"Focus on what you want & you'll get it. If you're not getting it, then you're not focusing hard enough!"

-Brian Walt

Check your blood pressure, have a cat scan and test your blood sugar, but here is the most simple and cost effective test any man can take for his health. Look down and tell me what you see. Do you see your belly button or your little soldier? When all you see is belly then either your little guy is in fact little or your gut has grown out a too far. Since every major health study says having a large waistline is the first indicator for elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes... you just failed the test!

Imagine the left side of your face paralyzed from a stroke or having your right foot amputated because of diabetes, it's tough to be happy when you think about your health that way. Besides not dying an uncomfortable death, there are many other benefits to practicing a healthy life. Exercise regularly and you'll have more energy. With more oomph in your day, playing with your children is actually fun (since you can keep up with them). Increased energy translates to more productivity at work and a more productive sex life. 

Practice eating healthy foods and your body will function as it's supposed to. Your memory will get better, your joints won't ache as much and you'll be in a better mood. Living a healthy lifestyle will not only help you live longer, but you'll save you money too! How much do you think a trip to the hospital will cost after that stroke? I'm guess you would be happy with less medical bills and saving time by not sitting in the doctor's waiting room.

There are thousands of surveys, scientific research studies and expert opinions about what makes a man happy. With all of those people trying to find the answers there are thousands different conclusions, but there is always one consistency. Healthy people are happier! Your body and its health are the most important aspect of a Happy Man, so start practicing today.

Answer the following questions and be honest with yourself or this won't work. Promise to keep asking yourself these questions throughout your career. They'll help keep focused and develop your skill of livelihood:

·   Am I working to the best of my ability?

·   Do the projects and tasks I do add meaning to my career?

·   When I leave the house in the morning, how do I feel about going to work?

·   Do I enjoy the people I work with?

·   Does my manager understand my career goals?

·   Does my career / work add value to my life?

How did you answer these 6 questions? More importantly, how did you feel about your answers? If you were unsure about any of your responses, then you aren't getting the personal fulfillment from your career you need for the happiest life possible. Adjust your job description until you can answer each question with confidence and clarity to say, "I love my job." Practice this skill of happiness and your career will move in the direction you want it to. You'll find more success and greater enjoyment.

Did you know that as a fetus your body was 99% water? Then when you were born your body was composed of 90% water. Eventually you became an adult and are now closer to 70% water. Finally, when you die peacefully in your sleep of old age, the body will be down to 50% water.

Do you notice a trend here? Besides the percentages going down as we age, we are mostly made up of WATER! So it makes sense to drink enough water everyday... your body needs it to live. Most people would instruct you to drink a minimum of 8 - 8 ounce glasses a day. Personally, I go above and beyond 64 ounce minimum. Besides, if you aim to do just enough, there's a good chance you'll miss the mark every time.

Since I'm a realist, I'm not going to demand you cut out all beverages except H2O from your life. Instead, pick 1 of your favorites each day and go from there. I like coffee so I have a cup every morning, but then it's back to water for the rest of the day. Try your best to stay away from the really toxic ones like soda or energy drinks, but if you must then 1 SMALL drink it is.

What does this have to do with happiness? Everything! Your health is the key ingredient to your happiness in life, so no more excuses when it comes to taking care of your body. Start practicing this skill today for a healthier mind and body!

"I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and advise them to do it."

-Harry Truman

Is there anything different in your life? Has anything changed over the last couple of years? If you live on planet Earth and are human, I'm guessing there's quite a bit different in your life. Most people understand change happens in life, but when your days start veering down a completely different path too many of us are unprepared.

How do you get ready for change in life? Remaining flexible is important and continuing to grow with the times is all great, but here's something you can practice everyday to stay sharp:

-If you're a "right handed" person, use your left. If you're a "left handed" person, use your right. This little trick forces your brain to think differently and get out of your routine. Switch hands when brushing your teeth, washing in the shower, or when using a fork. Step it up a notch and try writing with the opposite hand!

Get ready for something new in your life, because whether you're expecting it or not change will happen!

When you're pulling up to an intersection and need to make a right, 9 out of 10 times there's someone sitting there waiting for the light to turn green so they can go straight. Meanwhile, you're stuck behind them waiting... and waiting... and waiting! For some strange reason this occurrence seems to always happen when you're either running in late or in a hurry (which is more often than not).

The other day I was pulling up to an intersection and my right turning signal was flashing. As I approached the traffic light there was a minivan in my lane ahead of me and another car waiting at the red in the lane just to the left. You'll never guess what happened next! The minivan shifted to the left and went behind the other car! This kind and selfless driver noticed I was going to make a right and moved behind another car so she didn't hold me up.

While most people would have simply stayed their course so they could go straight ahead and save a ½ of a second, this person actually cared about a stranger on the road. This person was being... courteous! No, this wasn't really an ultimate act of consideration, but this small gesture had a big impact. I truly was in a better mood for the rest of the day. Since then, whenever I'm driving and come up to an intersection where the right lane is open, I make sure and leave it that way (unless of course I'm going that way).

Being considerate and courteous doesn't have to been well thought out, nor does it only have to be for the people you know. Any little act of kindness could (and most likely will) change another person's day for the better. Now imagine for a moment if everyone practiced 1 considerate act for a stranger each day; the world would be a much happier place! Acknowledging that I'm a realist, changing the planet's population to simply be more kind isn't an option. The only (and best) place to start is with you. Start with just 1 small act of selflessness or kindness today and you will start changing the world.

When you look at the equation (HW + C = GJ), it seems pretty simple. So when many high school and college students hear this, they think "Great, all I have to do is get good grades and I'll get a good career." To anyone who still has college in front of them, it seems quite plausible because it's coming from a credible source (parents and teachers). Why would anyone in today's world want to give their child such a false sense of security or entitlement?

Yep, I said entitlement! By the time your teenager is three-quarters of the way through college, he or she has heard this line a thousand times. If you were told a thousand times by Harvard doctors that ice cream had no fat and was good for you, you'd believe it too. There's a natural tendency now of a college student to think, "Since I put in all of this hard work here at the University of Wherever, I deserve a good job." This couldn't be farther from reality!  

Growing up I heard this all of the time. Now that I'm a parent, I'm amazed at the number of other parents who are still saying the exact same thing to their children. I am by no means against the idea of going to college, education and more education are crucial to society and personal growth. I just want the next generation to be better prepared for the "real world." Also, keep in mind this is not just an investment in your future anymore, college could be a huge $$$$ commitment too. Have a solid plan to pay for your tuition. When anyone is deciding to further their education, stop and think about why you're doing it. Don't just go because you're supposed to; find a major you're passionate about and learn it better than anyone else.

Here's my updated formula for a successful career:

Hard work + experience + education + life lessons + passion + opportunity + a little bit of luck = a great career

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

 - George Eliot

The American Heritage Dictionary defines passion as "a powerful emotion" or "boundless enthusiasm." How would you define passion? I could define passion as love or football, but for this example I choose to define it as Baby Einstein. This isn't the Disney version of passion, but rather the original Julie Aigner-Clark version. This woman had a passion for the arts and her child, so she started a company over 20 years ago that addressed her powerful emotion. Where do you think her company would be today if she just thought of it as another good idea? Julie Asinger-Clark poured her soul into her idea and her passion showed. The idea of being filled with such strong desire and passion is wonderful in theory. Just like any other idea... if you don't take action, then it never happened.           

Do you wake up every morning excited to start the day? It would be unrealistic to say that we need to start all 365 days by leaping to our feet. I'm sure even Anthony Robbins has an off morning every once in a while. The reality is that you do have the energy and desire for something, now you just have to practice focusing on the who, what, where, when, and why of your passion and it will become another skill of happiness.

The short answer is; we're all happier when we're doing something we enjoy. The long answer is that we're enthusiastic, healthy, energetic, loving, focused, dynamic and vigorous when we're doing something we're passionate about. Modify your daily activities to include aspects of yourself that you're passionate about. Every day you get out of bed will be more successful! Consciously add more of what you love to your routine to become a happier you.

You have learned a new skill of happiness... start practicing today!