Little Guinness

She’s nine years old and only six pounds with no teeth! (She had to get them all pulled last year when we adopted her, poor thing.) Well, after I turned a page, I put my finger on her tiny paw and petted it. Just for a second. And from her deep little slumber, she started to purr like a big, steady motor.

Me and "Little G" on the couch

That’s how Guinness. She purrs all the time. And it only requires the tiniest provocation to get her to do it. Give her a quick glance and say her name? Purr. Pat the couch and call her over? Purr. Pick up her bag of food? Purr. Even the vet said that after they pulled all her teeth and she woke up groggy out of her anesthesia, she opened her eyes and purred!

Thinking about that this morning made me wonder: Why don’t we purr this easily in life? Why does it take us so much more to feel happy?

Here’s what I think we could do: Let’s think like Guinness for a day. Every time we see or hear or taste or feel or touch something that is good, let’s imagine a little purr of happiness inside. When you take your first sip of hot coffee in the morning? Purr. When you get a green light? Purr. When you greet your good friend? Purr. When you put on a soft, warm pair of socks at the end of a long day? Purr.

If we’re really paying attention, we could have our motors going all day long, just like Guinness does. They do say cats really life the life, right? Well, I think we can, too.

Did I cover the good stuff in my little list there? What makes you purr on a regular day?

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The Little Things That Make Me Happy

Big love,

“We’re afraid to be turned down, so we don’t ask. We’re afraid someone won’t like our song, so we don’t play it. We’re afraid to be thought foolish, so we don’t ask questions. We’re afraid we’ll be bad at explaining it, so we don’t stand up and try. Well, here’s a different idea: Let’s show fear what we’re made of and give ourselves a chance to see what we can do. Because facing a fear brings reward no matter what. You’ll be rewarded with success, or you”ll be rewarded with pride that you tried. Either way, you win.”

—from the upcoming Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now. (out Feb. 7, 2012!)

Be inspired. Get happy. Order yours today!

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Make Your Someday Happen!

Big love,

Picture yourself taking a time out on this bench. Ahhh, just chillin'. (Image: Hungtington Gardens, 2011, by Amy Spencer)

Here’s the deal: Aura Cacia, a maker of natural and organic essential oils, has identified today — January 23rd — as one of the most stressful days of the year, because our New Year’s resolutions are starting to slide, our credit card bills are in from the holidays, and the snowy, rainy days aren’t yet giving it a rest.

So here’s what they suggest: Today, at 12 noon, on whatever coast or whatever country you’re in, step away from your computer and take 15 minutes to chill out. I’m going to do it and I want you to join me! You know why? Because it’s time we took a moment to appreciate all of our own hard work, and sat back to enjoy what we’ve acccomplished — even just for a few minutes. That’s what happiness is all about! So set your iPhone alarm or your kitchen timer for 12 noon today. When it goes off, chill.

• Take some deep breaths.
• Stretch your arms up over your head, and bend over and stretch out your back and legs.
• Go for a short walk. Buy yourself a hot herbal tea or a flower to put on your desk.
• Or sit down in the park or lie down on a couch.

Whatever you do, do it away from your laptop.

Rest. Relax. Get happy.

Big love,

First, check out the February 2012 issue of O Magazine and you’ll see that Bright Side Up made #3 on Oprah’s list of “10 Titles to Pick Up Now.” Ahem, I think you should take her advice, don’t you? You can order the book here.

And second, check out the February 2012 issue of Self Magazine. They say, if you want to love your month, pick up Bright Side Up to help you do it!

Pre-order a copy of Bright Side Up on Amazon.com, or find one on bookshelves near you beginning February 7th.

Happy reading!

Big love,

My friend Brandon, who works in the music industry, blasted this song for me over a year ago. I have now Shazam-ed it three times on my iPhone in my car. Three times. The third time was today, at which point I turned it up super loud, opened the windows, smiled, and danced in my front seat all the way home. So if you don’t already know this song “Young Blood” by The Naked and the Famous, it’s time you did.

Are you ready? Plug in your headphones. Turn up the volume. Press play. Then let the happy flow. The lyrics? No idea. And I’m too happy singing, “Yeah yeah yeah yeah…” to take a break long enough to look them up.

Here’s to music putting us on the fast-track to feeling good!

P.S. If you don’t know Shazam, holy cow! It’s an app that you can hold up to any song, and it will tell you the name of it in about ten seconds. Run, don’t walk, to the app store!

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No More Drama!

Big love,

I got such a burst of happy in that moment that I wanted to recommend it to you.

Stop. Smell. Resume walking. (Image: Venice canal roses by Amy Spencer)

Of course, it doesn’t need to be roses. But stopping to sniff, study or touch a flower, a plant or a tree on a walk reminds us of what a vibrant, bursting, interesting planet we live on. Yes, we’ve got problems—on the personal, national and universal levels. But in any given minute on any afternoon, there’s a world full of alive out there that goes beyond us. Give that world a second of your time. Those boring old bushes at your company’s front door? Look at them. Those flowers on your neighbors fence? Sniff ‘em. That thick old tree that you can’t image not being on your block? Study it.

Stop for a few seconds to smell the roses and it will feel like you’re adding ten times that to your day. And if you can find a rose, for goodness’ sake, friend, stop and smell it!

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Lean on Faith

Big love,

Poke around, read some free excerpts straight from the book before the book is on shelves. And if you’re not signed up to get the happiest email you’ll get all week, my Vitamin Optimism, git yerself on the list!

I can’t wait to tell you more about Bright Side Up, and I can’t wait for you to be able to actually read it. You can pre-order the book now on Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. And then, come February 7, you just might find yourself living a superbly happier life without having to make a major change to your life at all.

Thanks for your awesome love and support. Here’s to a big, bright week!

Big love,

Coming soon: Bright Side Up!

Those of you who receive my happy weekly Vitamin Optimism email have already gotten a sneak peek of this, but for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, I could not be more thrilled to say that my brand new book comes out in just three weeks!

The book is called BRIGHT SIDE UP: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now (Perigee, out Feb. 7), and it takes my concept of dating optimism to an even bigger place, to life optimism.

The way I see it, happiness isn’t about what happens to us, it’s about how we see and feel about what happens to us. So if you can see your home, job, relationship or single life from a brighter perspective, you can feel happier about your life right now.

Here’s the one-minute book trailer for Bright Side Up to give you a taste of what it’s all about:

You can pre-order the book on Amazon.com right now. And if you liked the video, please share it! Inspire your friends and family to be happier today.

Big love,

“Our lives are just so full of, well, life. We can’t plan ahead for next week, let alone slot the ‘someday.’ Or we think it’ll be too complicated with the kids or the dogs or the planning. Or we’re so sure we want to do that “someday” thing with someone special, we put it off until that day comes. But here’s the thing: If you never schedule it, someday may never happen. And while, ‘someday, somewhere, somehow’ sounds wistful when Barbara Streisand sings it, in our lives, it’s just a shame. You deserve to live your dreams. Not someday, now.”

—from the upcoming Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now (out Feb. 7, 2012!)

Be inspired. Get happy.

And if you like this, please share it!

Big love,

Unwind to bring back the peace. (Image: Lauderdale Beach, FL, 2011)

The post is not only a beautiful description of how a marriage or relationship can get lost in the march of life, but also a perfect expression of how the smallest efforts can help turn it back around.

And it’s not just about relationships in marriage or dating. It’s for all of us. It’s a reminder that sometimes being the first person to make the move gets the Dominoes going. In applause, there is always one first clap. In a brainstorming meeting, there is always one first idea. After an argument, there must always be someone to reach out and take the other’s hand, to say “I’m sorry” and open the gates back to love again. If we just stand back and wait for someone else to fix it, we’ll be left alone on a piece of broken wondering what went wrong. Make the first step yourself. Reach out.

Please, read Unwind and take it to heart. Because, as Glennon writes,

“Love is not something for which to search or wait or hope or dream. It’s simply something to do.”

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Dive Through It!

Big love,