NewsBreak Original

I was a Freshman in high school when my parents first gave me cell phone, a small silver pay-by-the-minute flip phone that I was to use to call them after basketball practice, or in case of emergency.

"You live a very happy life," said one of my coworkers, as he looked at the pictures I’d recently hung in my office. There was Chase and I on New Year’s Eve, Chase smiling widely and me planting a giant kiss on his freshly shaven cheek. There was me with a group of friends in Chicago at a Fitz and the Tantrums concert, me with college teammates, my parents, Chub-Chub, Chase again, my in-laws, me and my best friend TayLORE. I was smiling in each photo, because that’s what you do when you know your picture is about to be taken. Nobody frowns as their aunt says, “Say cheese!” Nobody scowls for the Christmas card photo, nobody cries as they hug their fiancé on New Year’s, even if that’s what they feel like doing.

In a book I read when I was very young, the author wrote about the “wheel of life.” Sometimes you’re at the top, but you’ll always come back down. And if you’re at the bottom, you have nowhere to go but up. It’s not that profound, but it’s true.

Want to know the secret to happiness? It is not as difficult to find as you may think. Unbeknownst to many of us, we carry the secret with us all the time. We only need the key to unlock it to make it a reality.

Finland has been voted the happiest country in the world for five straight years. Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and the Netherlands follow closely behind. The United States is certainly known for being in pursuit of happiness but considering the overwhelming population percentages with labels of clinically depressed, I am not sure we are succeeding. Dr. Laurie Santos developed an entire course at Yale University that explores misconceptions about happiness, the features of our minds that lead us to think the way we do, and advice to make changes.

Author's personal experience with meditation in motion. Picture of the author during a 10-mile run on the American River Parkway, Sacramento, CALeilani Dunmoyer, my runner friend.

**This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events that I have experienced firsthand; used with permission. So many people say, “I just want to be happy.” But what does that really mean? And is happiness the most important thing in a relationship?

People who are not married have different values than married people do. They care more about expressive and individualistic experiences such as creativity, freedom, trying new things, and having fun. People who embrace those kinds of post-materialistic values, regardless of their marital status, are happier. But married and unmarried people do not benefit equally from such values. People who are not married get more happiness out of the valuing of freedom, creativity, trying new things, and having fun than married people do.

Everyone wants to be happy with themselves. Our physical health, including fitness and exercise also significantly impacts our level of happiness. Everyone wants to be happy and things to know.

If you love yourself it’s easy but you must be aware of your actions. Have Fun, Relax and Enjoy Life, not only WorkRob Hourmont. With my coaching, I talk with a lot of people daily on- and offline. 90% struggle to find a good, healthy, and happy work-life balance.

**This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events that I have experienced firsthand; used with permission. There is such a thing as grieving for a relationship. Whether it’s the end of a long-term relationship or even a short-term relationship that was very meaningful during its time, there’s usually a period of time for mourning what could have been, what would have been, or what we think should have been.

**This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events that I have experienced firsthand; used with permission. Do you ever have those moments where you get totally bogged down by the relationship upkeep required to maintain a functioning, healthy relationship?

Having always stay positive and being hopeful can feel really frightening. But as with most things in life, little steps can add up to big changes. I talked last week about how I am letting go of negativity in my life and embracing more positivity. But how?

Every step is a chance to learn more about yourself and the world around you. No matter how small, every achievement is a victory, and every failure teaches you what not to do next time. It’s okay to have goals and dreams—just make sure they aren’t fueled by fear of what other people think about you or the need for false validation. Otherwise, those goals will never be enough for a fulfilling life.

Can the state you live in impact your stress level? The answer may surprise you!. WalletHub compared the 50 states and found some scored higher in stress than others. Four main factors were observed: work, money, family, and health-and-safety related stress.

“The distinction between historian and poet is not in the one writing prose and the other verse… the one describes the thing that has been, and the other a kind of thing that might be. Hence poetry is something more philosophic and of graver importance than history, since its statements are of the nature rather of universals, whereas those of history are singulars.” — Aristotle, On Poetics.

I have always thought it made more sense that our ultimate goals in life were more about being happy than attempting to achieve perfection. Instead of worrying about whether we look like a success to others, what if we gauge our success by how happy we are and ask ourselves what needs to change for us to be truly content. In the article, 10 Tips for a Happier and Smarter Life, author Sadhguru says, “At present, the quality of your life is not determined by the clothes that you wear, the educational qualifications that you carry, the family background that you come from or the bank balances that you hold. Rather, the quality of your life depends upon how peaceful and joyous you are within yourself. Do you think the man who is driving the car is happier than the man who is walking on the street? No. It is not decided by what you have. All those people who depend on external situations to be happy will never know true joy in their lives. It is time we look inward and see how to create personal wellbeing.”

We have one vehicle, and when we are all together it’s pretty full. But most days it only holds my dear hubby, as he drives it away and leaves us home with no wheels. Many people are surprised when they find out that we have only vehicle, and even more bewildered when they learn that, except for the first four months of our marriage, we have always lived this way.

A woman who couldn't walk again after an accident refused to be diminished by living her life in a wheelchair. She found a great way to travel and see the most beautiful places in the world. And she did it in the arms of her loving partner.

Distrust, dishonesty, and jealousy are relationship destroyers. I’ve had a few relationships in my time, primarily two. One long-term marriage of 18 years, which was good until it wasn’t during the last 2 years, and we finally divorced.