As long as we remember that rewards are not only financial
A 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…
Men’s and women’s satisfaction in relationships is equally important to predicting happiness
Keeping 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…
While criticism may sometimes be necessary, it is much more important to feed each other’s need for love and appreciation
Saint 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…
The quest for meaning is the most important journey we will ever experience
Perhaps 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…
There’s nothing more significant than living with meaning
There’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…
Celebrating the small wins in life will make you happy in no time
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…
Start by being honest about yourself and being open to change
Living 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…
Empathy and kindness are key to feeling connected for couples, says expert
Want a romantic relationship that makes you happy? It helps to think about the “we” rather than the “me,” according to new research. Instead of focusing only on what’s in it for you, it’s wiser to think about what’s good for the relationship, said study lead Adam Galovan, a family scientist in the University of…
GDP measures everything, except that which makes life worthwhile
U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy once said, "GDP measures everything, except that which makes life worthwhile." In 1968, Kennedy thoroughly understood that GDP was an inadequate measure of a nation's prosperity. And yet today, more than a half-century after Kennedy's observation, the world continues to use Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the measure of a nation's…
Positive, hard workers are in high demand. And it’s easier to be dedicated to a meaningful cause
Bengali poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore made a profound statement about finding your purpose in life: “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” This seems contradictory to much of what we hear about finding happiness. The consumption-driven media continually…