April Wellness

April Well

This week my children are off at a very outdoorsy sleepaway camp?I?m excited for them to be outside nearly constantly for two weeks! One reason why I?m willing to part with them this summer is that I know their health and happiness will benefit from their time spent in nature.

Please check out my podcast with Rona Renner either here on the Greater Good website, or here on iTunes. Happy listening!

Become a fan of Raising Happiness on Facebook.
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Subscribe to the Happiness Matters Podcast on iTunes.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/berkeley/MMpu/~3/zYlMmHwIUzE/

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April Well

Do something kind today for someone who?s a regular part of your life.

There is a lot of scientific evidence that happiness and kindness are deeply intertwined (see ?What You Get When You Give.?) For that reason, I don?t think we can be truly, lastingly happy if we are not also kind.

This week, take a moment to look beyond yourself and focus on what you have in common with others. Being kind doesn?t need to take extra time; it can be a simple shift in your mindset. See if you can go about your daily business with an air of kindness towards everyone in your path. As the Dalai Lama has famously said: ?Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.?

� 2011 Christine Carter, Ph.D.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/berkeley/MMpu/~3/wPA9etShss4/

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April Well

"Give a man a free hand and he�ll try to put it all over you." -- Mae West

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AllGreatQuotes/~3/txwdt6RK5Gg/funny_quotes.shtml

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April Well

"Donuts. Is there anything they can't do?" -- Homer Simpson

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AllGreatQuotes/~3/txwdt6RK5Gg/funny_quotes.shtml

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April Well

Does the "pay it forward" effect really exist? How does generosity inspire others? Is giving really better than receiving? We're going to find out.

Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-happiness/201011/does-the-pay-it-forward-effect-really-exist

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April Well

Thanks, I like the way you write. I follow spirit more than the secret and the fast food money ideas of wealth. Your writings match up more with attained

Source: http://www.abundance-and-happiness.com/great-spiritual-message.html

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April Well

"If a cricketer, for example, suddenly decided to go into a school and batter a lot of people to death with a cricket bat, which he could do very easily, I mean, are you going to ban cricket bats?" -- Duke of Edinburgh Price Philip, amid calls to ban firearms after the Dunblane shootings

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AllGreatQuotes/~3/OxzHq2LgWK8/stupid_quotes.shtml

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April Well

Here's What You Can Expect and Not Expect From The Abundance and Happiness Personal Empowerment Portal

Source: http://www.abundance-and-happiness.com/abundance-and-happiness-2.html

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April Well

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/creatinghappinessblog/~3/DiJr66fsBzc/your-happiness-program.html

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April Well

"Boys, with women's voices, strive to speak big." -- William Shakespeare, Richard II, 3. 2

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AllGreatQuotes/~3/EMZDvtat6e0/shakespeare_insults_quotes.shtml

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April Well

Being in a big city like LA, or New York, things move so fast. It is difficult to slow down: we run from here to there, drinking coffee, texting, on the phone, talking about one thing and thinking about "what's next." This is human- being caught up in the environment. Yet that speed can become a destructive force when we face the challenges of life that provoke the emotion of fear: having enough money, finding the right someone, getting into the right school, finding a place to live. Lots of things become stressful and they provoke fears in our heads.

And yes, fear is normal. It is human to fear. Yet what happens often because of the speed of our lives and our minds, is that the mind won't let go of the fear. It starts to think about the fear, about the "Oh, no, what if"s and the "What happens if I don't"s. This is no longer fear. This is worry.

Take a look at the definitions:

Fear: to have a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, or pain.

Worry: Give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles

I really want to highlight the differences in the above definitions. Fear is simply the "having" of an emotion. Something provoked by the environment. A human response. However, notice how the verb worry is defined: "Give way to anxiety" and "allow one's mind"- These phrases indicate something extremely positive- that we have a choice whether to worry or not!

This is sort of a revelation to habitual worriers (like me) who roll in their minds the thousands of prospective doomsday scenerios of situations that haven't even happened yet.

So what to do if this sounds like you:

1. Slow it down. Breathe. Become aware that you're worrying. Any thoughts that start with "what if this doesn't" or "What happens if I don't" 99% percent of the time are worries.

2. Write it down. Once you realize "I'm worrying!" write it down. People get all caught up with buying a journal to record everything in. This isn't necessary. You're on a bus? Waiting somewhere? Grab the back of a used piece of paper and write down your thoughts, ALL of them, the crazy ones, the irrational ones.

3. Then here's the key step: write down evidence to support it and evidence against it. (This is part of cognitive behavioral therapy.) Research has proven this will decrease your anxiety and also give you some objectivity on the subject. Plus you might even find a solution. (But that's not really the point.)

If you do these things in your next "freak out" I think you might find it beneficial!

"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig.

You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."

- George Bernard Shaw

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HealthAndHappinessClub/~3/G_Nxcq3Bq1g/worry-versus-fear.html

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April Well

Got Gratitude? Share it here!

Welcome to our community gratitude journal, open to all who?d like to express their thanks or share a happy thought.

Happy Birthday to my special brother.
Thanks for always standing behind me.
Celebrate 70 Great Years.
your little sister

I?m thankful for banana bread
Chiara, age 4

I?m grateful that my son is excited about starting university in a few weeks at a school he is excited about getting into. I?m grateful for all the folks who helped us get him this far - it takes a village!
Allyson McDonald

I am grateful that my daughter Katie and wife Ana got their visa and are coming to NY to live and meet their family

I really appreciate whoever puts out and maintains the beautiful flowers, picnic table and chairs at the little boat ramp in MacKaye Harbor where I live. It is not at all necessary, but really is so nice! I have no idea who does it, but Thank You!
Erika

I?m so grateful my granddaughter is so patient with her younger brothers. And I?m thankful she enjoys playing with them at their level.
Nonna

I am very grateful for my daughter and her husband for their gracious hospitality and their devotion to family so they plan visits to cousins and grandparents from CA to the Midwest and FL and TX. She is making wonderful memories for us all.
Thankful Mom

I?m thankful that someone joined our weekly Bible Study. He brings a new perspective.
A Life-long Learner

I?m so grateful for two job opportunities: one teaching high school teachers vocabulary activities and the other teaching teenagers good reading, writing, and study skills at a summer camp.
Phoebe

I am happy that a 25th high school reunion means a week visiting with Grandma and Grandpa.
Janine Kovac

Every week we post a photo submitted by one of our readers along with all the happy and thankful comments gathered throughout the week. We can always use more photos!

To contribute, email your gratitude (a sentence or two would be great) or your favorite photo to .

You can also contribute by commenting at the bottom of this post. Please include: your name if you?d like us to use it and any other info you?d like us to list, e.g., if the ?gratitude? is from one of your children, it would be great to know his or her age.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/berkeley/MMpu/~3/TXvJxlUXlwg/

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April Well

Listen to a 14-minute excerpt from the October, 2010 intensive about busting the illusion:

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

This excerpt is from a collection of 4 MP3s of talks (totaling 3 hours), which explains how to move out of the egoic mind and be present and how to bust the illusion cast by the ego. MP3s can be played on your computer or MP3 player. New, lower price: $14.95. To purchase the set, please go to

http://www.radicalhappiness.com/recordings

Source: http://www.radicalhappiness.com/all-blog-articles/304-busting-the-illusion

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April Well

"Forget love... I'd rather fall in chocolate!" -- Author unknown

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AllGreatQuotes/~3/7gEYn9TnIn8/love_quotes.shtml

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April Well

"I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right" -- George W Bush

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AllGreatQuotes/~3/OxzHq2LgWK8/stupid_quotes.shtml

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April Well

"Forget love... I'd rather fall in chocolate!" -- Author unknown

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AllGreatQuotes/~3/7gEYn9TnIn8/love_quotes.shtml

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April Well

"Bastard begot, bastard instructed, bastard in mind, bastard in valour, in everything illegitimate." -- William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, 5. 7

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AllGreatQuotes/~3/EMZDvtat6e0/shakespeare_insults_quotes.shtml

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