Want to be healthy and happy? Get married

Want to be healthy and happy? Get marriedThere is a correlation between a good marriage, early detection of illness, faster physical recovery, and better overall health Marriage proposals on Valentine’s Day used to be a thing. Today, not so much. These days, many Canadians tell pollsters they think marriage is nice, but not necessary. Although marriage remains the most common family form,…

The key to dealing with life’s challenges

The key to dealing with life’s challengesOur ability to respond effectively to life’s challenges has a great deal to do with our beliefs For many of us, January first is a good time to reassess our progress in life and set goals for the year ahead. Looking back, we see that some things have gone very well while others have not.…

Put in the effort, and you will be rewarded

As long as we remember that rewards are not only financial

Put in the effort, and you will be rewardedA simple principle of work seems to have been forgotten by many: those who put in the extra effort are eventually well rewarded. As consumers, we know this is true. We prefer to spend our money where we will get good service and value and where we know that we are respected. Employees who say…

New research dispels ‘happy wife, happy life’ stereotype

Men’s and women’s satisfaction in relationships is equally important to predicting happiness

New research dispels ‘happy wife, happy life’ stereotypeKeeping a romantic relationship healthy takes work – and the burden doesn’t just rest on women, according to a new University of Alberta study. When mixed-gender couples were asked about their relationships, men’s satisfaction levels were found to be just as significant as those of their female partners in predicting their future happiness together, the…

The expansive power of positive words

While criticism may sometimes be necessary, it is much more important to feed each other’s need for love and appreciation

The expansive power of positive wordsSaint Teresa of Calcutta said, “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” No matter who we are, we like to be appreciated. And being complimented can inspire us to greatness. As a teacher, I know how important it is to compliment students. Criticism quickly loses its effectiveness and…

Saying yes to life means living with decency

The quest for meaning is the most important journey we will ever experience

Saying yes to life means living with decencyPerhaps the most essential key to happiness is to find meaning in our lives. What’s meaningful depends on who each of us is as a person. Some find meaning in their families, others in their work, others by bearing the burdens of life with courage, and others find it in spiritual and artistic pursuits. Meaning…

How to maximize the meaning in our lives

There’s nothing more significant than living with meaning

How to maximize the meaning in our livesThere’s nothing more significant than living with meaning. This is the concept pondered by the Jewish psychiatrist Viktor Frankl as he struggled to remain alive for three years in Nazi concentration camps. Frankl established the groundwork for his psychological theory on the importance of finding meaning in life before he was sent to Auschwitz. He…

How can I be happy with what I have?

Celebrating the small wins in life will make you happy in no time

How can I be happy with what I have?There will always be conversations within our minds that dictate our words and actions and how we perceive the world. The things we tell ourselves have the power to raise us to the greatest heights or plummet us to the deepest depths. It can be argued that there’s nothing so telling regarding our success as…

Five steps to living a more authentic life

Start by being honest about yourself and being open to change

Five steps to living a more authentic lifeLiving a happy life is everyone’s goal. Who doesn’t want to feel good about themselves? Yet many of us live a life of self-doubt, feeling undeserving or incapable, or wishing we were walking another path. But wishing you were living a different life won’t make it happen. And others (even if they love you) can’t…
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