Why you need to find passion?

"Passion is the fuel
that drives
achievement and
can lead to higher
levels of happiness"

Have you ever known anyone who accomplished great things or was extremely happy, that didn't have passion? No, of course not. It's the passionate people who get things done. They are like magnets to others. Others want to help them reach their goals because of their passion.

"greatness is not possible without passion"

So what is your passion? Have you lost it over the years or did you ever have it? Would you like to know how to find your passion?

First off, here is what deters you from finding your passion....fear, self-doubt and caution.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help determine the areas of your passion:

*What did you want to be as a child?

* What are you good at?

* What do you daydream about?

* What are the things you really enjoy doing?

* What have you always dreamed about doing but never told anyone?

* Who do you envy and why?

And when you think you've identified your passion and you start doing something about it, here's how you will know your on the right track. You will know by the energy you get from it. If you are passionate you won't have any problems with procrastination or lack of energy.

"If you can't put your heart into it,

then find something else"

Eduardo

The easy way to solve problems

Sometimes I just blow myself away with my little discoveries!

I was sitting here at my computer, debating in my mind what my next article would be about. One of the thoughts that crossed my mind was techniques to solve problems. Since we all have problems coming and going in our lives, I thought this would be a uselful subject.

I debated a few ideas and then thinking of my personal motto...Life was meant to be fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance. I decided to test my belief. So I logged onto the internet, went to Google and typed in...an easier way to solve problems. Immediately I got hundreds of pages of sites that will tell me the answers I was looking for.

This got me excited because I started thinking of the possibilities! Next, I typed in...an easier way to get rich. Wow, there must be millions of people on the internet who know an easier way to get rich.

Then I decided to get more practical and typed in my search...an easier way to get fit. Same thing, tons of possibilities. Even mundane things like, an easier way to clean the house or an easier way to wax the car. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Next, I'm going to try...a fun way to ....go to the dentist or a fun way to get my taxes done. Who knows what I'll find. I guess the point here is...

"you always find what you search diligently for"

So amigos, here is my challenge for you. Think of some problem you should deal with and try my simple technique out. Let's see if you can find a viable fun and easy solution. If nothing else you will have a little fun with it.

Eduardo

SEX.....it's exercise...no really!

"A roll in the hay

keeps the coronary away"

3 times a week romp over the course of a year is equal to running 120 kilometers. No I'm not making this up!

The good news comes from The British Heart Foundation. Like all good things there is a caveat...during this form of exercise, there is a very slight risk of a heart attack (if you are not in good condition). Seems like its worth the risk!

Here I thought the British were a stuffy lot. They even have a public campaign underway for the over 50 crowd encouraging them to _________.

It never occurred to me that I would be writing about sex, but what the heck, I'm just concerned about your health.

Eduardo

Now you really have no excuse...get your exercise!

World's greatest beauty tip...revealed!

Yes, it's true....the number one way to make yourself more attractive to the opposite sex is to 'get happy'. Actually, let's correct that sentence...a happy person is attractive to everyone they come in contact with. Really, its so obvious.

We have already established that 'being happy' makes you smarter and now you know, it makes you more attractive. Just makes you want to get jiggy all the time.

If the cosmetics companies could find a way to bottle 'happy' they would make billions. Finally, a product that would work everytime for everybody. I'd buy shares in that!

In case you are wondering, there have been plenty of studies to verify my astute observation. In fact a smiling person is more attractive than a non smiling person (so you can even 'fake it' if you are into that kind of thing). Although, a person who feels genuine happiness is many times more appealing than the one with the forced smile.

Next, the Truthteller will reveal a fun way to get your exercise. I guarantee that you won't even think you are exercising....it's just too much fun!

Eduardo

The Ultimate Beauty Tip!

Ladies....you won't want to miss this!
On Saturday, the Truthteller, will
reveal...The Ultimate Beauty Tip.

Best of all...it's FREE! It won't cost
you one red cent. I guarantee that
men, will find you more attractive.

This is a remarkable discovery!

Did I mention that its FREE!

Is this starting to sound like one of
those infomercials?

Goood,

see you tomorrow...

Eduardo

Get 'BIG MO' on your side!

So have you got a really big task to complete that you have been putting off? Do you want to know a technique to make that job a little easier? Of course you do, and that's why I'm here...

Get 'Big Mo' on your side!

It's a simple technique (and you know I like simple). All you have to do is make a list of small easy to do things (maybe even fun things). Then start doing the easy stuff first. Check off each thing as it is completed. Once you have gone through your list, you will have...

'Big Mo' on your side!

And of course, Big Mo stands for 'Big Momentum'. The feeling of getting things done (even if they are small easy tasks) makes it far easier to tackle the hard difficult stuff.

Glad I could help.

Eduardo

Living in Paradise

While reading my morning paper, I was struck with the frequency and urgency of the articles on the enviornment. It got me thinking that the opportunity for real change has never been as strong. I think we've reached a point of concious awareness that could effect positive changes for our planet.

Then I remembered a song from the 70's by 'The 5 Man Electric Band' that was about an alien visitor's observations concerning what we have on Earth and how we treat it. It's interesting, here's an exerpt...

Im a stranger here on your planet earth
we got the rivers and the mountains
and the valleys and the trees
we got the birds in the sky
we got the fish in the sea
we got the.....
ohhhhhh you crazy fools dont you know you had it made?
you were living in paradise

but take it from one who knows
who knows the gates of heaven can close
I only pray that you take my advice
because paradise wont come twice

well im a stranger here on this place called earth
and I was sent down here to discover the worth
of your little blue planet third from the sun
I think I will go back home where I come from

From "Sweet Paradise" (1973)

have a great weekend.....you crazy fools!

Eduardo

What are you looking at?

The University of Liverpool completed a study that proved that if you show kids images of food, that they tended to over-eat (especially foods with high fat and sugar). Duh! Tell me something every advertiser hasn't known for decades?
I'll bet your ready to eat that dessert right now, aren't you?

So I'm wondering how the other images we see in our daily lives, affect our thoughts and actions. It would only make sense to surround ourselves with happy and positive images. Seems to me that would motivate us to do positive things. Remember the 'Vision Board' I talked about in an earlier article?

So my present for you today, is to release you, to go find a nice chocolate dessert and pig out. You can always blame me, after all I put that darn image right where you would have to see it!

Eduardo

Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?

You don't need brains to be rich

Phew, I'm feeling better after reading about the research that scientists just completed at Ohio State University!

A great mind does not always make for a great fortune. The richest people in the world are apparently no smarter than you and me. In fact the very brightest are more likely to have financial problems.

"the easiest way to double your money
is to fold it in half"

However, being smart does lead to high income, just not 'Warren Buffet' type of money. So you can send the kids off to college, comfortable in the knowledge that they will have a great chance to be high income earners. However, they likely won't become filthy rich. (I wonder what jealous poor guy made up that phrase...filthy rich).

So I guess that leaves us with the question....what does lead to great wealth. The answer seems to be an unshakeable belief in one's ability, a clear goal and plan plus a totally positive attitude.

I wonder if the same thing would apply to happiness?

"always borrow money from a pessimist,

they don't expect to be paid back"

In conclusion, your IQ has really no relationship to your wealth. A little belief, goes a long way!

Eduardo

"a nickel ain't worth a dime anymore" Yogi Berra

When the student is ready....

the teacher will appear!

Just never occurred to me, that the teacher would be a preacher. I pass by this sign on my way to the office each morning. The preacher puts up some great messages. Here's the one he had posted last week....

"if you are flexible enough
you won't get bent our of shape"

Apparently, he's got a sense of humor as well.

Eduardo

And its FREE!

Let the bells ring out,the banners fly tell everyone you know...it's too good to be true!

This blog is now 100 articles old!

I was surprised and pleased this morning when I realized that there was that much content on this site. I've visited a lot of other sites that are somewhat similar and so far haven't found any with this much content. It's been a fun and rewarding experience for me. I've learned a tremendous amount doing the research to write these articles. And I am so grateful and happy that so many have taken the time to read this stuff....thank you!

I feel like that saying on the t-shirt...help I've started talking and can't stop.

My next thought is about the past articles. There was a lot of effort that went into producing them. I hope that you occasionally go back through the archives and give some of them a read. It seems a shame to let a good thought go to waste. Just click on a past month and skim through for something that interest you.

I am looking forward to completing the next 100 articles. Thanks for stopping by!

Eduardo

Find the perfect partner

I came across this old Sufi story about finding the perfect partner...enjoy!

One day Mulla Nasrudin and a good friend took a walk. "I’m getting married on the morrow, Mulla," pronounced his friend very excitedly. "Isn’t marriage wonderful, Mulla! It is quite the best! Have you ever considered getting married, Mulla?" Nasrudin smiled. "In my youth I thought of nothing else. In fact, I so wanted to find the perfect wife I travelled the world searching for her.

In Damascus, I met a beautiful woman who was spiritual, kind and loving, but she had no worldly knowledge. In Isphahan, I met a woman who was kind, loving and worldly, but she was not interested in the spiritual life?""Where did you travel to next?" asked his friend.Nasrudin smiled, "I forget where, but I met a truly beautiful woman who was spiritual, kind, loving and worldly, but she could not communicate well.

Finally, I went to Cairo and there, after much searching, I found the perfect wife. She was everything I had wanted her to be. She was perfect.""Then why did you not marry her, Mulla?"

"Alas," said Nasrudin, shaking his head, "she was, unfortunately, looking for the perfect husband!"

enough said,

Eduardo

A picture is worth a thousand words

My friend you see here in the picture sent me these words of wisdom....

Growing older is mandatory

Growing up is optional

Laughing at yourself is therapeutic!

My guess is, she is living her wisdom.

Eduardo

Talk to a guru

I've been sitting here at my computer looking over some other sites that deal with success, happiness and abundance. It started me thinking what it would be like if I were a guru, sitting on some mountain top. People would scale the mountain, risking their lives to get the opportunity to ask me great questions, like what is the meaning of life. Stuff like that.

So let me play along with you and see what wisdom or lack of wisdom comes up. I'll be the wise guru named Truthteller and you will be The Foolish One . Hey, its my blog, I get to decide who is who!

Foolish One Oh great Truthteller, I have risked my life to climb this mountain.

Truthteller Was it worth it?

Foolish One How would I know, I just got here and haven't heard you answer a question yet?

Truthteller Well then, Foolish One, why don't you ask a question?

Foolish One Ok, I will.....I work hard, and yet I can't seem to accumulate wealth nor happiness.

Truthteller Don't tell me about your problems, tell me about your solutions.

Foolish One If I had solutions, I wouldn't have climbed up this damn moutain to see you.

Truthteller Concentrate on solutions and that is what you will find.

Foolish One I hope they don't pay you to give this kind of advice. What else have you got for me?

Truthteller The answer is within you, all you want is for me to give you a shortcut.

Foolish One You know Mr. Truthteller, the more I think about what you said, the more sense it makes to me. Maybe you're smarter than you look in those dumb robes. By the way, it almost killed me to climb this mountain. I took me 3 days and I'm beaten and bruised. I barely could summon the strength to get here. How the heck did a scrawny little guru like you make it up here.

Truthteller It only took me 20 minutes....I took the gondola ride on the other side of the mountain.

Eduardo

Empowering Beliefs for Success and Happiness

Who knows where we get some of the beliefs that we carry around. Some beliefs limit our happiness and our success. Others hold beliefs that empower them and open doors to abundance.

So what are some of your beliefs?

Do you think you are smart?

Do you think you are creative?

Do you think life is hard and difficult?

Do you think you are loveable?

Just looking at those questions, I'm sure you can see that someone who holds those beliefs in the negative, is destined to life of limitations. And, someone who holds positive beliefs to the questions has a terrific advantage in life.

Here are some beliefs that I hold:

I am good at solving problems.

There's always a solution.

The older I get the more creative I get.

Life was meant to be fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance.

Because I made up that last belief, is the reason this blog exists. I keep looking and finding ways to prove that belief. What if I didn't hold that belief?

The thing with empowering beliefs is that you don't have to let experience or someone else dictate your beliefs. You can make up your own! Even if you are not 100% in total belief of it, just holding that belief means that you will start finding reasons to support it. After awhile, you will totally believe it. So doesn't it make sense to start creating some beliefs that will make your life more abundant and happy?

"you must be the change

you wish to see in the world"

Mohandas Ghandi

"if you don't like your beliefs

change them"

Eduardo

Exercise....it's fun and easy (finally)

You are going to love me for discovering the absolutely easiest, most fun way to get slim and fit....and in the shortest time!

When you are finished reading this article, make sure you copy it and send it to all your friends that don't like exercising. It just doesn't get any easier or more fun than this.

It's called the hula hoop. You remember, we had fun as kids with hula hoops but I'll bet you had no idea just how good a workout it actually is?

According the Cooper Institute, tests show that one minute of hula hooping is equal to running an 8 minute mile! And that 10 minutes of hula hooping is equal to 15 minutes of jogging.

It is far less stressful to the joints not mention a heck of a lot more fun. Other benefits include; make you more agile and flexible, stronger heart, reduce tension and raise your energy level. It can even improve your mental health (and I'm sure you know someone who could use that). One more....it burns 800 calories an hour. Amazing, who knew the childhood toy is about to become the next fitness fad?

Forget the $3,000 bow flex or the $5,000 treadmill, this will only cost you $10

Eduardo's super easy fitness plan! Remember a few posts ago I told you that you got more benefit by exercising just 10 minutes at a time 3 times a day.

http://www.reddeerblog.com/2007/03/exercise-easy-way.html

Well here is the only equipment you need....one hula hoop. You can do it! No more excuses, heck start once a day for 10 minutes and work up (or should I say play) until you can do 3 sessions a day. Crank up the stereo and have some fun. It just doesn't get any easier or more fun than this. Someone even taught the cat in the picture above to hula hoop.

You can even build your own if you want, check this site...

http://www.jasonunbound.com/hoops.html

I've read that a slightly heavier version of the kids hula hoop is better for you.

Brillcream and thick geeky glasses are optional!

Eduardo

P.S. If you are a little out of shape start slow!

The missing secret!

This is why I call this site....Truthteller....

It has become fashionable to write and talk about topics like; The Secret, The law of attraction, positive thinking and positive pschcology. There are many millions of pages on the internet devoted to telling you how (usually for a fee) to manifest your dreams and intentions. Have you ever wondered why it doesn't work for most people?

Me too, but I found the answer!

I suppose I should charge a fee to reveal the secret to the Secret, but you know me, I can't keep quiet long enough to wait for the money to come in. (there is your first hint)

The 'Law of Attraction' is promoted as a way to manifest whatever you give your attention to. As Dr. Norman Vincent Peale used to preach..."what you can conceive and believe, you can achieve". (Old Norman loved those catchy little phrases). And today the same message has been polished up and repackaged for the next generation. Do you know why? Because it works....just not for everyone!

Yes, I'm dragging out my secret, but just to build a little suspence and so that you will appreciate the significance of it. This is called marketing! However, since I'm making nothing out of this, I'll get to the point. The reason most people who get all hyped up on this stuff, don't get what they want is, they don't have....

Infinite patience

I know what you are thinking...who the heck wants infinite patience. We are the instant generation, we want it now. We sure as heck don't want infinite patience. We will pay big bucks to get the information and we want instant results. However, it doesn't work that way.

You must have noticed when you read and heard stories of famous people, with big time achievements, that they usually held onto their dreams for a long time, before they realized them. That's how it works. If you have small dreams, you can manifest them fairly quickly. Big dreams take longer. The little flower shows its beauty every year, the big oak tree takes many years to reach full glory. That's the nature of things.

One more thing (there's always one more thing) . Having infinite patience means that you have total belief and faith that what you intend will and must happen. Without total belief, it's damn hard to have infinite patience.

So the secret to the secret is now yours! And here is your Coles Notes Summary, to getting anything you want.

Step 1. Decide what you want

Step 2. Believe you will have it (visualize it as already yours)

Step 3. Take action on your hunches and intuitions

Step 4. Have infinite patience

Step 5. Give thanks when it is received

Miss one step and you will join the millions of disappointed souls who will be paying for the next success guru that comes around.

Glad I could be here for you!

Eduardo

Hierarchy of Happiness

Here it is the, the sum total of my understanding about happiness. Based on Maslow's 'hierarchy of needs'......I now present......Eduardo's Hierarchy of Happiness.

As you can see from my illustration the further up the chart you move the higher the level of happiness.

This is a work in progress and so is subject to change as I get more feedback or receive more insights. Do you want to join in the fun? I would be most happy to get your insights. I'm appealing to the 'greater intelligence' (that's you).

I will be offering more information to clarify, what the heck I'm talking about later. For now, my poor brain has been strained and requires rest, recreation and a cold drink!

Adios,

Eduardo

P.S. Thanks to David Ambrose, author of "Your Life Manual, Practical Steps to

Genuine Happiness. David correctly reminded me to add 'beliefs'.

Also, thanks to my amigo, Doug Holmes who suggested this exercise in the first place (wait a minute bud.....why am I thanking a guy who put a strain on my brain and caused me many, many hard hours of work)

I get by with a little help....

from my friends. This just in from my amiga Brenda. Obviously, it only pertains to females!

(and its probably good for my health that she lives 800 miles from here)

Eduardo

FREE source of energy!

Another great secret is about to be revealed right here and right now! I'm going to share with you, an absolutely free source of energy, that you can tap into right now. Please don't tell the government or they may want to tax it!

ta dum....drum roll please....

"if you are looking for an immediate energy boost, look for the happiest person in the room"

It's amazing the energy you can pick up from a happy person. It's like they have so much that they don't care if you take a little for yourself. In fact if they see that you are picking up some positive energy from them, then they just want to increase their energy output and give you more.

One caveat, don't bring negative energy around that person or he will flee with his good stuff. You'll be left all by your lonesome with only the others, with negative energy. You know, that 'like attracts like' thing. Hanging out with the negative energy crowd will make everyone feel lower than a snake's belly in a wheel rut pardner! (a little western humor).

Bonus tip.....I'm giving out positive energy everyday at this site, so stop by for a fill up! (no charge)

I'll leave you with some wisdom from some dude named Will Rogers...

"the best way to make fire

from two sticks, is to make sure

that one of them is a match"

Eduardo

P.S. I wrote this article 2 years ago, but thought it relevant after reading a study that concluded that happiness is contageous. Who knew...I was ahead of my time!

Free personality test

I just found this really cool site. It claims to reveal your personality DNA by having you choose from a series of pictures. I found it to be quite accurate and fun. No, I'm not telling you how mine turned out. Go try it out yourself....

http://dna.imagini.net/friends/

and if it turns out that the test reveals you to be; a happpy unrealistic dreamer, then scoot on back here because this site is full of that kind of stuff.

Eduardo

P.S. I can not be held responsible if you fail the test!

Give your customers happy...

I recently discovered a great little business online. Their business is selling 'happy T-shirts'. But when you go to their site;

www.happyshirtsonline.com

you get more than happy t-shirt designs. You also get a bunch of articles on happiness and links to great sites like this one. So even if you leave without buying anything, you do get some useful information.

The owner, Debbie from Colorado, USA is having a lot of fun with her concept and I'm thinking there are some ideas on her site that other business's could use. Really what does it cost to add some humor or some interesting information on your site.

I would think that the potential customer will feel a closer bond with your company if you aren't always trying to sell them something.

If nothing else you can buy some cool t-shirts for your company promotions!

Eduardo

It's a sin not be happy!

Listen up, all you sinners! When God created Earth and all its inhabitants he stepped back and said...

"this is good"

He didn't say, "well, this isn't bad for a first try". No he said it was all good. So I'm thinking that everything worked our perfectly for him. And that must have included all of us humans as well.

So it makes sense to me that he wanted us to have everything we desired (ask and ye shall receive). Who amongst us doesn't want to be happy?

So my fellow sinners, I have concluded that it was intended for us to have abundance in all things including happiness. All that is left for us to do is to decide. Decide that you intend to be happy from this moment forward and it must be so.

Now where's that pulpit, when I need it! I think if I had something to pound on it would be more impressive.

Eduardo

P.S. I hope not to have offended any of you religious types.

I have a confession to make

I just had an email from a reader of this site and she accused me of seeing life 'through rose colored glasses'. The implication of course was that I couldn't see reality. It took me all of 2 seconds to realize....she was right!

How could I argue her point, when I have beliefs like....

"reality is nothing more than an

illusion, that might hold you back

from becoming all that you can be"

Actually, I'm feeling pretty good about that comment and as you can see from the picture....rose colored glasses can look pretty cool.

I guess I could argue with her that realistic people are boring and predictable, but that wouldn't be nice (but it would be realistic). Or I could invoke Albert Einstein to come to my aid. Here's what he had to say....

"there are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle. The

other is as though everything is a miracle"

So even the guy with the funny hair and the big brain believed in miracles. As far as I know miracles would not be considered realistic. Albert is on my side!

She also said that most people wouldn't share my overly optimistic attitude about how the world worked? And that I was definately in the minority, as if to imply that those of us that are not part of the herd are some how inferior. I guess I could have replied....

"like birds of a feather

fools flock together"

But then that wouldn't be very nice, so I won't say that. Instead I'll just wish her a happy life, even though I'm sure it hasn't been that way so far for her. Or I could tell her that the sky is always blue in my world but then she would say, "no it's not, its rose colored because of those damn stupid glasses you have on"

Maybe it would be best if I just ignored her email and pretend I never got it!

Eduardo

You are really special..

I've been sitting here thinking about how happy I am that the readership of this blog has grown so dramatically. The thought came to me that I think of each of you readers as 'one in a million'.

Then it occurred to me, that since everyone has a different DNA, we are all different and special in our own way. So I checked to find the world population and found out it is approximately 6.7 billion people. So my amigos.....you are one in 6.7 billion. Out of billions there is only one you. Now doesn't that make you feel special?

"thanks for stopping by for a visit"

Eduardo

The beauty of silence

"all of man's misery derives
from not being able to sit
quietly in a room alone"

Blaine Pascal

We live in a noisy world and for most of us, we have been conditioned to accept the constant din. If its not the TV or the radio, its IPODs and people who won't or can't stop talking. About the only time most people get any quiet is during a holiday that includes being in nature.

So conditioned are we to noise that when we do experience silence, we have the urge to create some noise by turning on the TV or radio. Some people even buy machines that create 'white noise' so that they can sleep at night.

Silence is frightening to people who are constant and compulsive talkers. They have no idea what they are missing or the benefits that come with silence. I'm convinced the reason for this is that when they are silent, they are forced to listen to their own thoughts. Since most people let thoughts enter unfiltered into their heads, they are inundated with negative thoughts and images. Best not to think!

There is in nature, no such thing as empty space or empty time. Whenever silence occurs, thoughts rush in to fill the void. Through meditation you can learn to control the flow of thoughts. But greatness and achievement are lost by rushing to fill the void with noise. In the stillness you can find serenity and connection with a higher intelligence. It is in the silence that the thoughts that can change a life are born.

It takes practice but if you try being alone with your thoughts and control them by only permitting the positve energy thoughts, you will soon become additcted to the silence. The ideas and inspirational thoughts that follow will lift your spirit. You then have the opportunity to become what only you can be..

And if what I said doesn't convince you, remember these words from Mark Twain...

"it is better to keep your mouth closed

and be thought a fool, then to open

your mouth and remove all doubt"

Eduardo

Meet Phil

"a single sunbeam
is enough to drive
away many shadows"

St Francis Assisi

This is Phil, he is one of my amigos! Phil is one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet. You would like Phil, everyone does. Do you know why Phil is so darn likeable, I'll tell you.
In a nutshell (and I like things that fit in a nutshell, especially nuts like Phil) this guy likes everyone, so everyone likes him. Must be the Law of Attraction, everyone is talking about.
Phil has a very amiable quality about him, he really engages people that he meets. He genuinely wants to get to know all about you. He cares not if you are the President or the janitor cleaning the bathroom, Phil is interested in what you have to say.
I decided I could learn from his example. It would be good to be like Phil (well, at least that quality). Phil, I and our other buddy Doug, have great conversations about matters we think of great importance to the world (we think). We often disagree and have opposing views. But darn I still like the guy, after all it's hard to not like someone who likes you. Smart guy that Phil!

I'll bet his attitude is good for his business too.


Eduardo

A moment to remember

One of the most effective ways to improve your mood is to remember a special moment. I've always taken a lot of pictures and occasionaly some videos on holidays and at other special times. I've gotten great memories by looking back at those pictures and videos. This past winter while on vacation in Mexico I did something else that actually serves to help me recall a particular moment that was even more memorable...
One morning I was sitting by myself absolutely enjoying the scene in front of me and thinking to myself, I've just got to make sure I never forget how beautiful and special this moment is....
Not having my camera with me, but having a notepad and pen I made this entry....

I am sitting here on a picture perfect morning, by myself at the resort I am staying at. Although it is early morning the sun has already warmed me so that I am enjoying the shade from two palm trees. A very gently breeze is coming towards me off the ocean and the cooling effect could not be more perfect. I can taste the ocean on my lips and feel the clean air on my skin. It is still early morning and there are no tourists around, I have the the terrace to myself. In front of me is the white sands of the beach and a spectacular view of a big blue ocean with sunlight sparkling on the water. This is 'postcard perfect'.
I am soaking up the sounds of the ocean waves, rolling into the shore and splashing against the beach. I've never really noticed the rhythm of the ocean before. And I'm not sure if I have ever heard a more pleasing and calming sound.
Far out at sea, I can see a shrimp trawler and two jet skis flying across the water. I can also see several of the rental sailboats with their colorful sails and the para sail boats. This is a most peaceful and serene moment.
As I look overhead and above the palm trees, a formation of large birds (Pelicans I think) are gliding by. Occasionaly, I am joined by a few pigeons, always on the look out for anything that might make a morning meal.
This has to be, one of those times that later on, I will say..."this is as good as it ever gets". I have never felt more connected to my surroundings or more at peace with myself. Who knew that I could find such contentment sitting quietly by myself and doing nothing!

When I read that, it puts me back to that exact moment in a way that pictures and even videos can't do because it includes my thoughts and feelings. This is what I call 'happiness on demand'. You should try it when you have one of those memorable moments. I wish I had done it when my son was growing up!

Eduardo

P.S. Please don't accuse me of journaling..... that just wouldn't be manly!

Hurry, be the first to sign up for Happy School

Another get rich quick scheme from Eduardo!

I've been thinking about all the people in this world that are not happy. It occurred to me that a lot of them are rich or at least have more money they need.

So I'm thinking lets set up a "Eduardo's Happy School". The purpose would be to teach people how to be happy. I wonder what they would pay for something wonderful like that. I'll bet parents who have a kid with a real bad attitude would be delighted to ship off little Johnny for a few semesters if they thought he'd come back without that chip on his shoulder and so happy he'll hug his little sister?

And what's the point amassing a fortune if you are not happy? This is the adult group where we make the really big bucks! I've spent all this time and effort writing about this stuff, I may as well write a curriculum and cash in.

I've even developed a school motto, well actually its a quote from Willie Davis....

"If you step on people in this life,

you're going to come back as a cockroach"

Nothing wrong with a little tough love at Eduardo's Happy School. Ok, maybe that was a little too tough, so how about this one...

"Never miss an opportunity

to make others happpy,

even if you have to leave

them alone to do it"

I can see that you are liking this idea. So I will need investors and that amigos is your big opportunity! Send me your life savings and I promise, well no I won't promise, but I will really, really, really try and invest it wisely in my school. And I guarantee we all be fabulously rich beyond our wildest dreams. (actually I can only guarantee that I will be rich beyond my wildest dreams)

"Someone's going to end up really happy

so it may as well be me"

Eduardo

Are we having fun yet?

"we are just as responsible

for the fun we didn't have

as the good we didn't do"

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time! Play is good for creativity and essential to your mental health. It's like a decadant dessert, only its good for you.

If its true that we find what we are looking for, then I've found all the reasons I need to enjoy the weekend coming up. How about you?

Yes, I know what some of you are thinking about me...."its not finding his inner child, that we worried about, it's losing touch with his outer adult"

Smile, it looks really good on you!

Eduardo

This will knock your socks off...

"The meaning of the shared self

is the meaning of wisdom and love"

That was written by the incredible 12 year old girl you see in the picture. But get this list of her accomplishments:

* speaks four languages

*plays the piano

*composes music

*writes poetry

* has written two books (and we are not talking kid books)

* makes major donations to charity

But those aren't the things that are making her world renowned. What she has become most famous for is her paintings. She was recently selected in the top 20 realist painters in the world. Did I say that she is 12 years old! Her name is Akiane Kramark, remember that name because for the next 50 or 60 years you will be hearing a lot about her. She's already been on every talk show worth mentioning, including; Oprah and Larry King.

Akiane says she has met God and that all of this incredible painting and writing is her way to express to the world how God feels about us and how she feels about God. You can go to her website and you should. Here it is... www.artakiane.com

And you can see a bio from the Glenn Beck Show here http://tinurl.com/yxewot

By the way some of her original paintings sell for as much as $1,000,000 yeah, that's right, one million dollars. If you go to her site and see what she has painted you will understand. Since her goal in life is to help people, I'm thinking she is in a pretty good position already to help many, many people.

In case you are wondering, she gets up at 4AM and works for 4-5 hours before she goes to school.

Ok, I'm feeling like an underachiever, but then I haven't met God so maybe there is hope for me yet!

Eduardo

More fun and easy ways to stay young

"we may grow older

but we can be immature forever"

This is just so good! Here are some more ways to stay young and have fun doing it. I challenge you to tell me (honestly) that this is hard in any way? You can thank me later...

*Drink red wine. Just one or two glasses a day will do it. (I could do that with either hand and hardly break a sweat).

*Eat dark chocolate. Not only will it give you an energy boost but it will lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol. (that's why the women in the picture are jumping for joy)

* Have sex. Yes it is exercise, more so for some than others. Many other benefits. (thats why the men were jumping for joy, you just can't see them because the jumped right out of the picture)

*Visit this site often. (I don't want to find out that you've been doing things the hard way, that's what I'm here for)

Eduardo

A little inspiration

A friend sent this to me, it's one of those emails that promises that all your dreams will come true if you send it to enough people. So in the interest of testing the theory and keeping an open mind I'm going to post it here. The email said I should send it to more than 15 people, so this should blow that figure out of the water. And of course there is some good thoughts in it....so excuse me while I go check and see if my new convertible is in the driveway?

*give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully

*marry a man/woman you love to talk to

*don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want

*When you say "I love you" mean it.

*When you say "I'm sorry" look them in the eye.

*Never laugh at someone's dream.

*Love deeply and passionately

* In disagreements, fight fairly

*when someone asks a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask,"why do you want to know (I like that one)

*when you lose, don't lose the lesson

*don't let a little dispute injure a friendship

*when you make a mistake, fix it

*smile when you pick up the phone, the caller will hear it in your voice

*spend some time alone (you never know what great ideas might pop into that skull of yours)

"a true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart"

Eduardo

P.S. If this works and all my dreams come true in the next short while, I have a plan to share it with you. For a small fee, I'll post this in your name and then all your dreams can come true as well. On second thought why wait, send me a small fee (or a big one) and be first in line. Have a wonderful day!

Do you need deprogramming?

Had a conversation with a friend this morning in which we discussed among other things, the way we are programmed first as kids and then as adults. We reached the conclusion, that it is no wonder we have so many messed up minds on this planet. The programming we usually receive is negative and very limiting.

Driving back to my office, I pondered what it would be like if we could find a grumpy negative person and kidnap them for the purpose of deprogramming them. You know that kind of person who is always complaining about some injustice and yet does little or nothing about it. Sure it's illegal to kidnap someone against their will but it would be for their own good?

The purpose of the deprogramming session would be to make them aware that they have been running on automatic. To make them conscious that life can be fun, easy, and over-flowing with abundance. By the time we were done with them they would leave with a big goofy grin and be laughing, dancing and smiling their way down the street. They would be super positive people willing to take on any worthy challenge. And as new converts I think they would be trying to convince others of the merits of their new found happiness and if not, then recommend them for deprogramming as well.

Now that is what I call a great daydream!

Eduardo

P.S. I've even heard of people who were programmed to cheer for the New York Yankees and some to even cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs......isn't that sad?

How do I get started?

I've been asked quite a few times, how do I get started? It doesn't matter whether the question had to do with, how to be happy or how to achieve some great goal in life. The answer is always the same....

Make a decision!

It seems to me that we have this inborn tendancy to want to think that things have to be difficult. That just isn't so! When I started this blog, I started with the premise that life was meant to be fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance. I thought if I started with that premise that it would naturally lead me to answers to support that belief. That is exactly what I am finding. Everyday I seem to find more ways to make life more fun, easy, and abundant. I guess what I continually look for is what I keep finding. Cool huh?

So getting back to the original question of how to I get started, decide! Some of you have problems deciding, because you start thinking of all the reasons why your decision might be wrong. Its good to do a little critical thinking however its better to just get started. If you find that what you started isn't working....change it. If you keep making adjustments, you must eventually get to where you are going. If you do nothing, you are guaranteed to stay exactly where you are now. Isn't that simple?

When I started this blog, one of my intentions was for it to become very successful and attract a ton of readers. The best thing I did was to just decide to get it started. Since I first started blogging I have made changes to my format and my content. I will continue to make any changes I feel will improve it. So far things are going really well and it is growing faster than I first thought it might. If I were to start over, I would do some things differently however I have no regrets as it has been a wonderful learning experience. I expect to make many changes as I continue down this path and if any of you have suggestions, I would love to hear them.

So what's that big idea you have been sitting on? You know what to do.....decide something, anything just decide! Get started and don't worry if its the best way, just get things moving. Start collecting ideas and ask yourself, who can help? I've had help from others on this blog and that has been a blessing. And I'll need your help if this is to continue to grow. I need your ideas and suggestions and you to recommend this site to others.

mucho gracias amigos!

Eduardo

A life so beautiful.....

"when you have enough beautiful thoughts, you invariably have a beautiful life"

It also seems to me that, the more beauty you can see in life, the easier and more fun your life becomes. Expect to find beauty in everything and you won't be disappointed.

I can think of three reasons why we don't see beauty.

The first is a lack of appreciation. I have noticed that those who appreciate everything the most see a different world than the rest. Those who have little appreciation in their lives see a less colorful and vibrant world. They become caught up in jealousy, envy and blame. They see problems, restrictions and all kinds of reasons...why not, and miss the beauty of life.

The second reason for not seeing beauty is being in too much of a hurry. Finding beauty requires that you slow down. Here is a story I read about this morning. In Chicago a paper commissioned a violinist by the name of Joshua Bell to play in the subway to see if his music would be appreciated. Joshua happens to be considered one of the worlds best. As people streamed by him, they thought he was a busker (if they noticed him at all). Joshua over a 2 hr period and with over 1,000 people passing him by got $32 in tips ($20 came from one person who recognized him). Joshua gets paid $1,000 a minute when he plays in concert halls. Talk about not being appreciated. Those who pay to see him perform say his music can bring tears to your eyes, he is that good. So there you have proof that if you don't slow down you won't appreciate the beauty.

The third reason for not appreciating beauty is when we compare our world to that of others who have more.

And what if you want to expand your appreciation of beauty? The easiest way is find someone with a passion for something, anything. Through their passion you will quickly be shown the beauty. My son has an amazing passion for certain cars where as I've most seen them as mostly utilitarian. No longer, now I've come to appreciate the beauty of some of those magnificent engineering accomplishments. See, he's got me talking differently as well as seeing and appreciating cars in a whole new way! My life is just a little bit richer by seeing what he sees.

Now go and have some beautiful thoughts...

Eduardo

The view up here is incredible!

A lot of crappy stuff happens to a lot of good people! And these people have a lot of different ways of processing the crap that happens in their lives.

Some of this crap that piles on top of people might include; guilt, hurt, betrayal, disappointment, jealousy, loss, and even just plain old bad luck. I'm sure you can think of more negative stuff that I haven't mentioned.

When this stuff piles on top of you, the tendency is to dwell on this bad stuff and that just mulitplies it in your mind. The pile gets bigger and bigger until it is the proverbial mountain and that mountain is on top of you!

This may sound overly simplistic (and it is) however at some point you are either going to be buried alive under a mountain of crap or you have to decide to get out and find some sunshine in your life. The moment you decide to find the sunshine again you start scaling the mountain of negativity.

Climbing mountains is not easy, sometimes you slide back and have to pick yourself up and start anew. But there is a reward! When you conquer the mountain, the view is incredible. Every once in a short while I read about people that conquered their mountain of negativity and they have the most wonderful and inspiring stories. Somehow at the top of the mountain the air is a little cleaner, the sun a little warmer and the serenity comforting. With the view comes understanding and compassion for those still buried beneath the mountain.

Ahh, but when these freed souls see someone who has decided to get out and climb their own mountain, they are the perfect choice to help them. Their experience is invaluable!

One more thing, those that scale their mountain have a much greater appreciation for all the good things in life. They have seen both the highest high and the lowest low. So in their own way they have been blessed.

Eduardo

Clear as mud

Dear Eduardo (if that is your real name and you really do exisit)

What the heck do you mean when you say life was meant to be over-flowing with abundance? Tell me what you mean by abundance?

Sincerly,

Some cyber fool

Well, cyber fool, I define abundance in 6 areas, and they are;

*health

*wealth

*happiness

*spiritual satisfaction

*wisdom

*love

Try to think of them as spokes on a wheel. If just one of them is in short supply then your wheel is not going to operate smoothly. And thats how you life is when one component is broken, it makes for an unpleasant trip.
So the effect is that everything else has to shortened so that the spokes are the same. Now your wheel is smaller and the wheel is a metaphor for your life. The bigger your wheel the bigger is your world. After all, you always wanted to be a big wheel didn't you?

Because I have a short attention span you might have noticed that I write fairly short articles. So cyber fool, I will go into more detail on each part of the abundance wheel at a later date.

"all that I have, I deserve.

All that I will ever have, I deserve"

Eduardo

Secret to becoming irresistable

I should be charging for this information! In the wrong hands, this could be used for nefarious, and devious purposes. So I'm going to have to demand that you promise to use this knowledge only for good.

These are the steps to becoming irresitable...

1) Think and active positive. An upbeat positive person attracts and a negative and down person repels.

2) Show tons of appreciation. Everyone loves to feel appreciated. Go beyond the norm and show appreciation even when its service you paid for.

3) Smile and laugh abundantly. Its the biggest magnet you have at your disposal.

And now for the really good secret to making you irrisitable....

If its women you want to find you irresistable.....Be open and share. By that I mean, women love to share feelings and if a man opens up and shares his innermost feelings, you are guaranteed to be a hit. If you can work up a tear or two.....that's a home run!

If its a man you want to find you irresistable.....buy the beer (and not the cheap stuff either)!

And that amigos, is the wisdom of Eduardo!

Inspiring story you should read

Have a look at these two wild and crazy grandpas. Do you see what they are building? Yep, it's to be a flying car!
Vernon Porter and Clarence Kessell are 72 and 7o years young respectively. They are intent on doing what hasn't been done. These two retirees are working in their backyard shop in Texas to make a vision come true. A flying car...how cool is that?
So what idea or dream have you been sitting on? Come on admit it, these young (at heart) whipper snippers have shamed you into action, right? It's never too late is the lesson here.

"reality is nothing more than an illusion
that holds you back from becoming all
that you know you can be"

I wonder which one is going to be the test pilot? I can just hear the conversation..."you go ahead Clarence you are a lot younger and anyway I'm saving myself for the first ride in the spaceship we're going to build next year"

Eduardo

You laugh at me...

"you laugh at me because
I am different,
I laugh at you because
you are all the same"

I've had a few times in my life when people looked at me or some of things that I've done, like I came from another planet. (that might be true)

It amazes me that we have this herd mentality that wants to constantly define what is normal. Mostly we seem to feel safe if everything is bland and the same. Anything or anyone who doesn't meet our internal image of normal, (some) have a tendency to redicule and reject.

And yet the truth is that, it is usually those who don't meet our normal standards who do the really great things in this world. They are the artists, the builders and the inventors. They are ones who end up inspiring the masses. Look at Jesus, they nailed him to a cross because he was preaching a different belief (love). That just wasn't normal!

So since its Easter I've been giving some thought about the meaning to me. My inspiration for this weekend is open my mind and heart to those who are different. Actually, that's not that hard (you haven't met my friends).

Happy Easter amigos!

Eduardo

I've lost touch with reality...and you should too!

"reality is nothing more than an illusion that if believed can prevent you from becoming great"

I've been thinking about all the people in this world that do the really amazing things. As an example let's consider Bill Gates from Microsoft. This guy is in his 40's and is one of the richest men in the world. No question he is one smart dude but still he's no Einstein. He invented a software program to run computers and turned it into one the largest corporations on the planet. I'm thinking when he was a kid his peers saw him as a weak little geek. His greatness was not evident. I can picture his Dad saying to his buddies, "gee, I wish Billy could at least throw a baseball as well as his sister". Meanwhile little Billy is playing with his electronics dreaming of the day he will rule the world with his computer. Billy was totally out of touch with reality.....or was he? Apparently, not! And that is my point, that if everyone made decisions based on so called reality, not many really great things would ever get invented or created. You have to give up reality to do great things.

"a realist is just a pessimist who doesn't want to admit it"

Realists don't take chances, they don't step out onto the limb. They like safety and they find that safety in the herd. They work hard and with luck can even get rich slowly. Mostly they are boring and predictable. They don't like people who have lost touch with reality. And when others reach greatness they attribute it to luck, genes or good timing. They like their world to be organized and safe.

Realists are not artists, inventors or billionaires. They are also not writers or great original thinkers. Don't get me wrong, we need realists. They are quite willing to do the jobs that those of us that have lost touch with reality don't want to do. Most realists are quite willing to put off real fun until after work or after retirement. Trouble is that by the time they retire they have forgotten how to have fun. Realists lost touch with their inner child when they turned 12.

So here's to realists....I salute you...you make it possible for the dreamers of the world to lose touch with reality and have all the fun!

P.S. I'm thinking this won't offend to many of the readers of this post. My guess is that if you read this kind of stuff, you lost touch a long time ago! Cheers amigos.

Eduardo

Finally, a cure for job boredom

Young people are just so damn smart these days! I just read a story about this 25 year student with a degree in Business Administration who came up with the perfect career plan for young people like him. Are you ready for this....it's called the One week job!

Sean Aiken couldn't decide what or where he wanted to work so he set up a website called oneweekjob.com and asked business owners to hire him for one week so that he could try out some different vocations. Wouldn't you know it, he got jobs. Here are a few 'one week jobs' he has tried so far:

Assistant at a bungee-jumping company

an intern/co host for a Vancouver TV Station

a snowshoe guide

a head coach with Volleyball BC

a columnist with a tabloid newspaper

a florist

So how cool is that? So now I'm thinking what if he wants to date? How about a website called 'oneweekdate.com' And what if he wants to try out marriage.........hmmmm.

Eduardo

Take a vacation, it's good for your heart and your job

"holidays are good for you and for your employer"

A study by New York University and University of Pittsburgh found that vacationers who returned from holidays tested better for alertness and where more productive (that makes your boss happy).

They also found that you would be 20 per cent less likely to have a non- fatal heart attack and 35 per cent less likely to die from coronary disease that those poor slobs who stayed at work. (good for your heart)

One more thing, they found vacationers enjoyed on average one more hour of sleep.

So I'm thinking if we took say, 3 major holidays a year, that would mean a 100% less chance of dying from a coronary disease. And think how happy the bosses would be if the workers were 3 times as sharp.

So for a healthier heart...exercise daily, eat nutritious foods, stay hydrated (with margaritas I presume) and take lots and lots of vacations.

See I told you.....Life was meant to be fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance!

Eduardo

Why you should play at work?

"when life is no longer fun,
it becomes just plain work"

Truth is, a fun work environment is good for a lot of things including: encouraging creativity, improved labor relations, employee retention and increased productivity.

"play lowers our inhibitions, opening us up so that we won't supress novel ideas"

Some people are just terminally serious and if given the chance squeeze the joy out of going to work. The are bad for morale and productivity. You should fire them asap!

"a happy attitude is best set by the leader who chooses to have fun"

There are hundreds of ways to have fun at work. Try setting up a humor board where you post jokes and cartoons etc. You could have costume dress up days. Hold a meeting outside in the summer time. And my personal favourite.....get rid of disagreeable people.

"most workers would sooner have their hours cut, then their salaries increased"

That tells you, they sure aren't having much fun on the job?

Eduardo

We learn like Monkeys?

They are calling this one of the most important neuroscientific breakthroughs in recent history?

So what is all the fuss about? It seems we learn most things the same way as this charming guy in the picture. The reason is we both have 'mirror neurons' in our brains.

In other words we both learn by watching someone else and we learn just as well by watching as we do by doing. The behavior of others is irresitable to our unconscious mind.

This explains why achievement or stupidity can run throught the same family or group. Now I understand 'mob mentality'. And more importantly why we shouldn't just watch people but instead we should watch the experts. So I'm guessing if you hang around with negative grumpy people you will quickly master their tendencies.

The implications for sports training and those looking for success are immense. Hang out with losers and you will have that mastered in no time. Hang out with winners and here comes the new mansion on the hill. Hang out with happy people and life will be a blast.

Now if you will excuse me I'm going to look for people who find life, fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance!

Eduardo

Did you know that happy people are smarter?

Recent scientific studies in the field of neuroscience have revealed this...

Happiness is associated most heavily with the left (i.e. logical) side of the brain, while anger is associated with the right (emotional, non-logical) side of the brain.
Furthermore, studies suggest that certain people's ability to see life through rose-colored glasses links to a heightened left-sided brain function. A scrutiny of brain activity indicates that individuals with natural positive dispositions have trumped up activity in the left prefrontal cortex compared with their more negative counterparts. "

In other words, happy people are better able to think logically.

So people who react with anger, rage and jealousy are just not using their brains. And these ladies were'nt being goofy, they were actually using their brains in an accelerated and highly logical manner.....who knew?

Eduardo

5 Second business course

"Always make your performance
greater than your applause"

Ok, I lied that only took 2.5 seconds


Eduardo

Good news for the environment!

Since we are being bombarded with disaster stories concerning the environment, I thought you might like to know about three technological advances that are being developed which should ease your mind...

The first, is the compressed air car you see pictured. It is being developed by the French company MDI. It runs on compressed air and gives off zero polution. It is safe and inexpensive. The cost to fill the compressed air tank is about $3.00 It is in production now and should be available in North America next year. This won't replace your BMW or your truck but it would make an excellent city commuter or second car. As the technology improves it will be available in larger vehicles.

The second is the printed solar panels I posted about here..http://www.reddeerblog.com/2007/01/imagine-consequences.html

The main point is solar panels at about 25% of todays cost.

The third and most important item, is a billion dollar project by the British to build a new type of nuclear plant. The exisiting nuclear plants are fission, the new plants will be fusion. The main difference is that the byproduct of fission plants is radioactive waste. The fusion plants by comparison produce very small amounts of low grade radioactive waste making them much safer and better for the environment. The amount of energy produced from a fusion plant is one million times that from burning oil or coal. Pretty impressive stuff.

So there you have it, the money grabbing corporations are going to save us. So now we can go back to our business of making our lives; fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance!

Eduardo

How to stay young the fun easy way!

It's really quite simple...

1. Play I don't remember who said this but it is so true....We don't cease to play because we grow old. We grow old because we cease to play. I don't care whether you play golf, tiddly winks or just get on the floor and play with the kids. It's essential for your mental health to play as much as possible.

2. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until your belly hurts. Hang out with others who like to laugh. And stay away from negative grumpy people, they suck the energy and life right out of you.

3. Learn to love and appreciate all that you have. Probably, this should be number one on the list. Start giving gratitude as a habit and you will feel lighter. We as a society have lost touch with reality. We live in the most affluent society in the world and yet we complain because we don't have enough. One trip to parts of Africa would cure you for good!

4. Take care of your body, it's the only one you will get! If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. It it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

5. Surround yourself with the positive things you love. Family, friends, pets, music, plants, hobbies, pictures....your home is your refuge, make it the best it can be.

6. Stay connected. To nature, to loved ones and to your dreams.

7. Always be the student. There is little that makes you feel more alive than to learn something new. Never let the brain get idle. You've heard that saying....An idle mind is the devil's workshop. And the devil's name is Alzheimers!

8. Don't sweat the small stuff because it's all small stuff.

9. Tears happen! Endure, grieve and move on. The only person who is with you, your entire life is yourself. You owe it yourself and to those you love to.....Live while you are alive!

10. Tell everyone you love how much you love them and do it often!

If you have any other ideas on this subject, I would love to hear them?

And there is this from some wise guy, named...Plato

"he who is calm and happy nature

will hardly feel the pressure of age"

Plato

Eduardo

7 Steps to Happy!

Most phychologist have long stated that we are born with a happiness 'set point'. That meant that we could win the lottery and a year later they could come back and test an individual and usually found the person at the orginal level of happiness. Conversely (and this amazed me) a person could become a quadraplegic and a few years later they were usually back at the happiness set point. That's some strong programming we were born with!

Recently, in the new field of 'Positive Physcology' it has been demonstrated that it is quite possible to change your set point. Here are the seven techniques most recommended (your Cole's Notes version)

Choose Happiness As Abe Lincoln said, "people are about as happy as they make up their mind to be". For various reasons, some of us decide (usually through guilt or fear) that we want to hang on to all the negative crap we've accumulated. But if you want to improve your level of happiness, it is pretty obvious that you need to make a conscious decision to up the ante.

Gratitude Learning to be happy with what you have and not postponing happiness until you get some material thing or reach some goal. In a recent study the test subjects were asked to think of 3 positive things that had happened in their day before they went to sleep at night. Every single person tested, moved their set point upwards. And almost everyone found it so effective and pleasureable that they continued the process long after the study was over.

Forgive I've already written about why forgiveness is so powerful.

Be aware of negative thoughts and feelings These are big time happy killers. Some people can get so wrapped up in their feelings of being mistreated that they make the injustice totally out of whack with reality. Let them go!

Friends People who report having good friends to socialize and have personal conversations with are always happier. It takes effort to have good friends and it is so worth that effort for your happiness and your health.

Meaningful activities This one is for those of us who want to reach even higher levels of happiness than most people. Helping others by way of giving your time, effort and perhaps sharing some of your wealth can bring you levels of authentic happiness not previously experienced.

See being happy is fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance.

Eduardo