5 Tips for Living Healthy, Happy, and Positive

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion.  ~Dalai Lama

1. Positive thinking

This has become a cliché over the past years. Nothing is more important, though. If you want a positive life then you must be vigilant to constantly adjust your thinking to ensure it is positive.

A delay can be a horrible inconvenience or a redirection toward a direction that you may not have gone, physically or spiritually. Your responsibilities at work and home can be miserable chores that are eating up your time or awesome opportunities to perform and overcome.

Your dog or cat begging for your attention can be a nuisance, an interruption or it could be an opportunity to experience love and joy in its purest form. Your neighbor asking for a cup of butter could be a hassle or an opportunity for giving and gratitude, which lead to more of the same.

2. Eat happy to be happy

Eat what will bring you the most joy. That sounds horrible, but it is very true. A pint of ice cream will bring you joy now, but will it after you eat it? If your metabolism will not accommodate eating it without affecting your weight in a way that will make you unhappy, then don't.

It's pretty simple. Find the things that will bring you joy, real joy. There are countless ways to be creative about eating healthy.

Peanut butter on celery or maybe you don't like peanut butter or celery. Frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. Granola instead of something frosted. Honey instead of sugar. Have water instead of a sugary drink. It's really easy to substitute low-calorie things for high-calorie fattening things.

Not only will the scale display numbers that will make you happy, but also you will simply feel better. Your body will have fewer toxins to process out, so you will be less tired from all the unseen work. You will also be stronger against sickness and disease. The obvious benefit is that your body will be better equipped to live longer.

3. Exercise

Ugh! I know. You have heard enough about exercise. Bleh! You are tired from working. You don't feel like going to the gym.

I will offer two points of argument. First, I don't mean go to the gym. You can, sure. That would be great.

However, there are several opportunities every day to strengthen your body. Pass the elevator and take the stairs. Take your daughter to the mall and walk around with her. Grab the leash and the poop bags and walk your  dog. All of these things are fun, for you and anyone who joins you.

Second, anytime you exercise your body and feel those tired muscles, you get stronger. Getting stronger feels good. Getting stronger means you feel more rested more easily. Getting stronger means you might beat your obnoxious cousin at arm wrestling. Getting stronger means you will be able to sit for more than five minutes without dozing.

4. Give

Find something and/or some place to give, not just your money or stuff, that's easy. Giving your time generates more gratitude for you and the recipient.

Your kids' school needs help with the book fair. Your local animal shelter needs help cleaning cages and even just giving animals affection. Your neighbor is building a doghouse. Your significant other is making holiday cards.

When you make a habit of giving of yourself, you will have a constant feeling of accomplishment. This will spill over into your work and you will experience greater success. Besides, everyone you come in contact with will love you.

5. Be passionate

Find what brings you joy. You will find that this is also what you are good at. It only makes sense. You will pour yourself into what brings you the most joy.

There is likely a running club in your town. You don't even have to run. Many people walk. It is a great way to make friends and even make your friendships stronger.

You like to write. Do it. You like to fix cars. Do it. You like to fix computers. Do it. You like to read. Do it. You like to cook. Do it. You like to be romantic. Do it. You like to clean. Do it. I know, sounds strange, but I do like to clean.

Whatever your passion is, do it. You will find more and greater opportunities coming to you to do more of it. Likely, you will find better ways to do #4 in a way that will bring you and someone else joy. You can use your passion to give, even better.

Happy Women's day!

The essence of life is the smile of round female bottoms, under the shadow of cosmic boredom.  ~Guy de Maupassant

Happy Women's  day! 

International Women's Day (2011-03-08)

International Woman's Day i an international holiday marked on the 8th of March every year. The only exception is Tunisia where Woman's Day is celebrated on 13th of August. During that day men are treating their women in a special way. They give flowers, greetings and gifts to women they know.

Woman's Day is currently official holiday in Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameron, China, Cuba, Italy, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kirghistan, Macedonia, Moldavia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and in Zambia.
In some countries (such as Romania) it is celebrated in parallel to Mother's Day, during which children are giving gifts to their mothers and grandmothers.

Origins of Woman's Day

In 1908 in New York 15,000 women marched through the city demanding shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights and an end to child labour. The owner of the factory where these women were working, trying to avoid publicity of their action, closed them in the factory. Unfortunately, fire broke up and 129 women died. To commemorate this day, in 1910 Socialist International in Copenhagen established International Woman's Day.

For the first time Woman's day was celebrated in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland. Women were demanding their voting rights and rights to occupy public positions, women's rights to work and trainings and to stop sexual harassments at workplaces.

Similar situation including strikes took place in Petersburg, Russia, in 1917, where Russian women were striking. Their slogan was “bread and peace”.
In 1965 in USSR Presidium established International Woman's Day a bank holiday.

The other version says that the International Woman's Day is being celebrated thanks to one British politician, who spoke in British Parliament on March and was demanding more rights for women.

Contemporary woman's Day

In December 1977 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. Also, UN proclaimed an International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which is celebrated on 25 November.

In Poland, Woman's Day was very popular in communism regime. Women were given tights and flowers – either carnations or tulips. In 1993 Hanna's Suchocka's government abolished national character of Woman's Day. Nowadays, during that day, feminists are organizing demonstrations and happenings to proclaim equality of rights for women.

In Italy, women get silver acacia sprig. Also, silver acacia and chocolates are the most popular gifts in Russia.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Croatia, Montenegro, Romania, Moldavia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia and in Hungary usually women get flowers. There is a custom that children are giving gifts to their female teachers and sometimes, employers are giving gifts to their employees.

In Portugal and Romania, women's are celebrating their holiday by going to dinners and parties only for women.