Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Article written by Alex Blackwell. Connect with me on Facebook.

Life can be unpredictable and can often disappoint when it does not follow our plan. Jobs are lost, marriages end and people become ill and die before we thought we would lose them. However, faith tells us there can meaning to everything that happens; and there can even be meaning for the things which seem to happen only to us when we choose not to simply survive life, but to live it with passion.

Our lives happen quickly. I turned 47-years-old a few days ago and this birthday has hit me particularly hard. The awareness my life is likely more than half over and my 50s will be here before I know it, has given me reason to take an account of how I want to spend the time I have left.

My plan isn’t to simply survive this time, but to take my remaining years and make them the best yet. The things I have learned about myself, as well as the things I wish I had never learned, all point to one simple, but powerful truth for me: No matter what has happened, or what will happen, my life is more fulfilling when it is lived with passion.

Passion for what I believe; passion to be the best person I can be and an endless passion for my wife and the love we share all provide the power to look at what’s ahead with hope and excitement. When bad things happen and times become tough, it is how we adapt to change that will keep our hearts open and free to live with passion – no matter what.

Ten Truths of Change

Change in our lives can be an unwelcome guest, but when change is over and has left, we can be in a better place than before its visit. The result of change can keep us stuck in a surviving mode; or it can give us the energy to look forward to what’s next.

Understanding the power of change can reveal significant truths about its purpose. These ten truths of change have brought me comfort during difficult times and have pointed the way to living, and not simply surviving.

1. Don’t be a passive passenger to the past.
   Certain events or experiences from our childhood can make a lasting impact. As we grow older, our mistakes and the harm done along the way can also leave its mark. We often miss what’s happening right before us because we are still travelling in the past. The truth is we cannot undo our past, but we can choose our present.

   Acknowledge your past and at the same time keep learning to let it go so you can better embrace what you have today.

2. By grace you are healed.
   No matter the sins committed against you or the ones you own, when you find the faith to believe in God’s grace you will find healing. Allow His grace to fill you with a newfound passion and energy to live the life you deserve.
3. The truth sets you free.
   To be free we must first acknowledge our truth. Perhaps it’s too difficult or embarrassing to accept that truth; or it requires making a change we do not want to make. Until we can accept our truth we will always be a prisoner to the things which keep us from fully living.

   Take an honest look at your truths and what’s keeping you stuck in a place lacking the passion you are seeking. For me, it’s my level of self-confidence and worthiness. There are so many things I want to accomplish. And even though I’m making progress, I will not realize all that is in my heart until I begin to feel worthy of receiving them.

   The truth is, what will set me free, once and for all, is to believe I deserve good things to happen to me, too.

4. It’s not what happens to us.
   For most, what has happened to us (or is happening to us) is a direct of result of our actions and the choices we made. However, it is important to acknowledge that are many victims (children, women and men) who did not ask for, or deserve, their circumstances.

   No matter what has happened, every day we get a new choice of deciding how to live that day. We can seek forgiveness, counseling, or spiritual care. There are resources available to match every need.

   If you are having a difficult time finding the resources you need (because of their availability in your community or for financial reasons), please contact me at alex@thebridgemaker.com and we can assist you. All you have to do is ask for help and you will receive it.

5. Happy in spite of.
   I wish I was better-looking, had an Ivy League education and the ability to do whatever I wanted without the need to generate income. But you what? I’m still happy in spite of what I don’t have.

   I have found its better to measure happiness by taking an inventory of what I do have (excellent health, a wonderful family, the money to pay my bills plus a little left over) than to consider what I don’t have. This is a much more positive unit of measurement and opens myself up to receiving more of the same.

   We can find happiness in spite of how inconvenient certain situations appear to be when we begin to understand we are the creators of our own happiness based on how we choose to react and respond to the truths which exists around us.

6. Bind faith gets results.
   The expression, “Burn the boats,” demonstrates blind faith. This phrase can be traced back to the ancient Greek warriors and their commanders who would give the order to “Burn the boats” after the warriors had landed on the enemy’s shore.

   The commanders’ message was simple: We know we will be victorious, so we don’t need the boats anymore, because there will be no need to retreat. Our faith tells us we will win.

   Burn the Boats reminds us that to live passionately means we don’t have a lot of time for negative thinking. We have to put our trust in our faith and understand there is no turning back when we make the commitment to live our life on our terms.

   With this awareness, with this truth, we can place our fear, anxiety and self-doubt on those boats and watch and as they sink and disappear from our sight.

7. There is always an answer.
   No matter what happens, there is an answer. Travelling through the darkness there is a light ahead. Its power to illuminate may be weak and unnoticeable at first, because we may not be looking for it, but it is there, waiting for us.

   In the light there is an answer; and in the answer is truth.

8. Believe what you affirm.
   We can make it happen when we believe, really believe, in what we are doing and when we think big.

   Thinking big is acknowledging the abundance in our lives. This type of thinking can make our dreams a reality. When faith is added to the mix, we create a winning combination. For example, if there is a cause or a project you have always wanted to support, consider how deeply you believe in the cause and then find a way to make it happen.

   Consider your resources, the abundance in your life, which will help begin your work. By using what you have (time, money, faith) you will be able to set into motion an active attempt to believe, and live, what you affirm.

9. All things ready when the mind be so.
   We don’t do anything until we are ready. We don’t start or end jobs, fall in love or live a passionate life until we are good and ready to do so.

   The key in the readiness process is coming to terms, in our own minds, that it’s time to begin. This discernment process is critical when determining if we want to do something because we have a deep conviction, or because we think we just should.

   Here’s the truth for me: When I get something on my mind, and after sorting through all of the pros and cons, if I still believe in going forward and have made ready my mind, body and soul, then, and only then, will it happen for me.

10. The power in you.
    Life challenges us every day. We face disappointment, conflict, and pain. We also have the opportunity to feel the love that life provides. When we choose the latter, we choose to tap into the greatest power we possess – the power of love.

    Love comes in many shapes and sizes. There is love in greeting each day with the hope and promise we can make whatever we want from the day. There is love in our daily routines of raising our children, supporting our spouses, and there is love in following our hearts to wherever they are taking us.

    The power of love reminds us we are never alone and our lives, like our souls, have a purpose and in that purpose we will find the passion that is uniquely our own.

No longer surviving and learning to live.

The death of my mother in April has provided me with some motivation to begin living. As long as she lived I would always be reminded of what I, and my siblings, had to do in order to survive. Her dependency on alcohol, pain killers and her bi-polar episodes all contributed to a sense of uncertainty and chaos – two things no child should endure.

I survived the days by keeping to myself, staying out of the way and trying to do everything perfectly in an attempt to neutralize her behavior. Some habits, once established, are hard to change.

To claim my life, it’s time for change; it’s time to shift from trying to survive each day without making mistakes and to believing the passion that exists in my heart is meant to be shared with anyone who wants to receive it.

I’m writing these final sentences on my actual birthday (Sunday, July 5) on the deck of my house and alone. Mary Beth and Emily are still in Virginia, Andrew spent the night with friends and Brandon and Caitlin will be here later in the afternoon. I have never been alone on my birthday, but this is how it should be right now.

I have spent a lot of time alone the past few weeks. This has given me the opportunity to focus on what I want and on what I think I’m worthy of receiving. Our normal family routine has been interrupted by my wife’s recovery. Ironically, this time has served as a recovery period for me as well.

This time has given me the opportunity to realize my first 47 years did happen quickly. Today, however, I get to choose how I want to spend the next 47 years. Today is a marker for me, a starting point, a new beginning to shake off the tendency to survive and to truly live and to love myself a little more each day.

This time next week I will not be alone. Mary Beth and I will probably have coffee on the deck before leaving for church, Emily will be watching the Disney channel and our lives will be returning to the normal.

I think I will be different though. I will enjoy the noise in the house, but also realize it’s up to me, and not those around me, to break out of survival mode and to find the happiness, joy and passion I have been seeking for so long.

I’m beginning to see it now. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present.

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It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to. -W.C. Fields

Article written by BridgeMaker contributor Alex Fayle, Someday Syndrome.

I do. So do you.

You might try to deny it, but human beings are social creatures. We crave validation and approval from those around us, even when we try to be independent. It’s hardwired into us.

That doesn’t mean, however, that we have to let it rule us.

Just like everything in our lives, external validation has its good and bad sides. We all know about the bad side of being an approval junkie: submitting to peer pressure, suppressing dreams, conforming to the crowd, living up to (or down to) unreal expectations… The list goes on, but the result is the same. We live out our lives afraid to stand out and afraid to follow our dreams.

What’s Good about Opinions of Others

The opinions of others keep us realistic. They make sure we don’t walk off the edge of a cliff while we’re staring up at the sky. Other people challenge us to define our dreams and goals so that we hold a clear vision in our heads as we reach towards the future. And when we do get those gold stars from others, our enthusiasm and energy for our projects soar and we rocket to our destinations much more quickly.

We have a challenge, however. How do we separate peer pressure and judgment from support and inspiration?

It all depends on the type of people we surround ourselves with and on the expectations we hold regarding our circle of friends, family and coworkers.

The first one is easy – we want to surround ourselves with positive people who although they might not understand what we are reaching for, they support us and our dreams. However, we don’t want blind support. We want people who will ask the right questions, push us when we’re throwing ourselves a pity party and who ask the same of us for their dreams and pursuits.

Managing Our Expectations of Other People

The other part, the one where we learn to moderate our own expectations of others – that’s the hard bit. There’s a sweet spot balanced between needing constant stroking and approval and being so independent that we ignore everyone’s opinions all the time.

We find that sweet spot when we have confidence and faith in ourselves, when we believe in ourselves and our goals, and when we let go of our ego and open up to new ideas and suggestions to help us on our journey. We can’t assume we’ll always be wrong or always right. It’s a matter of finding the point – and it’s different for each person – where inspiration strikes and everything everyone says to us, whether it comes from love or negativity energizes us more and fuels our drive to succeed.

And that starts with knowing ourselves, knowing in what sort of situations we feel confident, in which ones we need constant reassurance and in which ones we’re arrogant bastards who don’t know how to take good advice.

When we know that, we can look at the differences among the three types of situations and determine how we can take pieces of the confident situation into the other two extreme places.

The Life of an Artist Learning to Have Faith

Because everything is easier to understand with an example, let’s take something from my own life. I’m a fiction writer and have been since I was young. As a teen, I wrote poetry and attempted a novel. While I had the occasionally good line of poetry and the stories behind the writing had good elements, I was a bad writer.

Well, actually let’s say unskilled writer – I’d had no real writing lessons and I’d never given my writing to someone else for an honest critique.

Between my teenage years in the late 1980s and my decision in 2006 to move to southern Europe to write, I took two major breaks from writing and both were due to too much negative pressure from others and from my own ego’s inability to listen and learn from what others were trying to tell me.

In my third year of university, I took a creative writing course and on the first day the professor told us that he didn’t like fantasy, so anyone writing fantasy was going to have a hard time in this class. Blow number one to my confidence.

This set up a defense mechanism in me that said “nothing this man will tell me will hold any value” creating blow number two to my confidence. If I didn’t believe in my writing and couldn’t believe that anyone in the class had anything of value to add in terms of critiques, then there was no way I was going to get anything out of the class.

So I didn’t plus I was so discouraged, I took more or less two years off from writing.

After university I joined a writing group, but like the writing class, it was the wrong fit. I learned how to critique from this group, but since the majority of them wrote literary fiction, plot-heavy fantasy had little interest for them. And because I have a people pleasing nature, I started writing more and more for the group and while a literary fantasy piece got published in an anthology, I wasn’t writing for me – I was writing for them – and that led to another writing break, this time of nearly five years.

In 2003, I left the 9-to-5 world and started to work for myself. Three years later, on the edge of success, I discovered that I wasn’t doing what really made me passionate. Fortunately, however, the three years of self-employment gave me a big confidence boost which allowed me once and for all to state exactly what I was passionate about: creative writing.

Therefore in the summer of 2006, I packed everything up and moved to southwest France where I wrote my first novel while on a sabbatical of sorts. Now while that novel is doing the rounds of agents, I’m working on my second novel and figuring out how to support that dream as I put down roots in northern Spain.

Three Ways to Keep the Faith Strong

So what changed? Why could I suddenly follow through on my dreams after so many years of denying my ability to write?

1. I had faith in myself. With three years of running my own business under my belt, I realized that I could do anything I wanted and the fear of failure faded.
2. I found the right support group. I joined the Forward Motion Writers online forum where I have taken workshops, gotten to know other writers and have found kindred spirits in the pursuit of a dream.
3. I turned off the negative voices. That means within and without. When I start getting overly self-critical, I just sit down and start writing, showing my negative self that it has no idea what it’s talking about. As for the external negativity, I don’t even hear that anymore.

Basically I’ve learned when to listen to myself, where to find positive support circles and when to shut down negative voices.

And so in the end, who cares what others think?

I do and you do, but only selectively so and within the right community of support.

Alex Fayle, of Someday Syndrome, is a former procrastinator who uses his visionary ability to uncover hidden patterns and help you break the procrastination obstacle so that you can finally find freedom and start living the life you desire.

Learn more about how you can start loving life again at SomedaySyndrome.com

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Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. - Helen Keller

Article written by Alex Blackwell. Connect with me on Facebook.

Life can be very complex at times. Working on relationships, raising children, building careers, and exploring our faith all require time and effort – no question. As complex as these things are, take comfort in the fact the reasons we work so hard may not be complicated at all.

It has been suggested by psychologists what people want most in life is to experience pleasure and to avoid pain. As a result of spending a lifetime paying attention to what people are saying and feeling, as well becoming more aware of what motivates and drives me; I would suggest the psychologists are wrong. From my life experiences, it is clear what we really want most boils down to two things: happiness, and purpose.

Think about it for a moment. Whether it’s having a loving marriage, a successful career, or enjoying more time with our children, the results we are seeking are to be happy and to find purpose and meaning in our lives.

Happiness

We all want to be happy. Not happy in a constantly blissful or euphoric sense, but in a fundamental and visceral one. It is not realistic to think we can be happy, or emotionally “high,” all of the time. After all, we get flat tires, receive poor service in restaurants, and have to pay our bills.

Stuff does happen in life which may not always make us feel happy, but the goal is to learn to be happy in spite of the annoyances and set-backs we encounter.

Happiness is the product of the day-in and day-out grind and still finding a place of contentment and peace in spite of what life throws at us. Happiness is to experience joy and take comfort in the fact we are living fully and without regret.

Happiness is to take advantage of the time we have on this earth by getting the most out of it. Happiness is going to bed tired knowing we gave the day everything we had.

Happiness is also a choice. We can allow events to derail what we want, or we can choose to fight, persevere and win. When we listen to our guts - to our inner wisdom, we can hear what we really want. Then, we get to choose how to respond.

Purpose

If happiness causes us to go to bed tired because of the effort we just gave to the day, purpose gets us back up in the morning.

Purpose is the fuel in our tanks that keeps us moving forward. As humans, we all want to know that our time in this world has made a difference and our life had a purpose.

I don’t need to look very far to see an example of the desire to have a purpose in life. Caitlin, my oldest daughter, is pursuing a degree in social welfare. My daughter could have selected any major, but she selected this one because the most important thing to Caitlin is to make a difference with her life.

She believes being a social worker is the best way to fulfill her purpose. What impresses me the most is the motivation behind this decision was not the analysis of her potential career earnings, but the analysis of living her life on purpose.

The expression, “living on purpose.” suggests we need to invest our time and resources in those activities that are best aligned with fulfilling our life’s purpose. Each day we need to inspect our words and actions to be certain they are supporting our core values and purpose. When we live on purpose, we can better enjoy and celebrate the passion and energy we have for our lives.

Still looking for your life’s purpose? Here’s one way you can find it. Take a sheet of paper and begin to write down all of the things you are passionate about. This is your list, so don’t cheat yourself. Be real and be honest with yourself, and just let the inspiration flow.

Write down any dreams you have had in the past or any of your current dreams. The one that jumps off the page and smacks you right between the eyes and makes you begin to cry is your purpose.

Honor this one and respect it. And if you give it permission, it will change your life and bring the happiness you deserve.

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Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen. - Mark Twain

Article written by Alex Blackwell. Connect with me on Facebook.

Bad things come in threes.

I’m usually not superstitious, but after the events of the past year I’m beginning to believe this particular piece of folklore to be true.

One year ago Mary Beth and I were returning from a Saturday morning run when we received the telephone call her father had unexpectedly died. He suffered a fatal heart attack nobody saw coming. In March, my wife received the diagnosis of the brain malformation which would require surgery later in May. We didn’t see that one coming as well. April brought the news of my mother’s death. She had been ill for some time and although her death was not a surprise, it hurt nonetheless. I guess I didn’t see the pain her death caused coming either.

Bad things did came in threes for us.

This past year has been a year for pain and loss, and it’s been a year for growth and awareness, too. Often it’s the more significant occurrences in our life that provide a better context for what’s truly important compared to what we sometimes think is important.

I’m learning the new normal for me is simplicity and gratitude. Less can be more when we turn down the noise to hear what our hearts are telling us do. My heart is telling me to love everybody close to me as if it were their last day; to move confidently in the direction of my dreams before it gets too much later and to keep learning to be happier with the person I’m becoming.

The following lessons learned over the past year, as well as the past 46, give me comfort and hope that I’m on my way to finding the peace and happiness I deserve:

1. Acknowledge the reality.
   I learned several years ago we cannot change or heal what we do not acknowledge. If there is something in our present situation that is uncomfortable or painful, it must be acknowledged before the changing process can begin. The pink elephant in the room will continue to sit there; occupying valuable real estate until the day it is recognized and then asked to leave.

   An unfulfilling marriage, frustrating career or undesirable state of health will continue to fester and ooze disappointment until the pain becomes too great to bear. The day we acknowledge our marriage lacks the passion we crave, or our job is not aligned with our life’s passion or we don’t recognize ourselves in the mirror because of the additional pounds, is the day we will begin to change our reality.

2. Believe in the truth, ignore the lie.
   The lie tells us we are not enough and we are not entitled to have God’s love. The truth, on the other hand, is we do have God’s love and mercy without any conditions or terms tied to it. We are free to receive His grace because it’s a gift he created especially for us.
3. Somewhere in the grey.
   With every difficulty or set back that is impeding on our happiness, the real issue doesn’t exist merely in the black; nor does the only answer appear in the white. Rather, our lives are meant to be lived somewhere in between; somewhere in the grey – and in the grey is where we can find many of the answers to our problems as well as some of the keys to our happiness.
4. Respect life, our guest.
   There are some days when mothers don’t return home and fathers leave without giving us the chance to say good-bye. And there are some days when doctors deliver horrible news to an anxious family. And every day the sun sets on a soul who witnessed its rise only hours earlier.

   Life, our guest, needs to be treated with respect and honor. Life, our guest, comes and goes as it pleases. We can make all the preparation we want, but Life follows its own schedule.

5. Take one step more.
   It’s usually the extra push at the end that makes all the difference in getting what we what or settling for what we think we deserve. It is doing the one extra thing that no else is doing, or is unwilling to do, that creates the separation necessary to get to where we want to go.

   At the end of the day, a sense of peace, happiness and worthiness fills our spirit and nourishes our souls with a warmth that covers us from head to toe when we have taken the one step more.

   “I have done it,” we think. “And no matter what happens next, no one can take this feeling from me right now. I took one step more; one step more after feeling discouraged; one step more after hope seemed lost and I did it. I did it.”

6. Measure in love.
   Paychecks, weight scales, and the accessories on our cars or on ourselves can be measurements used to determine value. The more important unit of measure, however, is love.

   Measure the number of times you asked for love and it was given. Measure the incredible feeling of having your partner sleep beside you every night. Measure the worth of the unconditional love our parents can provide, and even though they may gone, their love still remains.

   Measure day and months with a calendar, but measure your life in love.

7. Begin today, right now.
   There is no better time to live your heart’s passion than right now. When the nudge you feel is beginning to pull you in the direction of your life’s purpose and your inner wisdom is telling you to go; then go.

   Resist the temptation to feel regret for not beginning earlier. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. So, live in the present; in the here and now and begin today, right now.

8. Ask for what you want.
   When you make the decision to ask for what you want and then focus on this request, you are telling the world how much you want to achieve it in your life. Thoughts do become things.

   When we push down our dreams they can get lost with the other things that seldom see the light of day. Bring your dreams back to the surface, say the words, and believe in your worth to receive whatever you request.

   Soon, you will begin to see changes, perhaps small at first, but changes that will lead to you getting more of what you ask for and more of what you want; and more of what you deserve.

9. Use second chances wisely.
   A second choice is a gift. Often the mistakes we make have lasting consequences. When we are granted a second chance not only do we have a chance for redemption, but we also have the opportunity to take a different action or to say a different word that will result in a different outcome – perhaps a happier and more positive outcome.

   When a second chance is requested, and granted, use it wisely. It may never come again.

10. Open the floodgates.
    When we open the floodgates and refuse to allow fear to trump our faith, we are better able to surrender our problems and receive His help. When we do, we will be soaked in feelings of hope, happiness and purpose. The force behind the grace that pours out from the opened floodgates allows us to we move from merely doing and into being who we are meant to be.
11. What we pay attention to grows.
    Even though we may not be responsible for everything that happens to us, we are responsible for how we choose to react to what happens to us. The expression like attracts like is especially true when it comes to positive and negative emotions.

    If we chose to remain positive, then positive results are likely to occur. Alternatively, if we decide to be negative and critical, we can expect more negative circumstances to occur. In the months leading up to Mary Beth’s surgery, we focused on a positive outcome and a long life filled with happiness. My wife is recovering to plan, getting stronger each day and is once again thinking about the goodness in her life.

12. And, when you feel like giving up.
    The day you quit is the day before you will find whatever it is you are looking for in your life.
    The enemy of our soul whispers into our ear when he sees us getting close. The enemy tells us we do not deserve to receive what our hearts’ desire.

    Take the enemy’s power away and replace it with a new truth that states there is a plan, His plan, and it’s not matter of if we will achieve it, but only when.

13. Scale your problems.
    How important is it, really, when I don’t roll-up the tube of toothpaste to maximize its contents (this drives Mary Beth nuts)? Or how important is it, really, when my wife forgets to give me the sales receipts from her purse so I can make the entries into the checkbook (this drives me nuts)?

    On my last day, I don’t think I will be lamenting about an unbalanced checkbook. Instead, my hope is I will be taking an inventory of my life to determine if I took care of what truly needed my attention and did I properly ignore the trivial and unimportant so these things did not get in the way of my happiness or the happiness of others.

14. Choose love.
    When confronted with a choice between forgiveness and resentment; choose forgiveness. When faced with a chance to give love or hold love back; give love. When given the opportunity to reach out and connect or shut down and isolate; choose connection.

    Choose love and watch more of it come into your heart and fill your life with greater happiness.

15. Keep moving forward.
    Life is a series of choices we make. During the times when we get knocked back or knocked down, we have the choice to get up, to learn from the experience and to keep moving forward.
16. Just being Alex.
    Bad things came in threes for Mary Beth and me.

    I miss my father-in-law’s spaghetti sauce and how delicious it would taste after a day on the beach. I miss how he treated me with real son-like respect because he knew I was taking care of his youngest child the way a man (according to his definition) should take care of a woman.

    I miss my mother and what she was capable of being when she wasn’t numb. I regret not having the chance to tell that I do forgive her and wish her only peace. My hope is she knows this now.

    I experienced death at close range this year. Looking at it from an intimate perspective made me blink and begin to think about the time I have left. The seven hours Mary Beth was in surgery made me worry that I might have to spend this time alone. I thought about how well I would do with the time.

    Even though the thought of losing my wife was horrific, I knew if the worst happened, I would eventually make it through the pain and begin to live again because of the growth that has been happening inside of me.

    The awareness of my weaknesses and the knowledge of what I should avoid, and what I need, is getting keener and more accurate as I grow older. My life is probably more than half over, but right now, I feel more alive, body and soul, than ever before.

    Good things also come in threes: The death of my mom has brought me closer to my father; the bond between my wife and me has been made stronger; and I’m learning how to be happier with just being Alex.

More on How to be Happier

There have been many articles written about how to be happier. The following are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

• 12 Qualities of Happiness | Lorraine Cohen
• The 7 Habits of Highly Happy People | Marc Chernoff
• How to be Happy | Eric Hamm
• How to be Even More Miserable | Tim Brownson
• Acceptance and Attention – The Basis of Unconditional Love and Nuturing | Albert Foong
• Happiness Hangover: How to Remain Happy | Andrew Galasetti
• Altruism – One of the Keys to Happiness | Sid Savara
• Happiness is only Two Steps Away | Peter Normandia
• What Makes Us Happy | Anja Merret
• 10 Secrets to Happiness I Learnt from Andrew Matthews | Shun Jian
• 5 Small Yet Powerful Ways to Create More Compassion in the World | Amber Zuckswert
• Seven Ways to Stay Positive and Happy during Uncertain Times | Jenny Mannion
• Pursuit of Happiness: 32 Keys to Fulfillment | Adam Sicinski
• Lose Yourself to Find Yourself | Evelyn Lim

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