Whether it’s work or school, we’re bound to experience stressful times. It may be pressure from tasks, from people, or just a generally stressful environment. And often we feel weighed down by these things, feeling as if we need to get away from our office if we ever want to feel happy.

But did you know that according to studies by Positive Psychology researchers, our circumstances do not play as big a part in our happiness as we think!

…one’s happiness level is determined partly by a genetic baseline or set point (50%), partly by circumstances (10%), and partly by intentional activity (40%).

In other words, that huge 40% chunk is actually something that we have control of!

Having said that, here are some things that you can use to bring back the happiness into your workday, or whatever situation you may be in.

1. Pay attention to the good things, large and small. This doesn’t mean that we have to ignore the bad things, just give more attention to the good ones! Though we notice the bad things more easily, we should really be thankful for the many many good things we have.

2. Pay attention to bad things that are avoided. Even if something bad happens, be grateful about the worse things that could’ve happened but didn’t!

3. Practice downward comparisons. Basically, just learn to reflect on the situation of those who have it worse than you.

4. Establish regular times to focus on being grateful. Believe it or not, gratitude is something that can be practiced. You could even keep a journal of things to be grateful for!

5. When facing a loss or a difficult task or situation, simply think of the benefits you could get from getting through it when you do. Remember, trials and how you handle them can build your character.

6. Elicit and reinforce gratitude in the people around you. If you’ve noticed that negative attitudes are contagious, well so are positive ones. Sometimes people just need someone to tell them that things aren’t as bad as they seem.

[From Good News Network]

Technorati tags: happiness, workplace, workday, tips, advice, positive psychology

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Send in your tips and articles on being happy, jokes and anecdotes, funny photos and videos, and happy news to happynews[at]hellokitty.com.

Many people have celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival yesterday, I hope you had some delicious mooncake! Festivals are wonderful experiences, even if most people don’t know what they’re about! There are many variations of the festival’s story, if you have Chinese friends, maybe you could ask them about which version they know

Well in line with that, we have something from Lin in her post called “Mid-Autumn Festival!”

I admire how she found it in herself to be happy during the festival despite the fact that her grandpa is not with them.

But I know, he must spend this festival and see us somewhere, and he must be happy to see us.

Well if you want to see her picture of the moon, and the food they shared, visit her blog! Don’t forget to drop a line and welcome her, as she’s new to Sanriotown.

Technorati tags: mooncake, mid-autumn festival, celebration, chinese

Have you ever ridden a horse-drawn carriage? Do you imagine it to be weird, scary or romantic? I know when I was a kid, I’d think of it as something reserved for storybooks!

Today’s feature is from Girlinblue, in her latest post called “Carriage Ride” where she has her first time riding one!

I understand that where she’s from, it isn’t that uncommon to ride a carriage, how awesome!

There’s a detail about the story that I left out about her first carriage-ride experience, so visit her blog if you wanna find out.

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Send in your tips and articles on being happy, jokes and anecdotes, funny photos and videos, and happy news to happynews[at]hellokitty.com.

Boys being naughty are usually accepted as well, just being themselves. Hence, the popular line “Boys will be boys.”

While we know that not all boys are like that, here are two stories about this behavior just to make you smile today. If you have boys of your own, you may relate to these stories!

TOO ROUGH

A little girl asked her mother, “Can I go outside and play with
the boys?” Her mother replied, “No, you can’t play with the boys, they’re too rough.” The little girl thought about it for a few moments and asked, “If I can find a smooth one, can I play with him?”

TWO BOYS

A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble, and their parents knew that if any mischief occurred in their town, their sons were probably involved.

The boys’ mother heard that a clergyman in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The clergyman agreed, but asked to see them individually. So the mother sent her 8-year-old in first that morning, with the older boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon.

The clergyman, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, “Where is God?”

The boy’s mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there with his mouth hanging open, wide eyed. So the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone, “Where is God!!?” Again the boy made no attempt to answer. So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy’s face and bellowed, “WHERE IS GOD!?”

The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him.
When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, “What happened?”

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, “We are in BIG trouble this time, dude. God is missing - and they think WE did it!”

Hope you enjoyed those stories, just a little dose of humor to lighten up your mood.

[Stories from Dang Good Jokes and Classic Cute Stories]

Technorati tags: boys, kids, naughty, rough, play, stories, funny, mischief

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Send in your tips and articles on being happy, jokes and anecdotes, funny photos and videos, and happy news to happynews[at]hellokitty.com.

One of Sanrio Town’s most active bloggers Raein Auch, just celebrated her birthday last Tuesday! In her blog post “Happy Birthday to ME“, she talks about how she celebrated her birthday with her classmates. It was a triple birthday celebration, so it really was a special one.

Reading her post, it really seemed like an ordinary schoolday, but she and her friends made it very memorable. It’s so nice to have friends as wonderful and thoughtful as they are!

Don’t forget to check her blog and read the details on her special day. And don’t forget to greet her!

So is your birthday coming up? Or has it just passed? Send me the stories and some pictures and I’ll be happy to feature them.

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Send in your tips and articles on being happy, jokes and anecdotes, funny photos and videos, and happy news to happynews[at]hellokitty.com.

Today I have for you something very interesting. You may find it slightly weird, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get a smile or two out of anyone. Me, with the help of a very interesting fellow who goes by the name of Gordon Roberts.

Watch this video, and you’ll see what I mean

78-year-old Gordon, very much loved by his following, and the people who know him personally. It’s great that people could care about him so much that they’d put up a site for him! He may talk a little funny, but he sure sounds like a nice, not to mention amusing man.

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Send in your tips and articles on being happy, jokes and anecdotes, funny photos and videos, and happy news to happynews[at]hellokitty.com.

What do you do to relieve stress? Some people have elaborate plans, they take vacations, take up hobbies, learn instruments. There’s a long list of options and possibilities, but there is one simple solution to those stressful times that never seems to get old…

Bubble wrap!

This is another one from Shadowcat13’s post called “Mmm…Bubble Wrap” (she sure knows how to be happy ), where you can find a way to de-stress without having to buy rolls and rolls of bubble wrap!

Visit her blog and let the popping madness begin! Don’t forget to share your own tips for de-tressing, and I’ll be happy to feature them here

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Send in your tips and articles on being happy, jokes and anecdotes, funny photos and videos, and happy news to happynews[at]hellokitty.com.

Aww aren’t they adorable? Well this is a picture taken from The Cat’s Meow, in a page about life, love, friendship and peace. They have a nice quote that I would like to share with you, something that we can all apply to our own lives.

“Peace is not won by those who fiercely guard their differences but by those who with open minds and hearts seek out connections.”

—Katherine Paterson

How can a kitten and a chick get along so well despite their differences? Maybe we can all learn from these cute critters.

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Send in your tips and articles on being happy, jokes and anecdotes, funny photos and videos, and happy news to happynews[at]hellokitty.com.

Times are pretty rough, almost everywhere you go. A lot of people have put their trust in their goals, thinking “If only I had this or that, I’d be happy.” They spend their time and effort all for that idea, and may even spend their entire lives trying to get things they think will make them happy.

I found this very inspiring post called “Happiness is a journey” by Sibyl. I’m sure most if not all of you will find something to ponder on in her post:

Stop waiting until the weekend, when you can party or let loose, until summer, spring, fall or winter, until you find the right person and get married, until you die, until your born again, to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

She talks about how happiness is not about getting or accomplishing something, although those things do make us happy. To her, happiness is really a choice we have to make, enjoying the trip more than the destination.

Visit her blog to see the rest of her entry, and don’t forget to welcome her as she’s new to the Sanrio Town blogs!

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Send in your tips and articles on being happy, jokes and anecdotes, funny photos and videos, and happy news to happynews[at]hellokitty.com.