You had a restful night of sleep, ate a healthy breakfast and every light was green on the way to work. Sounds like your day is off to a great start! While at work your bonus check was bigger than expected and you accomplished enough to leave early. This day just keeps getting better! Finally, you come home to a happy family with your favorite meal waiting on the table. Isn't this how everyday goes? 
    
This may not have been your exact day; however, many of our days are like this one! They may not always include the big bonus, but the general outline is the same. The majority of people wake up, go to work, run errands, come home and its back to bed. There's a natural comfort level with the routine of our day and without some structure we feel lost. The problem starts when our days become too rigid. Monday through Friday simply coast along with the autopilot engaged. The weekend brings some change from your schedule, but two days of fun doesn't cut it.

How to you add more passion and creativity into each day? Get uncomfortable! Practice adding something new into each day. Think about what would make today more fun? Go to the zoo for your lunch break or just make up a nonsense word. Try an exotic food, strike up a conversation with complete strangers, or get new shirt unlike the rest of your wardrobe and wear it tomorrow!

Taking the time to change your routine gives your brain a fresh perspective on the rest of life. When you are faced with a challenge or feel a little down, choose to get out of your comfort zone. When you proactively make changes, you'll be better prepared for those unexpected bumps in the road of life.  

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

While growing up we learn quite a bit. As young children we figure out how to read and play nicely with other children. In high school throwing a football becomes a skill and we start to see the good (and not so good) side of women. In college some of us learned how to funnel beer and others actually learned business or psychology. Finally as real world adults we get married and become dads. I'm sure somewhere in between high school and the wedding you learned all about changing diapers and raising children, right?

There is no greater learning curve than becoming a new parent! When you earn the name "dad" it can be intimidating, but nothing you can't handle. In order to be a real father for your children, you do need to make an effort and really learn about children. You could learn a thing or two from your parents or maybe you have some experience with a niece or nephew. Now it's time to take it a step further by picking up a parenting magazine and paying attention to your wife. How could you be the best father for your children if you don't know what's going on in their life? Have you ever seen any dads that are afraid to pick up their newborn because they might break the baby? Some dads just don't put forth the effort to be a father. Do you know anyone like that?

My wife has a friend of a friend whose husband is destined to have no relationship with his kids. He has a stable job which provides for the family and allows her to stay home with the kids. They are the typical middle class family and fit right into the gen X age range. The problem is he can't, won't and doesn't hold his baby for more than 15 minutes and he must be sitting down (and this is his 2^nd kid).This dad has never changed a diaper, would never feed the baby, and hasn't even been alone with the kids, ever. When I heard this story, I felt bad for the children. How pathetic that he won't put any effort into being a father. Yes, he's a dad, but you have to earn the title of father.

It's unfortunate when some dads don't see the benefit of fatherhood for their children and for themselves. I learn from my children every day! Creativity and imagination keep me young. They remind me how quickly time flies and to pay attention in the moment.

Do you want to be the best father for your children? What benefits do you get from your children?

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!

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

 - George Eliot

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.

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!

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

-Brian Walt

Have you ever said to someone else, "I need a change in life"? If you haven't admitted it to the person next to you, then I guarantee you're said it to yourself. Great! We agree you would like to make some changes in life... now what? First there's usually some experience or genuine shift in awareness and understanding (that "ah-ha" moment of how we arrived at this place in life). This could be a relationship, lifestyle, physical health, emotional health, finances, career, etc.

While you ponder this new experience, also keep this in mind, "perception is reality." To expand on that: your perception is your reality and Mary's perception is her reality. Genuinely making the effort to see things from someone else's perspective is the beginning of the change you're looking for. Oh, of course the other aspect is the honest acknowledgement of what you need to do differently and how it needs to be accomplished. Don't waste any time beating yourself up for not having this realization sooner, just get ready to move forward!

Here's a classic example of what I mean by this: I'm now aware I simply eat too much food and/or the wrong types of food. I'm acknowledging that I need to change right now, I've created this problem for myself and I'm the only person who can fix the situation. The consequences for not changing my eating habits would mean continuing to be overweight (fat); feeling frustrated about the way I look and feel and certainly moving myself closer to a health condition like diabetes and a heart attack.

This process works for any area of life when you need a change. Career, family, health, relationships, goals and your overall happiness will move in the right direction as soon as you take action with your new realization.