies. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that the alpha-linolenic acid, the omega-3 fatty acid found in walnuts, may help relieve depression symptoms, which commonly contribute to CFS. Up your omega-3 intake with a 1-ounce serving (1/4 cup, shelled) of walnuts for 190 calories. Dark Chocolate The fatigue-fighter: Polyphenols

If youre going to spring for sweets, be smart about your selection. Researchers at Hull York Medical School in the United Kingdom provided 10 CFS patients with 45 g of chocolate each day for 2 months. Study subjects received either dark chocolate or white chocolate that had been dyed brown. Those eating the dark chocolate reported significantly less fatigue. The scientists suggest that polyphenols in dark chocolate increase levels of the happiness-boosting brain chemical serotonin and thus reduce feelings of fatigue. Tea The fatigue-fighters: Caffeine and l-theanine

Coffee beats out tea when it comes to caffeine, but your cup of joe is missing an important fatigue-fighting ingredient: l-theanine. When paired with caffeine, the amino acid found naturally in tea improves cognition more effectively than caffeine alone, according to a study published in Biological Psychology. When study subjects consumed a combination of caffeine (150 mg) and l-theanine (250 mg), they reported a host of cognitive benefits, including improved alertness, memory, and reaction time as well as decreased mental fatigue. Watermelon The fatigue-fighter: Water

If youre feeling fatigued on a hot day or after a sweaty workout, the cause may be as simple as dehydration, and the fix as easy as enjoying a delicious slice of summer fruit. In a recent study of athletes, 92% reported feeling fatigued when they limited water-rich foods and fluids for 15 hours. They also reported memory lapses and difficulty concentrating. If you cant glug one more ounce of H2O, opt for leafy greens or melons. The bonus: Hydrating with water-dense foods wont pack on the pounds. Enjoy a 1-cup serving of watermelon for only 46 calories. Red Bell Pepper The fatigue-fighter: Vitamin C

Vitamin C is more than a cold fighterthe antioxidant also helps reduce oxidative stress, the result of too many free radicals in the body, another contributor to CFS. In a small study of 44 adults published in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, those who received 6 g of vitamin C every day for 2 weeks felt less fatigued. Study participants also had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. To get your C fix, enjoy 1 cup of sliced red bell pepper for only 29 calories and youll squeeze in almost 200% of your daily recommended vitamin Cthats more than the amount in an entire orange.

9 Things You Need to Chill Out About

The few things that arent going right. When things go wrong, take a moment to be thankful for all the other things that are still going right. And if youre struggling to be thankful for what you have, be thankful for what you have escaped. Sometimes the best gifts in life are the troubles you dont have. Read Stumbling on Happiness. Trying to label everyone and everything. Sometimes youve just got to take people and situations for what they are, appreciate them, and not try to label them or change them. This unconditional acceptance doesnt mean youre giving up your freewill or waving

the white flag thats quitting. Instead, it means youre willing to let go of who you think people should be and how you think things are supposed to be, so you can fall in love with who they truly are and how life really is. Worrying about what everyone else thinks. The minute you stop overwhelming your mind with caring about what everyone else thinks, and start doing what you feel in your heart is right, is the minute you will finally feel freedom. In fact, you can end half your troubles immediately by no longer permitting people to tell you what you want. You have to put your life in your own hands. Others may be able stop you temporarily, but only you can do it permanently. Wasting time on the wrong people. You cannot make someone respect you; all you can do is be someone who can be respected. The rest is up to them. No matter how much you care some people just wont care back. Its not the end of the world. At some point you have to realize the truth that they no longer care or never did, and that maybe youre wasting your time and missing out on someone else who does. Old wounds and grudges. You will never find peace until you learn to finally let go of the hatred and hurt that lives in your heart. In order to move on, you must know why you felt the way you did, and why you no longer need to feel that way. Its about accepting the past, letting it be, and pushing your spirit forward with good intentions. Because nothing empowers your ability to heal and grow as much as your love and forgiveness. Superficial judgments. We dont know most people half as well as we believe we do; and truly knowing someone is a big part of what makes them attractive. Every human being is beautiful; it just takes the right set of eyes to see it. The more you mature, the more you will be able to look beyond another persons appearance and see the beauty of who they really are. Letting small disagreements snowball out of control. Dont let a single poisonous moment of misunderstanding make you forget about the countless lovable moments you spent together. If youre angry at someone you love, hug them and mean it. You may not want to hug them, which is all the more reason to do so. Its hard to stay angry when someone shows that they love you, and thats precisely what happens when we hug each other. Showing a lack of self-respect. Decide this minute to never again beg anyone for the love, respect, and attention that you should be showing yourself. Be your own best friend. Trust your inner spirit and follow your instincts. Be the person you will be happy to live with for the duration of your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of passion and possibility into a blaze of victories. Thinking that now is the wrong time. This isnt the wrong time and place, because you can make it the right time and place. Today is the first day of a new beginning the conception of a new life. The next nine months are all yours. You can do with them as you please. Make them count. Because a new person is born in nine months. The only question is: Who do you want that person to be?

The Secret Ingredients For Living Your Passion Every Day

Create the Habit One of the strangest things is that most people dont actually pursue their passions daily, or even regularly! The primary reason behind this is lack of time due to most people having full-time jobs in an occupation that doesnt fulfill them. First things first you need to pursue your passion daily. Research suggests that it takes at least 21 days for a habit to be created. Start small and pursue your passion for at least 5 minutes every day. As you start to live your passion out daily, increase the amount of time that you are giving to it. This shouldnt be too hard, as you should be having a darn fun time doing what you love! Over time, you will find that its not actually hard to pursue your passion without taking up too much time. However, to create a living out of it, you need to put some structure behind it. This brings me to my next point. Create a Plan If you want to take your passion seriously and turn it into a full-time career, you need to take another critical step. How are you going to create a career around your passion without compromising other areas of your life (such as income or relationships)? I would love to be able to tell you that creating a career out of your passion is as easy as quitting your day job and the following day starting to do what you love. However, in reality its actually not that simple. You need to create a clear, actionable plan that takes time to ensure you do not compromise on other important areas in your life.

Be patient. If you are serious about transforming your life to have it surround your passion, you need to be patient. It may not be able to happen overnight. It may take a year of hard work, perhaps a couple, or it may even take 5 or 10 years. It all depends on what you are willing to sacrifice and how much you want to integrate your passion into your everyday life. Work through your plan, stick to your goals and ensure you can start living your passion daily without compromising on other areas such as income or relationships. Let Your Passion Guide You When you experience the feelings of passion, let it guide you in your decision-making. Often people would wake up in the middle of the night and spend 2 to 3 hours trying to get back to sleep. If you wake up at 4am in the morning with your mind buzzing full of ideas, run with it! Dont just lie in bed trying to get back to sleep. Take action and let your passionate feelings flow. When youre feeling the buzz, that is the perfect time to take action. Kind of like me writing this article right now. Im running with it Im running with my thoughts and Im feeling the buzz. A rule I live by is to never give up an opportunity to live out your passion. If an opportunity presents itself and you have your body or mind telling you that you should or want to be doing something, go with the flow. Let it be your guide.

Some Shaving Tips For Men

Wet Your Face Before you shave, it is important to start with a wet face. Facial hair absorbs water and becomes weaker and easier to cut when damp. The best prep for a shave is a warm shower. If you cant shower first, splash your face and hold a warm wet towel to it for a couple of minutes to soften your stubble. Shaving Cream It is important to use a high quality shaving cream with lubricants like silicon or glycerin. One important thing to remember is that you cant judge a shaving cream by how much it foams up. In fact, the less it foams, the better, because it wont wear down your blade so quickly. Shave gels can be a good choice, too; and there are also formulas specifically for African American facial hair that can give you a better shave than a regular cream or gel. Shaving Brush Using a shaving brush may seem silly because it seems so simple to just smooth on the shaving cream with your hands, but it actually offers a few benefits:

provides a better lather lifts the hairs for a closer shave exfoliates the skin

Apply the shaving cream with the shaving brush in a circular motion, ending with an upward stroke. When you are done applying, let the shaving cream set for about a minute before you begin shaving. The Razor While many people recommend a three-blade razor, some say you are just fine with a single blade, as long as it is sharp. The most important part of getting a close shave with no ingrown hairs or razor burn is to never use a dull razor. Try something like the Gillette Mach series, which gets very high ratings. Depending on how tough your facial hair his, you will need to replace your razor somewhere after three to ten shaves. Be sure to rinse your blade with hot water after every shave to remove all shaving cream and loose hairs, but dont wipe it down with a towel, which can dull the blade.

Shaving Technique Facial hair can be tricky and grow in crazy directions; so before you begin, use your hand to really study your beard and see how it grows on both your face and neck. Then, lather up and pull your skin taut, gently shaving with the grain of your facial hair without applying pressure. If you have shaved one or two passes and need to get a little closer, you can very gently do a last pass against the grain, being sure to add a little more shaving cream to avoid razor burn. Try not to shave the same area too many times to avoid irritation. Dont forget that while you are shaving off hair, you are also shaving off a couple of layers of your skin, too! Rinse and Dry When you are done shaving, rinse your face with cool to cold water to close your pores; and then pat it dry with a towel, but dont rub. Shave Balm When you are done shaving, skip the alcohol-filled aftershave, which can be painful to your now sensitive skin and will only dry it out further. Instead, apply a soothing shaving lotion or balm made just for men. It will leave your skin silky smooth and promote healing of the skin layers you just shaved off with that hair.

Be Happier: 10 Things to Start Doing Right Now

Foster your own personal growth. If you want to awaken happiness in the world around you, start by living a life that makes you happy, and then radiate your happiness outward. If you want to eliminate suffering in the world, start by eliminating the dark and negative parts of yourself, and then radiate your positivity outward. Truly, the greatest power you have in this world is the power of your own self-transformation. It starts with the one in the mirror. Be present in this moment. Too often we run ourselves into the ground and sacrifice our happiness and health to make a little money. Then we sacrifice the money we made to recuperate some of our happiness and health. And as were stuck in this damaging cycle, we are so anxious about the past and future that we forget to enjoy life as were living it. The end result being that we dont ever truly experience being alive. We subconsciously act as if time isnt passing us by every second of every day like it isnt important and were never going to die. And thus we end up dying someday without ever having truly lived. Focus on your authenticity and integrity. Start living life according to who you know you are and what you know is right. Your greatest accomplishments will be the ones that contain the greatest quantity of YOU. Be innovative and creative. The challenges you face will crumble when you apply fresh, original thinking to them. And as you move forward, do so with genuine and persistent integrity. That way, the results you create will be results that are actually worth attaining. Turn your goals into daily habits. Its a process! Its a process! Its a process! Ingrain this in your mind. Progress and change takes time. Success, like washboard abs, is the outcome of a habit. Its the relentless daily practice of making small, diligent choices that add up in the long run. Its about following through and doing what you said would do even when no one would notice but you, and knowing in your heart why doing so matters. Be ambitious enough to fail, and be OK with it. If you never fail, then your goals are not nearly ambitious enough. Comfort is state of being in which to find rest and renewal for a short time; it is a dreary and dismal place to remain permanently. If you dont challenge yourself on a regular basis, your abilities and effectiveness will become stale and weak. The reason life can be so rewarding is precisely because it can be so difficult. When your efforts are met with failure, you know you are on to something; because on the flipside of that failure is a real, substantial accomplishment that doesnt come easy. Your failed attempt is simply evidence that you are reaching higher. And higher is always the best direction to travel in. Choose to push forward even when it hurts. You have the potential to reach greatness, but you have to choose it. To reach greatness, sacrifices must be made. You have to be willing to dig deeper within yourself, push harder, and climb higher every day. When obstacles arise, as they will, you must break through them because you know its the only option. Yes, there will be pain, there will be sweat, and there will be suffering. But where others fall and give up, you must choose to rise again and try again. Everyone makes a choice, one way or the other. Have you made yours?

Let go of needless worries and old wounds. Every moment of your life you are either growing or dying and when you are physically healthy, its a choice, not fate. The art of living happily rests in the fine balancing act of holding on and letting go. Being hurt is something you sometimes cant avoid, but being continuously miserable is always a choice. Spend time with those who inspire you. Dont waste too much of your time with people who are not supportive of your goals and abilities. Surround yourself with those who believe in your potential. Anyone who inspires you to make your half-hearted attempts more whole-hearted through passion and love, is a precious friend and teacher. These people are out there. Find them and conquer the world together. Help others when youre able. Today will never come again. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Make a difference. Take time to care. Tell someone how special they are. Do something that encourages a smile and a brighter day. By doing so, you will not only help those around you, you will help yourself too. Because when you seek to inspire happiness in all people, you will not only find it, you will become it. Rest your ego and the meaningless comparisons. Remember to tame your ego and not to take yourself too seriously. Youll climb much higher in life when youre thoroughly enjoying the effort. If you think you are better than the rest, youd better take a rest. Why be better, worse, or equal to anyone else? Drop the meaningless comparisons and just do your best, leave the rest alone, and dont forget to take a rest when you need one.

10 Happy Habits You Should Start Now

Nurture your inner child. You need to put your own fulfillment and needs at the top of your priority list. Theres an inner child within you who needs your love and patience. If youre always telling her to quiet down, to sit still and stop that bouncing if youre always reminding her that her thoughts arent real, just pretend, and that good girls do what theyre told how will she ever be able to imagine a fulfilling life for herself as she grows, or be able to jump for joy when she finds it? Let loose and be a little silly. Sometimes a little silliness is all you need to get a better perspective of lifes challenges. Silliness is the carefree, sometimes crazy, and often misunderstood stepsister of happiness. May you be a friend to both, and smile your way through lifes twists and turns. Mind your own business. Those who accept you are your friends. Those who dont are your teachers. If someone calls you something and its true, its not a problem because its true. If someone calls you something and its not true, its not a problem because its not true. So either way, whatever they call you is not a problem. What they call you is their business. What you call yourself, and who you decide to become, is your business. Stop the comparisons. The more you judge and compare yourself to your fantasies of how you should be, could be, or would be, the worse and worse you will get at everything. Such negative comparisons gradually de-motivate you, keeping your growth potential completely caged by the enormous resistance from your own thinking. On the flip-side, the more you love and accept yourself exactly the way you are, the better and better you will get at everything. Such self acceptance creates emotional freedom which inspires you to grow to your fullest potential. Focus on making the best of the present. You cant be happy if youre carrying the burden of the yesterday on your shoulders. Did you make a mistake? Did you have a terrible experience? Whatever it may be, the past is history and theres nothing you can do to change it. So breathe in the future and breathe out the past. Focus on making the best of the present, and the past will take care of itself. Count your blessings one by one. To be happy doesnt mean you dont desire more, it means youre thankful for what you have and patient for whats yet to come. Sometimes we get so caught up in seeing what we dont have, that we fail to notice the little things that give life its magic. The foolish person seeks happiness in the distance; the wise person grows it under her feet. Your life is filled with blessings and achievements, take the time to accept and appreciate these gifts. Help others find happiness. Happiness doesnt come through selfishness, but through selflessness. Everything you do comes back around. Greet people with a smile. Encourage them. Compliment them. Notice their progress, cheer them on, and make them smile. Smiles are contagious. The more happiness you help them find, the more happiness you will find. Think about how far youve come. The precursor of every positive outcome is a positive thought. So in the heat of the moment when you feel like quitting, think about how far you have come and why you started in the first place. Notice how fortunate you are, how supported you are, and how you are gradually being guided towards your aims. It is already happening, the more you notice, the more of it you will realize and see. Trust this light of gratitude to lead you through all the long, winding and misty roads of life. Do so and you will eventually arrive at your destination with a smile.

Visualize your ideal path. Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine what your life looks like five years from now, and ten years from now, if you continue to live the way youre presently living? Look at your trajectory. Where does your current path lead? Notice how you feel. Does it give you a sense of happiness, excitement and peace? If yes, thats wonderful; feel the gratitude. If not, what small, yet significant changes can you begin making right away that will put you on a more fulfilling path? Visualize yourself joyfully and harmoniously making these changes. And begin. Invest your time in the things you love. The most important decision you will ever make is what you do with the time that is given to you. Trust me, before you know it youll be asking, How did it get so late so soon? So put your time to good use, and let yourself be drawn to the strange pull of what you love; it will not lead you astray. Above all, live your life so that when youre old, you never have to let the person you became fanaticize about the person you were capable of being.