Happy Friday Series Archives - Page 5 of 5

The Happy Friday Series: Beads, Buttons And Crochet

05/31/2013 By Jayme Soulati

Who knew? A Bead & Button Show. And more surprising yet. I’m going to attend it!

Well, let’s start at the beginning. But what is the beginning, really? Was it when I was a child whose crocheting prowess entailed all of making a chain of unending stitches that I would stretch through the house so as to chart my progress?

Was it the doilies I would later crochet because they were fun to make even though no one uses doilies anymore – updated funky colors notwithstanding?

Maybe it was the miniature granny squares that I turned into Christmas ornaments to friends’ delight.

Steel Crochet Hook

Probably it was when my steel crochet hook connected with fine copper wire. At least that’s when I’d found my muse. Wire + vintage and re-fashioned beads = endless creative possibilities for shiny, sometimes elegant, sometimes whimsical necklaces.

Why vintage and re-fashioned beads, you ask?

In short, because I was part of the first Earth Day (at a VERY young age), and environmental responsibility has remained at my core. By day, I run Terracom Public Relations, which since 1990 has helped innovative green organizations grow in size and impact. By night – or whenever I can – I am creating for my latest venture, zii designs.

Which brings me to the Bead & Button Show. I learned of it last year, shortly after I’d begun this jewelry-design adventure. This is no few-day gathering of beaders. Oh no. It fills out nearly two full weeks, drawing instructors from around the country: “The Biggest Consumer Bead Show in the World.” And it’s in Milwaukee, easily accessible from Chicago.

Well, life at Terracom prevented me from attending last year. But this year, I’ll steel away for a class and a hunt for more vintage beads. I suspect there will be a whole culture at this Bead & Button Show that could make for its own sociological study. I’ll be an interested observer.
And when I return, I’ll set my sights on a few boutiques I’ve targeted as prospective places to carry zii creations. (I do love the entrepreneurial pursuit.) My hope is I’ll be able to sell enough jewelry to sustain making more.

Because that’s what it’s all about. The joy of creating, of seeing how things come together. The breathless discovery of it all.

About The Author

Christine Esposito is founder and chief connection officer of Terracom Public Relations, chief crochet officer of zii designs and an amused owner of a retired racing greyhound.

The Happy Friday Series: Science of Happiness and Do-Overs

03/08/2013 By Jayme Soulati

happiness1 The concept of happiness has always been something that has fascinated me. So when the opportunity came up to contribute to The Happy Friday Series, I got really happy (true story)! And as always, I wanted to take an unconventional approach. So today I’m going to pull up my suspenders, tie on my favorite bowtie and talk to you about the science of happiness.

Positive Psychology

In a recent TED talk, Shawn Achor presents an interesting thought.

“It’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality. If we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness but we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.”

My Interpretation

What I gather from this thought is that happiness is defined by our own interpretations and beliefs. If we can change how we interpret situations and adopt new beliefs, we can essentially become happier.

Achor continues his talk on the science of happiness with a few exercises. When completed every day for 21 days, the following tasks will actually train your brain to scan the world for the positive and ultimately help you become happier.

3 Gratitudes – documenting 3 new gratitudes daily
Journaling – reflecting on your positive experiences
Exercise – training your body that behavior matters
Meditation – allowing yourself to experience your thoughts
Random Acts of Kindness – complete one random act of kindness daily

This fascinates me for many reasons. First, I’m in the middle of my own 21 day experiment and have noticed far more things going my way. People I regularly interact with have commented on my increased positive mood and I seem to be attracting much happier people!

Being a bit of a nerd, I researched these 5 tasks and found something we at Clarity for the Boss like to call the “do-over.”

The Do-Over

Remember when you were a kid and you made a mistake, your parents would often ask you “What could you have done differently?” or “What did you learn from this situation?” That’s exactly what a do-over is.

When you allow your brain to revisit a situation (through meditation), and you document (journaling) new and positive learning outcomes from the situation, your brain can’t differentiate between the past misinterpreted situation that you experienced and the do-over situation that you created.

The do-over allows your brain to create new interpretations of the situation and adopt new beliefs. Then when you find yourself in a similar situation where you may have previously misinterpreted a circumstance, your brain can recognize this as a new opportunity, interpret the situation as positive (or scan for the positive) and help you become happier.

And this ladies and gentlemen is why I think happiness is awesome! This means we can actually train our brain to identify positive experiences or reframe situations to be positive, and overall become happier!

So What?

As I said, I’m in the middle of a 21-day experiment and have noticed my happiness to be much greater. And I practice the concept of do-overs all the time.

Do-overs started with personal reflection and journaling for a few minutes before bed. Although I have continued with journaling, I am in a position now where I constantly reframe situations whenever I feel myself getting angry, or not scanning for the positive.

I urge you to incorporate these very simple tasks into your daily life. Seriously! That’s what The Happy Friday Series is all about!

And what do you have to lose?

About The Author

Geoff Reiner writes at Geoff Reiner.com loves helping entrepreneurs and business owners see their business through a different lens. By asking difficult questions and providing a new perspective, he promotes personal growth and allows others to realize and unlock their full potential.

The Happy Friday Series: Should Life Be Serious?

03/01/2013 By Jayme Soulati

Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.

~ Brendan Gill

Read that again. Roll it around in your head for a moment. Let it sink in.

Brendon Gill (1914 – 1997) was a writer at The New Yorker for more than sixty years. I have yet to read any of his articles or books (though I have his non-fiction work, Here at The New Yorker, on hold at my local library), but that quote has always stuck with me. When Jayme asked me to write a guest blog, it was one of the first things that popped into my head.

What if life really isn’t meant to be serious?

What if we’re missing the whole point?

I was especially delighted with Jayme’s invitation to the Happy Friday Series because she and I met over a conversation about happiness. It was 2009 and, as part of my pitch to win a writing contest with a “good mood” theme, I put together a fundraiser. Jayme was one of the very few people who stepped up to participate. We were complete strangers, and yet she raised her hand and got involved.

All these years later (Has it really been FOUR years?!?!), we are still friends; and – apparently – we are both still interested in happiness.

Happiness is a funny thing. Everyone professes to be pursuing it, but so many people seem afraid to express it. There’s a strange stigma attached to happy people. I wrote about this in a post on my marketing blog about the power of enthusiasm, “Sadly, happy people are often looked down upon … We assume that they must be missing something. We’re suspicious of people who smile too much. What image comes to mind when I say ‘village idiot.’ How about the expression ‘grinning like the cat that ate the canary’? See what I mean?”

People who seem too happy are often labeled as being “not quite all there.” We are more willing to trust cynics and pessimists. Something in our culture has trained us to elevate the worth of opinions that are based in negativity and doubt the veracity of the happy.

Let’s stop that.
Let’s start a new trend of trusting happy people.
Let’s make it acceptable to show your happiness.
Let’s dare to be happy ourselves.

Can you imagine the possible ripple effect?

Here is a video I originally shared on the blog where Jayme and I met four years ago. It’s guaranteed to make you smile. I hope you’ll share it far and wide and set some happiness in motion today.

P.S. Here’s one more bit of Brendan Gill wisdom, “The first rule of life is to have a good time. The second rule is to hurt as few people as possible. There is no third rule.”

Go forth and be happy.

Jamie Wallace is an award-winning copywriter and marketing strategist by day, an aspiring author by night, and a mom and hopeless romantic 24/7. Find her at suddenlymarketing.com or on Twitter @suddenlyjamie.

Image Credit: Image of dog by J. Star

The Happy Friday Series: Smiles From Alaska

02/22/2013 By Jayme Soulati

Our The Happy Friday Series continues with a steady stream of guest authors I am so delighted to welcome and appreciate (I hope you do, too). Today, we’re happy to warmly greet Ms. Amber-Lee Dibble aka Alaska Chick aka Pioneer Outfitters (got any more brands I missed, Amber-Lee? Heh, that’s a years-long joke between us smilers.) Amber-Lee is the voice and face of Chisana, Alaska. She lures wild-westers to the remote Alaska expanse of these 50 states with images of wild-game hunting, frozen tundras navigable only by snow machines, and cozy fires with all the kids and hot chocolate. She’s one of the most admirable bloggers I know, and she can spin a yarn…see what she has to say today about happy!

Amber-Lee Dibble

Amber-Lee Dibble Says:

I was invited to Jayme’s #RockHot Happy Friday Series to share a little of the happiness I have found in Alaska.

Now, Jayme really is pretty wiley because she is well aware how much I actually dislike Friday’s in general, but I must admit, this series has given me a few smiles too, so I’ll pay my dues this week.

Happy, happiness, happily.

Despite what stories and fairy tales may lead one to believe, happiness isn’t sprinkled over your aura by magic. It isn’t something that happens to you. YOU, are the magic, YOU are the only one who can create it.

Do you know what makes you happy? Aside from the big deal, the win, the things you’ve worked so hard for, do you know what so many people have forgotten or don’t realize?

The Little Things

It’s the little things. They are called “Little things” because they are so easy, and we tend to take them for granted.

A smile, from a complete stranger, has the power (almost like magic!) to pull a smile from you in return, from a busy and preoccupied mind, worried about the sick children, worried about the bills and if you are going to be late for that meeting you are headed to; that is the power of a smile.

We are taught that we have to work hard, even struggle for what is important in life. A smile is so easy, it’s like breathing, so it must not be important, right? Wrong. A smile is the most powerful piece of magic we have to call our own.

I read an interesting statistic as I was fiddling around the other day, online. It is estimated that we, as humans, have about 60,000 thoughts a day. How many of those, I wonder, are happy thoughts?

There are endless sources of advice on how to be happy and they all have one thing in common; they don’t cost a thing.

Pioneer Outfitters’ Amazing Amber-Lee Dibble

Look For the Bright Side

No matter how bad things can get, tomorrow always comes with another chance. Maybe not a complete “do-over” but with an entire day of opportunity, to do something, to meet someone, to see something, hear something…
Forgive.Yourself and others.

Forgiveness is a HUGE gift. To yourself and to others. Holding something dark inside yourself is like going out and asking for cancer. It eats at you, physically and emotionally. Forgive the pain, forgive the mistake, forgive the bad or evil done. Forgive it all, remember the lesson(s) it taught you and just let it go. Let. It. Go.

Be grateful.

Gratitude is a beautiful thing. Appreciate what you do have. Even if is only that you woke up this morning, remember the whole day could be a downpour of blessings. It is more than saying thank you to someone holding the door, it is a sense of appreciation and wonder to the life that offers you this kindness.

Take care of you.

Yes, I am going to say it. Exercise. People who get outside, breathe, move around, go for a walk, take a ride or work out are happier. Why? Because they feel good. They are healthier. Eating right, resting and exercising makes you feel that wonderful thing called happiness. Your body deserves to be happy too!

Smile!
There are studies that insist that smiling (the movement caused by the muscles in your face) elevates your mood. It is absolutely contagious and smiles cause (yes, causes) happiness and happiness creates more smiles!

And lastly, remember that you are not alone in this thing we call life. There are people just waiting to meet you, waiting for the day to change your life, waiting for the day that you will change theirs.

Be happy. It’s Friday.

P.S. Did you know that there is a small town in Alaska named Happy Valley? There is!

The Happy Friday Series: Glass Half Empty & Happy

02/08/2013 By Jenn Whinnem

A woman I designated as Social Media Woman of the Year 2012 graces us today with her always unique perspective on life, topics and happenstance. I encourage your read today as we continue The Happy Friday Series with awesome guest appearances thus far by Peg Fitzpatrick, Susan Silver and Paula Kiger. Jenn Whinnem is our guest today, and you may want to read her “coming out” story that debuted on this blog in 2010 before you read what’s below.

Jenn Whinnem Says:

credit: sodahead.com

The Glass is Half Empty and I Couldn’t be Happier.

Come here. Want to hear a secret? Here’s how I survived public humiliation and other fallout from:

Having to leave my dream college, one year in
Unemployment
Canceling my own wedding two months beforehand
The slow ratcheting up of an ultimately fatal illness
Several romances gone south (like all the way to the south pole, hanging out with the penguins south)

Until age nine, I drank a lot of Mylanta, because I was a really nervous kid and my stomach hurt from being so nervous. The short version was that I was terrified at all times that I would embarrass myself in public.

But then I got philosophy!

At age nine or so, I read Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You. “What are you so afraid of?” someone asks the protagonist. “The worst it can do is kill you.”

The light bulb went off. I was so relieved, I cried. Public humiliation would hurt, but not kill me.

Yeah, at age nine, I accepted my death, and put down the Mylanta. If I did in fact die, okay, I’d be dead, so it wouldn’t matter. But nobody was going to kill me if I said the wrong thing to a relative at my birthday party or accidentally farted in the grocery store.

Some people this is really weird, or even dark, that a nine year old thought about death like this. But I never was an optimist. I’m also not a pessimist. I consider myself more of an absurdist.

Here is the resiliency I developed as a result of my philosophy:

Any time I found myself in a rotten situation, I would determine the worst case scenario
It wouldn’t be death
So then I’d figure out how to deal with the other inevitable losses
And I’d FIND the humor in it (this is the absurd part).

See, if it doesn’t kill you, it’s just going to be inconvenient. Don’t sweat inconvenient. Take a day to sulk, then suck it up and be done with it.

Someone sues you? Hire a lawyer. Can’t afford one? Whatever, you can make it work. Clients haven’t paid you, and you are going to miss your mortgage payment? Be late on your payment. Take charge of what you can control.

It’s not that I think that any of this is ideal. I’d rather not be sued or default on my mortgage. But here’s what you’ll find:

You don’t feel powerless anymore. You have an ACTION PLAN.
Since you’re focused on action and not victimhood, people will crawl out of the woodwork to help you. Emotional drowning scares good helpers away. (it is okay to feel blech, but not to drown).
At least one person you know has been in your situation and knows how to navigate it.

Optimism didn’t really work for me. What did work was embracing reality, having a good laugh, and getting ON with it.

What’s your strategy for minimizing freak-outs when life hands you a lemon tree?