Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.”
– Anais Nin
Author: Christine Carter
December Podcast Roundup: Happiness Matters
Here are the December Happiness Matters Podcasts — hope you check them out if you missed any!
The Art of Setting Limits
Kids aren’t perfect, and it is sometimes hard to know when we should enforce a consequence, especially if it is easier not to. Here are all the reasons why we should hold our ground, setting limits with love.
Most parents yell at their kids at one time or another, but as stress and exhaustion increase over the holidays, some parents yell more. Rona gives us her tips and tricks for yelling less.
Managing routines, sleep, and sugar intake so kids can thrive
The holidays are so fun, but many kids get really out of whack. Rona and I provide tips on how to manage moodiness and exhaustion at this time of year.
Raising Forgiving Kids
Is your child having a hard time forgiving a classmate for hurting his or her feelings? If you’ve got a grudge-holding or revenge-seeking kiddo, this podcast is for you! Rona and I discuss foundational skills that lead to forgiveness. Part one of two.
Check out my podcast Happiness Matters with Rona Renner either here on the Greater Good website, or here on iTunes. Happy listening!
Top 10 Happiness Tips of 2012
The most fun part of 2012 for me was sharing my Happiness Tips on the Dr. Oz Show. If you missed that episode, you can watch it here:
Readers also voted on their favorite Happiness Tips — through their clicks, comments, and shares on Facebook and Twitter. Wondering which Happiness Tips were most popular in 2012? Here’s the list!
- Make a Plan
- Write a Love Letter
- Change Your Mantra
- Give 8 Hugs a Day
- Make Gratitude Placecards
- Touch the Earth
- Commit to Kindness
- Cultivate Your Support Network
- Spend Some Time Alone
- Listen to Your Favorite Song (bonus: a crowd-sourced happy song playlist)
Join the Discussion: Which Happiness Tip was your favorite, or created the most happiness for you? Did we miss one that you especially remember? We’d love to know — don’t forget to leave a comment below!
Friday Inspiration
This video is such a warm “best of” reel of the things we value most in our everyday lives: romance, chivalry, comedy, bravery, justice, thoughtfulness, generosity and joy. It gives me chills!
Hat tip to Janine Kovac for making us aware of this video!
Thursday Thought
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
―Victor Frankl
3 New Year’s Resolutions that Will Make You Happier
This year, skip the New Year’s diet and do something fun.
You want to lose weight. Get out of debt. Stop smoking. Eat more kale. Call your grandma more often.
I do understand why people don’t like New Year’s resolutions: They can be a source of failure, year after year. Folks often pick resolutions that are inherently unrewarding, that necessitate relentless hard work, or that remind them of their mortality in a way that makes them feel small instead of grateful.
I know because I’ve made all of those mistakes. But now? I love New Year’s resolutions. I use them to transform myself in small increments, taking turtle steps toward new habits. I begin slowly around the winter solstice, and inch myself toward a newer, better self. By spring, my new habits have taken hold, and the green leaves of growth unfurl.
Over the years I’ve learned a lot of tricks for successfully keeping my resolutions. And in the last three years, the science around willpower and habits has made great advancements, which helps a lot.
The first and most important factor in keeping your resolutions is to make the right resolution. Make the wrong one and you won’t keep it; you’ll just add another habit to the “fail” list.
This year, pick just one resolution that research shows will make you happier. Continue this post and check out three of my favorite resolutions on my Greater Good blog.
Happiness Tip: Make a Resolution
You want to lose weight. Get out of debt. Eat more kale. Call your grandma more often.
I do understand why New Year’s resolutions don’t make a lot of people happy: They can be a source of failure, year after year. Folks often pick resolutions that are inherently unrewarding, that necessitate relentless hard work, or that remind them of their mortality in a way that makes them feel small instead of grateful. I know because I’ve made all of those mistakes.
But now? I firmly believe that New Year’s resolutions can be a lasting source of happiness. Personally, I use them to transform myself in small increments, taking turtle steps toward new habits. I begin slowly around the winter solstice, and inch myself toward a newer, better self. By spring, my new habits have taken hold, and the green leaves of growth unfurl.
What are you resolving for the New Year? Is it something that will make you happier? (I write about my favorite happiness-inducing resolutions here, on my my Greater Good blog.) Inspire others by sharing your resolutions below.
Take Action: Join Our Resolutions Group — Free! Over the years I’ve learned a lot of tricks for successfully keeping New Year’s resolutions. And in the last three years, the science around willpower and habits has made great advancements, which helps a lot. To share all I’ve learned, I’ve created this online course about making and keeping great New Year’s resolutions. Sign up now; it’s free for a limited time only.
Cheers to making 2013 the BEST YEAR YET!
Friday Inspiration
We humans are built to form strong connections with other human beings… no matter how much geographical distance separate us. I find this video so uplifting and moving!
Welcome Washington Post Readers!
Hello Washington Post Readers! Thanks for spending the hour with me discussing how we can encourage gratitude in our kids. (If you missed it, you can read the transcript here.) I’d love to hear more about your family’s gratitude practices in the comments below.
As a follow up, I thought I would share a few of my favorite articles, podcasts and videos that discuss the topic of gratitude:
Articles
- Practice Gratitude Every Single Day
- Take a Gratitude Photo
- Fighting Holiday Fatigue? Give Thanks.
- Make Gratitude Placecards
- Are We Wired to Want Stuff?
- What Makes Some Kids So Materialistic
Videos
- Surviving the Holidays
- Why Gratitude Works
- Teaching Gratitude
- Spreading Gratitude
- Holiday Gratitude Traditions
- Are We Genetically Wired for Gratitude?
Podcasts
If you’re on this website for the first time, welcome! We are so glad you are here. We offer tools for raising happiness: in you, your family, and your community. Check out our free resources page and sign up for our free online class to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions!
Warmly,
Thursday Thought
Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” –Marcel Proust