Question and Answer

Gretchen Rubin: Do you work on being happier? If so, how?

Gabriella Blair:

I guess I work hard on anything that's important to me, and happiness tops every list. Over the past few years, I've realized how much of me feeling happy is a choice. I'm still just figuring it out, but I try my best to make that choice every hour of every day. When I'm feeling negative emotions, I take responsibility for them and acknowledge that I can actively choose to feel happier that very minute. That very minute! How empowering is that?

I can usually create a clean slate in my mind if I sit still for a moment and offer up a quick, silent prayer. I try to envision how I would be behaving if I was happy. Then I do my best to behave that way. It sounds simple, but most of the best ideas in life are!

Really, life is so much more enjoyable when I'm happy. It makes my skin glow, too.

(from: Gretchen Rubin's Blog "The Happiness Project") www.happiness-project.com

An Hour a Day

"An hour a day keeps the dirt at bay."

Source unrecorded

Bounce Back - Idea 10 - Realize You're Not Alone

"The human spirit is remarkably resilient. We fall down - or get knocked down - yet somehow, most of the time, we manage to bounce back. But it can be hard.

When disappointments crowd in on you, sometimes you feel so alone, and so unable to go on. But when you look within yourself, way down deep inside, you come to the realization that you're really not alone."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrnXbCd9kmw&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 9 - Learn From the Hard Times

"Be glad for the challenges that come into your life. They're difficult to appreciate when you're trying to deal with them. But those are the very times when you grow.

Life is a series of good things and not so good things, and you need the bad to appreciate the good. Hard times build character. Negative events become positive lessons that better equip you to cope with future trials.

And it's during the hard times that you really get to know yourself. You are forced to look closer at yourself to find the hidden reserves of strength it takes to overcome adversity.

No person or thing can make you happy. You have to find happiness and joy within yourself."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUYiWjEyFxc&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 8 - Accentuate the Postive

"The way you look at a situation has a lot to do with how you respond to it. It's the old question og "Is the glass half-full or half-empty?" A little creative thinking and a conscious effort to see things in a positive way can often turn your attitude around.

Ordinary things like a flower, a sunrise, or a friend's smile can become a source of great happiness if we take time to look at them in a positive way.

When the ordinary becomes extra-ordinary... a stumbling block becomes a stepping stone."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqEXZ5jNtaU&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 7 - Talk to Your Family

"Talking about your problems is a good way to Bounce Back... especially when you can share them with people who care about you. It might be a close friend or someone in your own family.

Your family loves you. They care about what happens to you... and often want to help. Sometimes even close families have problems communicating, so be careful to choose the right moment to talk. If it doesn't work the first time, try again... and again. Remember, communication often takes practice, so be patient. Developing good communication with your family can be a great source of comfort when the going gets tough."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieXNnYXuA3s&feature=colike

Bounce Back - Idea 6 - Get a Move On

"Don't put your life on hold waiting for your hopes and dreams to come true. Just because life has "cheated" you out of something you thought you deserved, doesn't mean you have an excuse for not living up to your potential.

There are many exciting possibilities, so many wonderful things to do and learn.

Each life is precious. It's far too valuable to waste just sitting around. The more you do nothing, more powerless you feel, and the more you feel that life is living you instead of the other way around."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHh0jW6We84&feature=colike