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In the News

August 9, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Yahoo Entertainment re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 9, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Standard Republic re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 9, 2017- Live Happy mentioned on ABC7 Chicago re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Celebrity Insider re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on E!news re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt, again. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on FOX News Entertainment re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in Cosmopolitan.com re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in IBTimes.uk re Anna and Chris. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in News.com.au re Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8. 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in Page Six re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on CNN re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on ET online re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in IMDB.com news re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned and magazine cover shown on Exttra! TV online re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Entertainment Tonight online re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on E News! regarding Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. July 31, 2017 - Live Happy and Michelle Gielan mentioned in article in Inc.com. July 21, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser and Live Happy are mentioned in an article on SheKnows.com about body image. July 20, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on KTLA newscast to discuss the Netflix film To The Bone. July 19, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on Good Day L.A. July 18, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on FoxLA.com. August 30, 2016 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on KTLA Newscast re: Making the Best of Your Empty Nest. March 16, 2016 - Live Happy and Happy Acts featured in the Kansas City Star. January 12, 2016 -SheScribes.com featured Live Happy in a piece on how to be happy in the New Year, which included reference to the magazine, website and magnetic chalkboard, recipe sign and water bottle January 5, 2016 -Good Morning Texas had Live Happy COO, Deborah Heisz, in-studio for a LIVE segment January 1, 2016 -DFW.CBSlocal.com interviewed Deborah Heisz for article "Ask a DFW Expert: 5 Best Snow Day Activities" December 30, 2015 - TODAY Show revealed online coverage of Live Happy Editor-at-Large, Stacy Kasier, TODAY show segment "How to Hang On To Holiday Joy" (Even After the Holidays) December 29, 2015 -TODAY Show aired segment with Stacy Kaiser on the topic of “joy” related to the season and carrying on into the New Year December 18, 2015 -MariaShriver.com featured article by Stacy Kaiser, "When Gift Giving Goes Wrong…7 Things You Can Do" December 11, 2015 -WPTV NewsChannel 5 at 5 NBC mentioned Live Happy's tips on giving "redeemable" gifts December 11, 2015 -MariaShriver.com posted "3 Secrets for De-Stressing The Season & Enjoying the Holidays" December 9, 2015 -Twitter.com/ToTheMotherhoodtweeted a picture of Live Happy Nov/Dec issue cover and subscription December 9, 2015 -WSVN Channel 7 News FOXMention’s Deborah Heisz's tip on giving adult coloring books December 8, 2015 -KPTV More Good Day Oregon, FOX Portland featured Deborah Heisz's clip on returning gifts December 8, 2015 - WGHP Fox 8 News (FOX) mentions Live Happy magazine in segment about subscription gifts December 8, 2015 -Greatist.com featured Stacy Kaiser's expertise in "The Best Way to Respond to Passive Aggressive People" December 4, 2015 -WSVN 7 News Miami (FOX) picked up Fox News Edge, introduced Deborah K. Heisz as Live Happy director and featured gift clip December 3, 2015 -Fox 13 News Salt Lake City (KSTU) mentioned Deborah Heisz and Live Happy magazine in a piece on gift giving this season December 3, 2015 -GQ Magazine Mexico featured article on Jeff Olson and mentioned LiveHappy.com Mexico launch December 2, 2015 - Prevention.com featured Stacy Kaiser's thoughts in article "The 2-Second Relationship Fix That Works" December 2, 2015 -The Hoda Show (Sirius XM radio) had Stacy on LIVE for her ongoing monthly segment in which she discussed holiday gift giving November 30, 2015 -Healthzette.com featured Stacy Kaiser's thoughts in article, "When Bad Habits are Good" November 30, 2015 -MariaShriver.com posted "5 Tips to Get Fit" article from magazine November 23, 2015 -ABCNews.go.com featured Deborah Heisz's tips on a piece about how to MAINTAIN HAPPINESS during the Holidays November 23, 2015 -Just Jenny (Sirius XM) interviewed Live Happy COO, Deborah Heisz, live on November 20th to discuss gift guides and happy gifts November 18, 2015 -DivorcedMoms.com featured Stacy's advice in article about domestic disputes after divorce November 18, 2015 -WomensRunning.com featured Stacy Kaiser's thoughts for a piece on "Holiday Fitness Hacks Straight from the Top". November 18, 2015 -iWayMagazine.com featured Live Happy in article about Jeff Olson in conjunction with visit to Mexico November 17, 2015 -Radaronline.com featured Dolly Parton's cover story in celeb slide show, "When Celebrities Go Out They Go All Out!" November 16, 2015 -The Steve Harvey Show introduced Stacy Kaiser as Live Happy Editor in Chief , included in her lower third, and showed the Nov/Dec issue cover in single-mom panel segment on Nov. 16 November 14, 2015 -TasteofCountry.com featured Dolly Parton's cover story in "Dolly Parton Shares Her Secret to Happiness" November 11, 2015 -Dr. Michelle Robin's Radio Show interviewed Deborah Heisz on November 9 at 12pm CST on the Nov/Dec issue and Live Happy overall November 11, 2015 -BlogTalkRadio.com featured Dr. Michelle Robin's interview with Deborah Heisz on November 9 at 12pm CST on the Nov/Dec issue and Live Happy overall November 5, 2015 -MarthaStewartWeddings.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s insight in a piece on “10 Ways to Calm Your Nerves Before You Walk Down the Aisle” November 5, 2015 -YourTango.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s thoughts in a piece on fall dating do’s and don’ts November 4, 2015 - The Hoda Show (Sirius XM) interviewed Live Happy Editor in Chief, Stacy Kaiser, for her monthly ongoing segment Link: Stacy talks about forgiveness on The Hoda Show November 3, 2015 -Twitter.com/NBC shared Dolly Parton’s cover story and image to help promote her cover story and her NBC movie, Coat of Many Colors October 30, 2015 -ScarySymptoms.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s thoughts in an article on whether it’s wrong for childless people to give parenting advice October 30, 2015 -ScarySymptoms.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s thoughts in a piece on why parents should be popular with their kids and teens October 29, 2015 - Live Happy COO, Deborah Heisz, quoted in USA Today story about clearing clutter October 25, 2015 - Editor at large Stacy Kaiser quoted in story about divorced moms October 23, 2015 - Stacy Kaiser is quoted in this article on 10 Ways to Boost Confidence August 15, 2015 - Mediapost.com Link: Interview with Live Happy Editorial Director Deborah Heisz August 1, 2015 - Inc.com Link: Deborah Heisz's advice is included in this article about vacations July 25, 2015 - The HodaShow Link: Stacy Kaiser on Hoda'sSirius Radio Show July 25, 2015 - The Kim Pagano Radio Show Link: Interview With Deborah Heisz, LH Co-Founder July 24, 2015 - Healthy Talk Radio Link: Deborah Heiszdiscusses Traveling With your Kids July 24, 2015 - Healthy Talk Radio Link: Deborah Heisz discusses Ways to Find Your Happy Place July 9. 2015 - LadyLux.com Link: Mentioned in article about The Benefits of Play July 6, 2015 TODAY Show Editor-at-large Stacy Kaiser and contributors Adam Shell and Nick Kraft were featured on the TODAY show July 1, 2015 The Jane Wilkins Radio Show Link:Deborah Heisz Discusses Live Happy and Happiness June 29, 2015 MotherhoodDefined.com Article: Deb Heisz:Kickstart Your Day With a Dose of Positivity June 25, 2015 HuffingtonPost.com Article: Stacy Kaiser: What to Do If Mom and Dad Have Different Parenting Styles June 23, 2015 HuffingtonPost.com Article: Stacy Kaiser: How Grandparents Can Help During a Divorce June 21, 2015 HuffingtonPost.com Article: Summer Travel Round-Up (Gratitude Journal) January 23, 2015 People.com Article: Why Is Scott Foley Hiding Under the Covers Every Morning? October 31, 2014 JustJared Article: Kristin Chenoweth Gets Into Holiday Spirit for Live Happy Mag October 31, 2014 celebuzz.com Article: Kristin Chenoweth'sWickedly Happy Holidays for 'Live Happy' Magazine August 19, 2014 mydevotionalthoughts.net Article: Celebrating 31 Days of Friendship August 18, 2014 washingtonpost.com Article: Stay Happy, and You May Live Longer August 7, 2014 semmessavers.com Article:Get Positive with Live Happy Magazine (Review) August 7, 2014SheScribes.com Article:Learn how to Live Happy August 4, 2014 nypost.com Article: Replace your therapist with these psych magazines August 4, 2014 mydevotionalthoughts.net Article: “Live Happy” Magazine Review July 30, 2014 lovetoknow.com Article: Why Are Jobs Stressful? July 28, 2014 mamalikesthis.com Article: Live Happy Magazine Subscription July 9, 2014 Pblcty.com Article: Miranda Lambert Talks Life, Community, and Staying True to Her Roots July 9, 2014 CountryMusicRocks.net Article: Miranda Lambert Featured in Live Happy magazine July 3, 2014 Guitar Girl magazine Article: Miranda Lambert Graces the Cover of Live Happy and Discusses her Credo to Happiness June 30, 2014Dadofdivas.com Article:Be Part of the Movement to Live Happy #giveaway May 13, 2014 Everyday Health Article:Why You Should Make Every Meal a Happy Meal April 16, 2014Yesware Article:The Exercise Effect: How Exercise Can Boost Your Sales Performance April 10, 2014 DailyWorth Article:4 Steps to Find Your Happy March 21, 2014 — Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Article: Pitt Celebrates Happiness with Wall of Positivity March 20, 2014 — Dallas Morning News Article: March 20 is International Day of Happiness March 20, 2014 — Forbes.com Article: Why the World Needs a Happiness Campaign to Live Better March 19, 2014 —USA Today Article:Happy, happy, joy, joy: Books, apps bubble it up March 19, 2014 —Houston Chronicle Article:Houston, Are You Happy? March 19, 2014 —Positively Positive Article:What Successful People and Happy People Have in Common March 19, 2014 Article:Happiness is the Thing March 4, 2014 — Huffington Post Article: Happiness Gets its Day January 10, 2014 —Des MoinesRegister Article: Iowa editor of 'Live Happy' magazine looks beyond bullet-point platitudes December 28, 2013 —Mr. Magazine Article:Live Happy Magazine: Happiness Finds Its Way to Print. The Mr. Magazine™ Interview with Editor in Chief Karol DeWulf Nickell. December 23, 2013 —Albuquerque Journal Article:Positive psychology focuses on what makes us happy December 13, 2013 — MyFox4 Video:Good Day Dallas December 13, 2013 —95.9WATD Article:SSMN: Wednesday December18th, 2013 December 2, 2013 —Washington Post Article:What’s so bad about feeling good? November 25, 2013 —Good News Planet Article:Live Happy Magazine – 25 Ways to Give Happiness at the Holidays November 19 2013 —Wisconsin Public Radio Articles:25 Ways To Give Happiness Over The Holidays November 19, 2013 —Biz Mommy Article:If You're Happy and You Know It... November 18, 2013 —Complete Herbal Guide Article:The Most Important Secrets You Must Learn In Order to Live a Happy, Healthy & Productive Life November 13, 2013 —The Overwhelmed Brain Article:Episode 0001: Jeff Olson: The Slight Edge – The Compounding Effect of Daily Progress November 9, 2013 — Examiner Article:Read celebrity profiles in the new Live Happy magazine November 4, 2013 —EternalLizdom Article:LiveHappy November 1, 2013 —Dr.Oz Video:How to Stop Worrying October 30, 2013 — Networking Witches Article:Live Happy Magazine October 30, 2013 — The Shelly Wilson Show Article:The Shelly Wilson Show with Jeff Olson October24, 2013 —Media DailyNews Article:LiveHappy Launches

Happy woman portrait blowing soap bubbles at the park.

Self-Care

Working on Your Own Happiness Isn’t Selfish

“There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.”-Robert Louis StevensonIf you had the choice to spend the day with someone who exudes happiness or someone who has a martyr thing going, it wouldn’t be a tough decision, right? How about your super upbeat friend vs. your chronic complainer friend? Not a challenging choice there either. Spend time with someone who exudes positivity, and you are more likely to feel positive. Hang with someone who acts like life’s number one victim, and guaranteed, Debbie downer is going to rub off on you. It’s called emotional contagion, and it means the emotions of others can influence us. So if happy people make other people happy, why is it that happy people are sometimes thought to be selfish?“The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided,” says Gretchen Rubin, happiness expert and author of The Happiness Projectand Happier at Home. “It's more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted.” Put another way …Happiness takes work. Happy people are taken for granted because they are thought of as naturally happy people or born happy, yet upbeat people have to work at being resilient, bouncing back, rising above, and staying positive. The outside world only sees the happy person and not the effort behind the scenes, so positive people don’t receive credit for creating their sunshine-like dispositions. “Happiness is a work ethic. You have to train your brain to be positive, just like you work out your body,” writes Shawn Achor is his book, The Happiness Advantage.Happy people are overlooked. If happy people are thought to be in selfish pursuit of their own fulfillment and pleasure, consider that the happy person often goes unnoticed. “No one is careful of (a happy person’s) feelings or tries to keep his spirits high,” Rubin says. “Because happy people seem self-sufficient, they become a cushion for others.” The happy person is expected to lift others up.Happiness doesn’t mean you lack empathy. Just because your smile lights up a room, doesn’t mean you are blind to the suffering going on in the world. You don’t have to sacrifice your happiness to show the world you are compassionate. “Just as eating your dinner doesn’t help starving children in India; being blue yourself doesn’t help unhappy people become happier,” Rubin says. In fact, happier people are better equipped to demonstrate their empathy and help people because their emotional tanks are full. “When I’m feeling happy, I find it easier to notice other people’s problems. I have more energy to try to take action and I have the emotional wherewithal to tackle sad or difficult issues, and I’m not as preoccupied with myself. I feel more generous and forgiving,” Rubin says. There will always be tragic stories happening in the world, but empathy is better expressed with giving back and good deeds, than giving up your happiness in a show of support.Happy people give back. Happy people are more interested in social problems, more likely to do volunteer work and contribute to charity, according to Gallup Well-being polls. While unhappy people tend to socially withdraw and focus on themselves, happy people turn outward and are more available to help others. And when people give back it only enhances their happiness, says Harvey McKinnon, a nonprofit fundraising expert and author of The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us All. “People are hard-wired to give, and when people give to others, it makes them feel better.” Turns out, one of the best ways to get happy in the first place is to do a selfless act—help other people be happy. Rubin calls it a splendid truth: “The best way to make yourself happy is to make others happy, and the best ways to make other people happy, is to be happy yourself.”So if anyone tries to rain on your happy parade by telling you that your investment in your happiness is a selfish pursuit, just say, “I am doing this for you,” because really, you are.Sandra Bienkowski, owner of The Media Concierge, LLC, is a national writer of wellness and personal development content and a social media expert.

Self-Care

The International Day of Happiness

The U.N. established the International Day of Happiness on March 20. To support and honor this day, Live Happy has launched a month-long celebration, kicking off with #HappyActs, which is dedicated to promoting small actions that make someone’s day a little brighter. Do Perform small actions that havea BIG impact in making the world a happier place. Find daily ideas and activities to perform on the #HappyActs calendar. And be sure to visit one of the 1500+ Happiness Walls located near you in communities, businesses, schools and universities across the country and around the world—where visitors are encouraged to post wall cards showing how they will participate and spread happiness to others. Learn Learn more about why you get that warm, fuzzy feeling when you share #HappyActs and subscribe to Live Happy’s fun-filled, happy emails with science-backed tips on living the happiest life possible. Share Take a picture or video and share it on social media with #HappyActs. Let's make social media happy again! Create your own happiness wall Align positivity with your business, community or school by hosting a Happiness Wall event of your own. It’s super easy to do—take a look at our brochure! To help get you started on your wall, visitstore.livehappy.com to purchase your very own Happiness Wall Kit.

Self-Care

31 Ideas of Hope

Starting in 2014Live Happy islaunching A Year of Happiness. Every month will have a special theme that's integral to happiness. January's theme is hope. February's is love. Our hope is that our themed thoughts, quotes, quips, readings and fun things to do will inspire your year to be happy, healthy and meaningful. Enjoy!1. "Once you choose hope, anything's possible. –Christopher Reeve2. Read Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein.3. Butterflies symbolize hope in some Native American cultures.4. Listen and watch "We're Going to Be Friends," by Caroline Pennell (from "The Voice").5. Watch Hope, directed by Goldie Hawn.6. "People who throw kisses are hopelessly lazy." –Bob Hope7. Read I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, by MalalaYousafzai.8. "God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us–in the dreariest and most dreaded moments–can see a possibility of hope."–Maya Angelou9. Volunteer10. Listen and watch "New" by Paul McCartney.11. Hope as a girl's name is growing in popularity in the United States.12. Listen and watch "Gone, Gone, Gone," by Phillip Phillips.13. "Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of people? Is there any better or equal hope in the world?"–Abraham Lincoln14. Listen and watch "Better Day," by Eddie Vedder.15. Write "Hope" in the snow or sand.16. Watch Fast & Furious 6.17. "If you are looking for a solid return on your money, invest in hope." —Shane Lopez18. Read Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed.19. Listen and watch “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo’ole.20. Watch Finding Nemo.21. The golden daffodil, the iris, the cardinal and the dove all symbolize hope.22. Read Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys?, by Billy Crystal.23. Watch World War Z.24. Listen and watch “Traces of You,” by Anousha Shankar, featuring Norah Jones.25. Read Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us All, by Harvey McKinnon.26. Write “Hope” on your dog’s bandana and take him/her for a walk.27. Listen and watch “Ordinary Love” by U2.28. Watch As Good as It Gets.29. Listen and watch “Clouds,” written by Zach Sobiech.30. “The more hope we cultivate today, the better equipped we’ll be to survive and thrive in the months and years ahead.”—Barbara Fredrickson31. WatchArgo.*Special thanks to producer Lindsay Doran for choosing our film titles.

Self-Care

Live Happy Magazine Kicks Off 2014, the “Year of Happiness,” with Issue Dedicated to “Hope”

Sharing Stories of Hope, Inspiration, and Happiness for the Year Ahead[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-MLqtdLwS0 width:525 height:394 align:center autoplay:0]DALLAS,Dec. 20, 2013–Live Happymagazine, the recently-launched publication dedicated to promoting and sharing authentic happiness, debuts itsFebruary 2014issue on newsstandsDecember 31st, launching its "Year of Happiness" with an issue devoted to "Hope."The magazine, the first ever to balance the science of positive psychology with the art of application, launched inOctober 2013 with the goal of inspiring readers through education, integrity, gratitude, and community awareness. During a time of year when many are struggling to find genuine satisfaction among the bustle of a season that practically requires happiness and cheer, "hope" seems to be the most appropriate expression of the expectations for the year ahead. With its first issue of 2014,Live Happycontinues its mission to impact the world and motivate people to engage in livingpurpose-driven, healthy, meaningful lives."Connecting people who care about happiness is whatLive Happyis all about," says Editor-in-ChiefKarol DeWulf Nickell. "Our goal at the magazine is tofeature men, women, and children who inspire us with stories of happiness, courage, hope and love so we can share their messages with our readers."Live Happysat down withGretchen Rubin, author of several books, including the #1New York Timesand international bestseller,The Happiness Project—an account of the year she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. She discusses her upcoming paperback release ofHAPPIER AT HOME: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon Self-Control, and My Other Experiments in Everyday Life, (Three Rivers Press; On SaleDecember 31, 2013) along with her journey from busy attorney to international best-selling author and happiness expert.Rubin, who became world-renowned for her happiness research and personal experiences, recalls the moment she decided to embark on her journey towards happiness: "As I stared out the rain-spattered window of a city bus, I saw that the years were slipping by. 'What do I want from life, anyway?' I asked myself. 'Well...I want to be happy.' But I had never thought about what made me happy or how I might be happier." Where does Gretchen find herself now? "My experience of my day has changed enormously because I've done so much to add enthusiasm and fun and enjoyment to it, and get rid of anger and boredom and resentment."Rubin finds herself in good company withShane Lopez, a Gallup senior scientist, one of the world's leading researchers on the psychology of hope and author ofMaking Hope Happen.In "The Hope Monger," Lopez discusses withLive Happyhow to make dreams come true by harnessing hope, and explains why he's on a mission to rescue hope from the mega-selling New Age self-help book,The Secret. We can, Shane says, "wish ourselves into failure," fantasizing about a great future actually saps your energy to get things done today because your mind reacts asif the goal hasalreadybeen achieved. Swap warm and fuzzy wishes for robust, action-driven hope and you reap a powerful payoff. Lopez shares why optimism and wishes aren't enough, offers positive steps for getting what we want out of life and explains why it all starts with school-age kids.The February issue ofLive Happyalso includes other personal experiences and guidelines for hope and happiness in the upcoming year:In "Making Family Time a Priority,"Tia Mowry-Hardrict, the former star of the television showSister, Sister, and current star of Nick at Night'sInstant Mom, shares withLive Happyhow she balances work and being a mom while keeping her family's happiness her top priority.Psychotherapist, author, and relationship expertStacy Kaiserexplains how 20 years of experience and numerous clinical studies have shown that hope can be a powerful driver for both mental and physical health in "Hopeful People and their Super Powers."Live Happyexplores the concept of "Going with the Flow." More than just an uplifting phrase, "flow," first defined by Hungarian-born researcherMihaly Csikszentmihalyi, describes the mental state in which people become so intensely involved in a specific activity that nothing else appears to matter, and is demonstrated by two American Olympic skiers who found themselves at the top of their game after getting "lost" in the flow.AsLive Happyprepares for the International Day of Happiness onThursday, March 20th, 2014, the magazine urges all its readers to share their#actsofhappinessand discover how tojoin the movement.About Live HappyLive Happy LLC, owned by veteran entrepreneurJeff Olson, is a company dedicated to promoting and sharing authentic happiness through education, integrity, gratitude, and community awareness. Headquartered inDallas, Texas, its mission is to impact the world by bringing the happiness movement to a personal level and inspiring people to engage in living purpose-driven, healthy, meaningful lives.Media Inquiries:Rachel AlbertKrupp Kommunicationsralbert@kruppnyc.com(212) 886-6704

Pretty young woman with sketched strong and muscled arms

Self-Care

Could Eleven Minutes Change Your Life?

When I first uncovered the science of strengths – those things we do well and actually enjoy – I dreamed of spending more of my days in a blissful haze of fulfilling, joyful and rewarding work.It all seemed so easy.Discover what your strengths are – disturbingly only one-third of us can actually answer this off the top of our heads. Use them as you move through each day. Then luxuriate in the success and joy of doing what you love.How hard could it be?Turns out it was much tougher than I thought. You see between a job I didn’t really like, children to feed and a husband to tend, I just couldn’t seem to find the time to fit my strengths in. Despite my best intentions, after figuring out what my strengths actually were, weeks ticked by with no changes at all being made in my life.Sound familiar at all?Convinced the pay off of increased engagement, easier goal achievement, lower stress and better overall wellbeing was too high to simply give up, I became determined to find a busy-proof way of doing more of what I did best. I haven’t yet found a way to manufacture more time, but I did stumble upon a secret to using my time more effectively.Researchers at Duke University estimate up to forty percent of our actions each day are not conscious choices but mere habits. That’s a little more than six hours each day we risk losing to mere routines.No wonder William James, the father of modern psychology, cautioned decades before that: “All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits—practical, emotional, and intellectual— systematically organized for our weal or our woe, and bearing us irresistibly towards our destiny, whatever the latter may be.”Pretty scary stuff right?Luckily, researchers at MIT have found that our habits run on a simple loop of cue, routine and reward. So how could I harness this pattern to reap all those lovely benefits of strengths-led behaviors?With my challenging schedule in mind, I decided to start small with an eleven minute daily strengths habit. Why eleven minutes? This was the busy-proof number that would fit into even the most hectic of days. No matter what was going on, I could always find 11 minutes somewhere.Choosing to work first on using my strength of curiosity more, I committed to using the first thirty seconds to make it easy to cue up the habit and get it started. A cue can be almost anything, from a visual trigger to a certain place, a time of day, an emotion, a sequence of thoughts, or even the company of particular people. Pulling on every tool available I anchored my habit to turning on my computer each morning and embedded it into my environment by setting my web browser to open at my favorite research sites. Then for good measure, I primed my brain with a “when/then” statement so my head would already know what to do when I found myself in a situation: “When I turn on my computer, then I will use my strength of curiosity to learn more about positive psychology.”Once the habit’s started, routine can take over for the next ten minutes. A routine can be physical, mental or emotional, and it can be incredibly complex or fantastically simple. My curiosity routine was to read the research that fascinated me and luxuriate in the joy of learning new things.The last thirty seconds – perhaps the most important of all – are to reward yourself for the use of your strengths. A reward can be anything that produces a natural rush of dopamine – the feel good chemical in your head – that gets you craving more of the same behavior.I celebrated by writing down one thing I’d just learnt (yes I’m a nerd). Then at the end of each week I’d package these ideas up into an email for my boss.And my eleven minutes were done. Cue. Routine. Reward.It took just days for this strengths habit to become the highlight of my work. It took just months for this email to spread virally through my office until more than 100 people were receiving it each week. And it took almost exactly one year for my boss to move me out of the job I didn’t like and into a new role where my strengths could truly shine.So what eleven minutes strength habit could you design to prioritize the changes you really want to see in your life?Michelle McQuaid, aborn and raised Australian girl, is a best-selling author, workplace wellbeing teacher and playful change activator.

Self-Care

Our Top 10 Happy Gifts

Winter is coming and you’re going to need to bring two things to your next holiday party: cheer and presents. Instead of spending hours searching for the perfect gift, take a look at what we think are some of the happiest gifts on the internet. These festive and fun items are sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.1. S’mores USB Heated Plush Slippers from ThinkGeekDo your feet get cold? Do you want to keep your feet warm under your desk? Do you prefer your shoes to resemble smiling campfire treats? If you answered yes then you will love this USB charging, foot warming, forever smiling pair of kicks that will both warm your feet and your heart.2. Happy SocksNow if USB heated shoes aren’t enough to keep your toes toasty, then you probably should add another layer. Happysocks.com has a plethora of zany socks for everyone. If want to keep your feet warm with a touch of fun, check out their gear. They have socks that will bring smiles when they’re opened this holiday season.3. Happy Face Texting Gloves found at Etsy.comKnow someone who lives on their phone? Protect their fingers while they tweet, text, like and pinbe able to continue updating their status while keeping their hands warm.4. Live Happy HoodieLive Happy has opened a Happy Gear store and cool weather is hoodie weather. Therefore, click on over to our happy store and keep the cold out while letting the world know you want to be happy.5. Smiling Plastic Bagsfound atEtsy.comFrom keeping people warm to keeping food fresh, these lunch bags will add a smile to whatever you put in them. It’s the best way to play with your food. When you show up to your holiday party with a bag full of smiling cookies I’m sure everyone will let a grin spread across their faces.6. Smiling Kitten Hat from ThinkGeekCats are perfectly designed for winter with their thick fur and already cool attitude. Taking a page from their book we found a way to keep your head (and heart) warm. Putting a smiling kitten on your loved one’s noggin would brighten your day and theirs.7.Be Fulfilled MugWhen looking to warm up your insides, a tall cup of hot cocoa or coffee is one of the best things to reach for. Let us recommend one more of our new products! Give someone abefulfilledsmilingLive Happymug and share the joy.8. Happy BooksA good book makes us feel warm inside and opens our mind to new ideas. Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin is about making small changes at home in order to create a happier household. This book chronicles Gretchen’s pursuit of home happiness and how it can be found in our daily lives. We also like the Happiness Project One Sentence Journalthat enables you to document your happiness journey one day, and sentence, at a time.9. Smiley face panWant to wake up like someone in a cartoon with your food singing and smiling at you? We can’t help you in the hunt for musically talented food, be we did find a way to put a smiling face on your pancakes. And let’s be honest, singing pancakes without smiling faces are terrifying, so Nordic Ware has taken care of the hard part, the rest is up to science.10. Smiling iPhone Charger Stickers from UncommonGoodsAfter a long day of status updating, e-mailing, video watching and game playing our phones need a break. Breathe a little life into your charging set-up with these cheerful stickers. The set comes with 4 so keep one for yourself and share the silliness with your friends and family.We hope you've enjoyed what we will be gifting this year and that we'veinspired you to come up with some happy gifts of your own. Let us know what gifts you’ll be giving this season in order to spread holiday cheer.

Self-Care

Altering the Trajectory of Your Day

Today marks the end of week one of the Pursuing Happiness Northeast adventure! Adam and I flew into Boston and have been snaking down the East Coast – Providence, New Haven, New York and Philadelphia – and are now going west toward St. Louis, where our first three-week excursion ends. We’ve already documented an incredible amount of happiness: Mario, the 90-year-old Italian immigrant whose children’s shoe store was a staple of Boston’s North End for many decades; Jenine, a young artist who works out of a beautifully dilapidated factory in Providence; and The Connections, a duo that plays old soul standards in the New York underground. Additionally, we’ve interviewed some brilliant minds in the fields of positive psychology, neuroscience, theology, philosophy and business – we were, after all, in Ivy League country. I have so much to share, but as I ride shotgun on the way from Bedford, Pa., to Pittsburgh, all I can think about is the story I just heard. We visited Stephanie Angel, founder and executive director of Angelight Films, a nonprofit that gives children living with brain and spinal cord tumors the opportunity to express themselves by creating and starring in their own short film. We stopped by her New York City offices and learned how she came to create this idea, and it quickly became apparent that we needed to tag along for one of these shoots. That is how Adam and I ended up in a dairy farm, bundled up in scarves and down jackets, shooting infrared video in the middle of the night while two men peered through their gun scopes, on the lookout for coyotes. David, 17, and his father, Dave, are avid hunters. Many of their finest specimens are displayed in their rural Bedford, Pa., home; bucks, bears and a very special marlin take up a great deal of wall space. Any walls not dedicated to stuffed animals are covered in family photos—David has two younger sisters. The most cherished wall space though is void of fury critters. Instead, the three walls in the dining room are adorned with large circles drawn by one of the girls while she was still of the age where scribbling on the walls was excusable. Not just excusable, actually, but appreciated! Her mother, Sherry, was so impressed with the art that she told her husband that the only way she would allow him to paint over it was if he were to cut out the drywall and frame it for her. He never did, so as the family dines, they’re always reminded of their daughter’s artistic antics. This was a warm-hearted, tightknit family. This is an incredible statement when you consider that for over four years David has been living with an inoperable brain tumor. The family lives two hours outside of Pittsburgh, or a 31-minute chopper flight to the children’s hospital—something, unfortunately, they know from experience, having had to life-flight David twice. Three months after David received the diagnosis, his younger sister was diagnosed with an incredibly rare disorder of the pituitary gland – she essentially doesn’t have one, so her body is unable to produce most of thethings it needs. It would be very easy and incredibly understandable if this family wasn’t so cheery—life has thrown them two huge curveballs, and although both David and his sister lead happy and carefree lives, the threat of disaster is always present. Understandably, no one is more concerned and involved than Sherry. Perhaps that is why the story she shared with us just a few hours ago was so impactful. How do you deal with the darkness? How do you not collapse under the weight of what the world has given you? Even more so, how do you actually rise far above it to a place of cheerfulness? “It’s not easy,” she told us, “but being in the darkness means you’re alone, so I find the best thing to do is reach out to others.” She began to tell us about an encounter a few years ago in the local grocery store. While waiting behind an older woman in the checkout line, she began to place her items on the conveyor belt. When she finished, she noticed that the woman appeared to be purchasing lunch for one. “She went to place that rubber separator between our items, and I stopped her,” she recounted. “I asked her if I could buy her lunch. She protested for a minute, but I told her that she reminded me of my grandmother, and that it would be an honor to get her lunch. The woman was speechless—all she could do was hug me.” Sherry’s eyes welled up with tears, as if she were right back in line. “So there we were, in line at the grocery store hugging one another, two strangers. Of course, the guy ringing us up was just rolling his eyes, probably thinking that all women are crazy!” Sherry laughed at the thought as the tears broke from her eyes. This small act of giving clearly meant a lot to her and served as a reminder of something bigger than just ‘giving is the best gift.’ “It was so easy—so simple—yet it had a huge impact on both of our days. I had been in a bad place, but suddenly I felt so much better.” What a beautifully simple way to mentally get out of a bad place. Adam and I continually discuss the idea that one can choose to be happy, but what does that mean, exactly? I think one misconception is that it’s as simple as flipping a switch in your brain—saying, “OK, I’m going to be happy right…now.” Maybe for some that’s all it takes, but I think for the majority of people, it requires doing something more than just deciding to be happy – it takes deciding to do something to be happy. Sherry’s story of connecting with a stranger on a deep level, thus illuminating the darkness of loneliness—is one great way to change the course of the day—alter the trajectory of thoughts and feelings—to something positive. Adam Shell and Nicholas Kraft are traveling the country to find our nation's happiest people, all while filming the experience to share with audiences in Pursuing Happiness, a feature-length documentary.

Positive Psychology

Gene therapy

Have you ever experienced a happiness so profound you felt it in your very bones? In fact, happiness goes even deeper than that—all the way to our genes. And, in a startling new discovery, researchers have found that different types of happiness affect the human genome in dramatically different ways, with potentially big implications for our physical health. “We’re finding that not all things that feel good are the same on the cellular level,” says Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., the lead author of the study, which was published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Barbara looked at two different kinds of happiness. Hedonia is “in-the moment” happiness, the kind that comes from consuming things or experiences—a slice of pizza, a movie, a pair of new shoes. Meaningful happiness, what scientists call “eudaimonic wellbeing,” is the buzz we get from having a higher purpose, connecting to a community, being of service to others. It turns out that while eudaimonia gives our biology a boost, hedonic experiences do the opposite, undermining healthy genetic expression. Under the scrutiny of lab examination, hedonic happiness looks a lot like adverse life circumstances such as poverty, social isolation or being diagnosed with a serious illness. “These results really surprised me,” says Barbara, who is the director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,and author of the books Positivity: Top-Notch Research Reveals the 3 to 1 Ratio That Will Change Your Lifeand Love 2.0: How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do, and Become.“Hedonic happiness actually shows a pattern that’s similar to that which is seen with adversity or stress. We’re not seeing it at the same strength, but hedonia is looking like a little version of stress rather than the opposite of stress.” In the study, volunteers completed an online questionnaire designed to measure their levels of hedonic happiness and eudaimonic well-being. Then the researchers drew blood and analyzed the gene expression of the immune cells in these samples. They found that the volunteers whose happiness was primarily hedonic had high levels of inflammatory markers—which are linked to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s— and low levels of disease-fighting antibody and antiviral gene expression. Volunteers who scored high on the eudaimonic scale displayed a reverse profile. Their robustly healthy immune systems were well-armed against infection while demonstrating little inflammatory activity. Does this mean we all need to go on a fun fast to protect our genomes? Not at all. “What this work tells us is not which kind of happiness to avoid, but rather which one you wouldn’t want to be without, and that’s the eudaimonic,” says Barbara. In the real world, both kinds of happiness reinforce each other. “Hedonia and eudaimonia go hand in hand,” she says. “What we know from past studies is that when people experience the positive uplift of hedonia they’re better able to go on and find meaning in their lives. And, that, in turn, becomes a durable resource. When times are tough you can touch base with the feeling that you’re a part of something larger than yourself and that kind of steadies the turmoil. Shelley Levitt is a contributing editor to SUCCESS magazine. Her articles on health, beauty and well-being have appeared in Women’s Health, Fitness, WebMD and Weight Watchers magazines.

Live Happy Magazine Premiere Issue Cover Image

Positive Psychology

Live Happy Premiere Issue on Newsstands!

We’re celebrating at Live Happy! Our premiere issue is out on newsstands across the country! We’ve asked people to send snapshots of our blue cover featuring Ron Howard when they first spy us on the shelf. So far we’ve gotten shots taken at Whole Foods in Santa Monica, Calif.; at the Barnes & Noble in Plano, Texas; Whole Foods in New York; and at the Los Angeles airport. Our cover’s message of Life More Positive is reaching thousands who now have a new resource of information, inspiration and ideas on how to make their lives happier. We hope you count yourself in! Do I sound like a proud parent? You bet I do. Live Happy grew from a personal vision shared by two entrepreneurs to a broader project undertaken by a small band of dedicated professionals. Now, it’s a timely and relevant new magazine and website. My husband, Don, was the first to say to me, “You know, with everything that’s going wrong in Washington [this was during the government shutdown], your magazine’s positive message will be all the more important to people.” Steve Cohen, editor in chief at Media Industry Newsletter, a leading publication for the magazine publishing industry, echoed this thinking just this morning, as he was interviewing me about Live Happy. We couldn’t agree more. Live Happy is an idea whose time has come. Thankfully, that is the general consensus of the valuable contributors to Live Happy. Shelley Levitt, our fantastic writer from L.A., was the first to answer my call, covering the International Positive Psychology Association’s conference brilliantly and then writing key and groundbreaking stories for the first issue. Kathryn Finney, our art director extraordinaire, also said “yes” when my ears and heart needed it most. I will always be grateful for their—and all our contributors’—great work, enthusiasm and care generously given to Live Happy. Yes, we are celebrating at Live Happy. And there are a lot more good times to come!

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Gene therapy

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