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Happy LuLu Day!

Happy LuLu day everyone!For those who are reading this and have that tilted dog head confused look going on, LuLu stands for Loosen up, Lighten up, and it's one of those made-up holidays that some random dude invented on a whim. So try it. Ahhhh. That feels better. If you are stressed out, maxed out or just overrun with life, today, November 15, you are officially encouraged to relax. You have 364 other days to worry ruminate. Use today as an excuse to break out the jogging pants and flip flops and get that extra helping whatever makes you happy.Here are some tips for loosening and lightening up:Call up an old buddy and have a laughHave two. Remember that time when he/she said this or that and you were all…and they were all…and everyone laughed? Laughing is easy and it is good for you. It lowers your blood pressure and reduces your stress.Watch TVAim for something a little less stressful than Homeland. More like a "Duck Dynasty" or "The Voice" kind of thing.Get outside and get some fresh airTake the dog for a walk in the park. Take yourself for a walk in the park. Or just sit on a bench and breathe it all in. Maybe a butterfly will land on your shoulder (and if that happens, run out and buy a lottery ticket). Just get back to nature. Studies have shown that there are many health benefits to oxygen, including…well, trust me, you just need it.Carpe Diem… because tomorrow, it’s back to the grind.Chris Libby is some guy who works here.

About Wake Up Happy Speakers – January 2015

Turiel. Her current position at the University of Texas at Austin started in 1999, and she was promoted to Associate Professor in 2006.During Kristin’s last year of graduate school in 1997 she became interested in Buddhism, and has been practicing meditation in the Insight Meditation tradition ever since. While doing her post-doctoral work she decided to conduct research on self-compassion – a central construct in Buddhist psychology and one that had not yet been examined empirically.She has developed an 8-week program to teach self-compassion skills. The program, co-created with her colleague ChrisGermerat Harvard University, is called Mindful Self-Compassion. Her book titled "Self-Compassion" was published by William Morrow in April, 2011. Kristin was recently featured in the best-selling book and award-winning documentary called The Horse Boy, which chronicles her family’s adventure with autism.Darrin M. McMahon is a professor of history at Dartmouth College. He is the author of Enemies of the Enlightenment: The French Counter-Enlightenment and the Making of Modernity (Oxford University Press, 2001) and Happiness: A History (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2006), which has been translated into twelve languages, and was awarded Best Books of the Year honors for 2006 by the New York Times, The Washington Post, the Library Journal, and Slate Magazine. McMahon has just completed a history of the idea of genius and the genius figure, Divine Fury: A History of Genius, published in late 2013 with Basic Books, and his writings have appeared in such publications as the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.ShaniRobins, pioneered the field of Wisdom Therapy in 1998. He is a licensed Psychologist and the founder and director of the Wisdom Therapy Institute since 2000. He is an instructor at Stanford University Medical School’s Health Improvement Program, and an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Robins received his B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from UCLA in 1989, his M.A. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Experimental Psychology from U.C. Santa Barbara in 1996, completed a 2-year National Institute of Mental HealthPostdocat U.C. Irvine in 1999 and a Ph.D. re-specialization in Clinical Psychology in 2002. He has published and has given numerous clinical workshops, invited talks, scientific conference presentations, and corporate consultations nationally and internationally on Wisdom Therapy and its relationships tocognitions, emotions, stress reduction, relationships, work place effectiveness, coping, emotional intelligence, performance, and organizational consulting.He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and has won many honors including inclusion inStrathmore’sWho’s Who. In his spare timeShaniplays racquetball, chess, and GO,rollerblades, salsa dances, runs marathons, and watches sun rises.BarbaraFredrickson, earned her undergraduate degree from Carleton College and her doctorate from Stanford University. She is currentlyKenanDistinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with appointments in Psychology and theKenan-FlaglerSchool of Business. She is also Director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory.Fredricksonis a leading scholar within social psychology, affective science, and positive psychology, and has received more than 16 consecutive years of research funding from the National Institutes of Health.Her research and teaching have been recognized with numerous honors, including, in 2000, the American Psychological Association's inaugural Templeton Prize in Positive Psychology, in 2008, the Society for Experimental Social Psychology's Career Trajectory Award, and in 2013, the inaugural Christopher Peterson Gold Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the International Positive Psychology Association. Her work is cited widely and she is regularly invited to give keynotes nationally and internationally.Fredrickson's2009 book, Positivity, describes the relevance of her 20-year research program on positive emotions for a general readership. Her 2013 book, Love 2.0, offers a fresh and practical perspective on this most vital human emotion.SeniaMaymin, Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Stanford,is a consultant and executive coach whose clients include Google, Intel, and VMware.Mayminruns a coaching network that provides coaching for upwards of 30 managers at a time to large technology companies in the Bay area. When entrepreneurs and executives seek far-reaching productivity improvements, they call onMayminas an executive coach and workshop leader.Mayminis the coauthor of the business bookProfit from the Positive(McGraw-Hill Professional, 2013), and the co-business columnist forLive Happy Magazine.Mayminhas been featured in the media—includingPBS’s This Emotional Life, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal’sMarketWatch, andUSA Today—primarily for her work as a positive psychology executive coach.Mayminfounded and is editor in chief of a research news website featuring more than 1,000 articles by over 100 authors. She has worked in finance on Wall Street and in technology ascofounderand president of two start-ups.Mayminholds a BA in Math and Economics from Harvard, a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA and PhD in Organizational Behavior from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She speaks Russian, French, and Japanese. She lives with her family in California.

Self-Care

What Listeners Are Saying About Wake Up Happy!

Wake up Happy, was inspiring. Every night I went to bed happier knowingin the morning I was going to start my day off with a positive mentalattitude. I listened to it from my laptop, while I was getting ready forthe day....at this time in my life this is exactly what I needed . I've always known happiness comes from within us, we have a choice,these specialists on "Wake Up Happy" just reiterated to me beauty trulydoes come from within. Thank you to the Live Happy team, anotherstanding ovation. MonyaW. I wanted to let you know what a difference these conversations have made for me. I have been going through some very difficult times lately. During my worst week, I got myself out of bed to listen [to Wake Up Happy]. It worked … and now I am on my way back up. Thank you so much for the work you do. Judy Z. Awesome speakers and content over the whole range of happiness/positive psychology field. I have never received so much in so little time that was so effective! Sue G. from Missoula, MT Thank you for the incredible way to begin each day this week—inspiring more happiness! Lee P. from Cambridge, ON I have gone through life never putting any thought into happiness. Now I am being introduced to a new experience and I am enjoying it. Thank you. Pam B. from Fort Worth, TX This is the best truly! To wake up to this content every morning is huge for starting your day right. Annie S. from Santa Clarita, CA This is a GREAT webinar...can we have this every day? I promoted it on my internet radio show last night. Joanne O. from Los Angeles, CA Thank you for putting thisweeklongevent together! After my wife passed ... I really needed this! Mark N. from Sacramento, CA I have been on the call every day this week, taken notes, and have thoroughly enjoyed each presentation. Ember H. from Phoenix, AZ Thanks for providing this amazing webinar series. It really puts everything into perspective! LlknurS. from San Diego, CA Just reviewed Shawn’s talk and wept, a cleanse of pain washing away. RobiR. from Virginia Beach, VA Thank you so much. I’m so glad to be here. I need this in my life!! Tiffany H. from Hamilton, ON This is really something to look forward to each day. Very inspiring and great information. Annie S. from Santa Clarita, CA Thank you so much for these sessions!! Amazing. Yvonne C. fromNorthlake, IL So excited to be waking up happy! ChinyereM. from New York, NY Fantastic content! Michael C. from Albuquerque, NM Love The Wake Up Happy calls!! KimmieM. from Renton, WA We are blessed to have this in our lives every morning this week. Yvonne T. fromYorbaLinda, CA This is such a great thing to wake up to in the morning! Pam N. from Kamloops, BC I am enjoying this very much. It is opening my eyes to day-to-day living. Pam B. from Fort Worth, TX What a great way to wake up this morning. Tiffany W. from Irvine, CA

work

Succeed by Failing

Amazon.com’s founder, JeffBezos, says a desire to invent and explore—what we call alearner mindset—is the key to thecompany’s customer-centric success. “You have to have a willingness to fail,to be misunderstood for long periodsof time,” he says. Jeff’s right. When we quit trying tobe a perfectionist (or an expert) andinstead become a learner, we grow, aremore equipped to face challengingsituations, see the world through a lensof constant improvement—and thinkmore creatively. But how can we leave ourperfectionist ways behind and take ona learner mindset? Here’s how: Solve a new problem Think of your brain as a muscle: Themore effort you put into it, the more itcan grow and learn to do new things. Do a crossword puzzle (without lookingat the answers). Play a challenging board game with the family, like“Scrabble,” “Monopoly” or“Balderdash.” Make a soufflé.Theidea is to do things that are out of the ordinary for you, and to begin thinking in new ways. Give yourself permission to fail NBA legend Michael Jordansaid, “I’ve missed more than 9,000shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve beentrusted to take the game-winning shotand missed. I’ve failed over and overand over again in my life. And that iswhy I succeed.” Failuredoesn’t define you as a person—it givesyou an opportunity to learn from yourmistakes, grow and move forward. Giveyourself permission to make mistakes,and you’ll approach life with moreenthusiasm and resiliency. Stop procrastinating Perfectionism is the enemy of learning(and creativity), and if you have a habit of putting off tasks, it’s probablybecause you expect perfect results fromyourself, expect perfect results fromothers or think others expect perfectresults from you. In reality, though, when you work before the deadline, yougive yourself time to experiment withnew ideas and concepts. When you’re a perfectionist, you seethe world based on how much you cando and how well you can do it. But as a learner, you have possibilities, and everymisstep is one step toward success. Becoming a learner Failures become insights when youadopt a learner versus a perfectionist mindset. To become a learner, ask yourself these three questions the next time you tackle a new project: 1. How can my past experiences help me with this project? 2. What can I learn from doing this project? 3. What are some mistakes I might make? (And what can I tell myself to assuremyself that it’s okay to make these mistakes once in a while?) MARGARET H. GREENBERG andSENIAMAYMINare organizational consultants and executive coaches. Their book, Profit from the Positive, was recently Amazon.com’s No. 1 seller in Leadership and Self-Help and offers readers more than 30 positive tools that can be applied to business, as well as everyday life. Follow Margaret andSeniaat Facebook.com/ProfitFromThePositive.

Lifestyle

Top 5 Timesaving Tips for the Kitchen

I love to cook. Cookbooks and food magazines make up a large portion of my reading for pleasure. Heck, I have a culinary degree! But like anything that has to be done—sometimes multiple times a day, day after day—making time-consuming meals can be a burden. Sometimes, after a long day of work when the kids are hungry and cranky, it feels downright impossible. It’s important to me that we eat together as a family. And I know how important it is for our wellbeing that the food we eat is not only tasty, but also nutritious—and that often means home-cooked. Boil-in-bags, microwave cooking, ground-beef "helpers” are not going to work. So I am always on the lookout for ways to shave minutes off dinner prep without sacrificing quality or nutrition. Here are a few tricks that even a food snob can embrace. 1. Hit the freezer—but not for everything In an ideal world, we would all be eating seasonal, local vegetables grown by organic farmers and sold outdoors at adorable farmers markets. But this is reality. Some vegetables fare better in the freezer than others; in fact, I would argue that some vegetables are better frozen than fresh, or certainly are easier to deal with. Three key examples: - Spinach. Frozen whole-leaf spinach has already been picked over, washed, and blanched, so it's ready to be thawed and sautéed with garlic and oil, or worked into another recipe, no pre-boiling necessary. (This also removes the guesswork that so often accompanies spinach: Will the nine large bunches you bought feed all your guests or boil down to about two tablespoons?) - Peas. If it weren’t for frozen peas, we would all be relegated to using fresh peas for about three weeks when they are available in the spring, after painstakingly shelling them. Frozen peas can be thrown into stews at the end of cooking or tossed with pasta, cream and pancetta for a weeknight meal. - Pearl onions. Have you ever cooked fresh pearl onions? By the time you strip that last papery skin off that last onion, you are ready to give a black eye to whoever invented Beef Bourguignon. (Two black eyes, if you par-boil them first.) Well, hallelujah, pearl onions are available peeled and ready-to-go in the freezer section, and you'll never taste the difference. 2. Let pasta water do double-duty Take a page from the Italians and use that big pot of salted pasta water to cook other parts of the meal, saving time and an extra pot. For example, if you are making the classic dish, orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe, while the sausage browns in a skillet, start cooking the pasta in boiling water, and after a few minutes, add the chopped rabe into the pot with the pasta. Then strain the pasta and broccoli rabe together, and toss in with the sausage. Genius. 3. Choose foods that are naturally fast Stock your pantry, fridge, and freezer with those things that cook at warp speed. In the meat section, think ground beef, lamb, turkey, or chicken that can be used to make quick chilies, pasta sauces or meatballs. Also look at thin-cut chops or cutlets, all of which can cook on a grill or stovetop in a jiffy. For weeknight meals, avoid large cuts of meat as well as whole chicken and chicken legs, which need time to cook all the way through. Almost all seafood is your fast friend: shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and thin fillets cook in under 10 minutes (many in under 3 minutes). 4. Make simple sides Instant couscous cooks in five minutes. Most pastas don’t take long to boil, but if you are trying to shave off minutes, use the small, thin varieties instead of the big shapes. Potatoes can be cut into small pieces and roasted at a high temperature in about 20 minutes for a delicious side. And of course, opening a can of beans takes 10 seconds (though we recommend rinsing them and tossing with a little salt and olive oil before serving). Most vegetables cook quickly, but if you haven’t had time to shop and prep fresh vegetables, see the frozen section, above. If you have kids, microwave or boil frozen edamame or “medley” of peas, corn and carrots for a quick, healthy vegetable side that they will actually eat. 5. Let your dinner thrive on neglect That obsessive flipping of your food, on the grill or in the sauté pan is often counterproductive to good flavor, and costing you time to boot. For the best possible crust, turn your food only once, timing it halfway through cooking. (Hint: often, if you try to turn your food and you find it’s sticking, it isn’t done yet; it will release easily when the crust is just right. The same goes for many things that roast in the oven. Rather than turning those roasted potato wedges, squash slices, etc., just let them be until they're done. You'll avoid tearing them, which renders them greasy anyway, and you'll get a nice golden crust on the side touching the baking sheet. Lesley Porcelli has been writing and thinking about mostly food, for more than 15 years. She was a staff writer at Martha Stewart Living as well as an editor at Gourmet, and has a culinary degree from the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Central New York with her husband and three little kids, plus a staggering assortment of plastic sea creatures. When not authoring cookbooks, she occasionally blogs at Ugly But Good.

Positive Psychology

Discover Your Genius

In May 2012, Shawn was invited by the royal family in Abu Dhabi to give a talk. He was so excited about the opportunity to go dune-bashing in all-terrain vehicles and ride camels that when it came time for his lecture about how to change realities for women in the Middle East, he wasn't thinking straight.As he usually does, he kicked off the talk by partnering people up and having one person try to control his or her face to show no emotion for seven seconds. Then Shawn had the other person smile warmly and genuinelydirectly into the eyes of the first person. (Trust us, this is more difficult than it sounds.) It wasn't until midway through that he realized his mistake: Half the people in the room were wearing veils.Smiling through the veilIf Shawn had thought about this, he might not have tried the experiment. But, incredibly, the experiment still worked. The women in the audience said they could see the smiles in their partners' eyes. Even behind the veil, these unseen smiles were contagious.The point we want to make is that no matter what seemingly insurmountable barrier is in our lives, we can create a positive reality. In fact, sometimes the greatest opportunities to do this are the ones that are slightly hidden.Tap into the unconscious mindAccordingly to Yale psychologist Scott Kaufman, the unconscious portion of your brain works on problems using different processes than your conscious brain. And as Adam Galinskyfrom Columbia Business School explains, "Conscious thought is better at making linear, analytic decisions, but unconscious thought is especially effective at solving complex problems. Unconscious activation may provide inspirational sparks underlying the 'aha' moment that eventually leads to important discoveries."But the key to unlocking these unconscious processes is taking time to not think about your challenge or problem. In other words, to engage all our brains and achieve those "aha moments," sometimes we need to shut a portion of our brains off and stop working.That's because once you have fully embraced and built a positive reality, that reality becomes embedded deep in your unconscious brain processes. Thus the skills of positive intelligence can become second nature, allowing you to harness all your intelligence without consciously trying, or even being consciously aware of it.Use the unconscious to think differentlySo, what problems and obstacles are you trying to solve in your life? How are you going about solving them?Instead of beating your head against a wall or spending 80 hours a week thinking about these problems, just stop. Take a break for a week or two, and work on other parts of your life. Play a musical instrument, read a fiction book, look at old vacation photos--whatever it is, do something that will engage your brain and keep it from consciously thinking about your problems.Take a few moments from your daily stream of life and let your unconscious take over.You may also consider planning a mini-vacation each week. It doesn't have to be long--15 to 30 minutes will work as long as you're doing something out of the ordinary that allows your conscious brain to refocus and your unconscious brain to start being creative. Have fun with this: Go sit in a coffee shop to journal, go to an art museum, take a yoga class, go fishing. We're not encouraging you to retreat from your problems or turn a blind eye to them, but to instead let the creative part of your brain help you build much more powerful positive realities.Find a new solution to old problemsThe greater the complexity of your problem, the greater the need for a positive reality that transcends consciousness. Success on a massive scale requires a reality in which, even if our conscious minds can't see a solution, our unconscious minds know one is possible.Many brilliant people never feel this kind of inspiration that leads to life-changing discoveries or achievements because they never let their unconscious brains work. So, take a break from the ordinary and let your unconscious get to work--it could just lead to the answer you've been searching for.Shawn Achor, author ofThe Happiness Advantageand the newly releasedBefore Happiness, is one of the world's leading experts on human potential. Shawn is the winner of more than a dozen distinguished teaching awards at Harvard University, where he delivered lectures on positive psychology.Michelle Gielanis an expert on the science of positive communication and how to use it to fuel success. She works withFortune500 companies and schools to raise employee engagement, productivity and happiness at work. She formerly served as the anchor of two national newscasts at CBS News.Together, Shawn and Michelle createdGoodThink, a positive psychology consulting firm.

Woman listening to music on her headphones.

Positive Psychology

What Is Your Healing Rhythm?

Whether your musical preference is Igor Stravinsky or Iggy Azalea, listening to your favorite artist might be doing more good than you realize. Presenters at the Music & Medicine Conference in Cincinnati on Sept. 19, 2014, said they’ve discovered that when it comes to tuning in, our personal music choices are much more powerful than most of us realize. Music involves every part of the brain Dr. Richard Fratianne, founder and director of the burn unit at Cleveland’s MetroHealth Medical Center, explained that music is effective for healing both physically and emotionally because it engages all three areas of the brain. Music captures the attention of the reptilian brain, which controls vital body functions; the limbic brain, which handles memories and emotions; and the neocortex, the center for language, imagination and consciousness. As its healing powers have become more widely understood, the medical world has implemented music therapy in clinical settings.Fratianne was one of the pioneers who used music to ease the suffering of burn patients and spearheaded research that demonstrated listening to music during painful treatments can reduce suffering and anxiety. Through the years, research has repeatedly shown that music has a powerful effect on everything from pulse and heart rates to the amount of cortisol being released in our bodies, butwhat surprised Fratianne most is realizing that no individual piece of music affects us all in the same way. This time, it’s personal While it has been widely believed that listening to gentle or “easy listening” music can help us relax, Fratianne also studied the effect of “patient preferred” music on his subjects. “We found that the reduction of pain and anxiety is most significant with patient-preferred music,” he says. Regardless of the type of music patients listened to, they had better outcomes when they chose the music themselves—even if that meant listening to such unlikely genres as rap and metal which are not generally considered to be tools for soothing the mind and promoting healing. Similar discoveries were made by Dr. Stephen Feagins, an internal medicine specialist at Mercy Anderson Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. While researching ways to use music to promote recovery from sports injuries and concussions, he was surprised to learn it wasn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. “We went searching for the best kind of music to use, but it turns out it was a lot more complicated than we knew. Everyone’s different. Everybody has a certain rhythm that works for them.” Like Fratianne, Feagins’ research showed that the effectiveness of music in facilitating patient healing didn’t depend on the beat, the rhythm or the melody; it was the patient’s personal feelings about the music that mattered. “We found that in every injury except concussion, music helps with the healing process,” Feagins reported, “but with a concussion, the only music that makes it better is a familiar playlist.” The beat of your own drum Of course, you don’t have to be a patient on the mend to benefit from the beat; healers like Fratianne and Feagins believe that such findings have implications outside the clinical setting and that we can all learn from these findings. Listening to music you connect with, instead of tuning in to another’s preference, may help you solve problems, improve performance at work and boost your happiness. Feagins points to the fact that even though workout centers invariably have their own music pumping through the sound system, most people prefer to bring their own music to listen to as they exercise. “Everybody has a certain rhythm that works for them,” says Feagins, “there’s a type of music that calms you, that motivates you, that makes you happy. You just have to find what rhythm works for you.”

Well-Being

5 Ways to Kickstart Your Creativity

I’ve found that when I’m feeling creative, I’m happy. So on those days when I need a booster shot of creativity to lift my spirits, I have several go-to strategies that work especially well.1. Visit a LocalLibrary.Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved the feeling of discovery and possibility that I get from seeing all those books. While I’m there, I check out art books. These can be very expensive in book stores, so I check them out from the library for free.2. Enjoy Beautiful Smells.Maybe it’s the scent of a fabulous perfume (I have to admit, I’ve become a perfume nut) or the homey scent of vanilla or clean towels, but a lovely smell connects me to the present moment in a way that helps me think in new ways.3. Jump up and down a few times.When I behave in an energetic, childlike way, I see the world differently.4. Wander through a shop.I dislike shopping, but sometimes I enjoy going into a well-designed store. One woman told me about her ingenious way of giving herself a creative lift: Whenever she goes to a museum, she buys postcards of her favorite artwork and places them in a basket in her hallway. Every week or so, she pulls out a handful and places them in her car.When she’s stuck in traffic, she enjoys one while she’s waiting.5. Creative “Bootcamp”Other people I’ve talked to put themselves into a creativity “boot camp,” like finishing a scrapbook in a weekend, trying a new recipe every day for a week or spending an afternoon rearranging furniture. The intensity of doing something that requires you to think creatively in a short period of time helps stoke your creative fires. (And, if your family’s willing, have them join you for your creativity boot camp—a creative family is a happy family.)If you’re having trouble thinking of something creative to do, ask yourself: “What activities did I love when I was a child?” If you enjoyed something then, chances are, you’ll probably enjoy a version of it now. One friend loved to color, so one day, she bought a coloring book and a set of markers. Now she gains so much happiness from coloring.Or you may discover a new creative outlet through a class. Whether it’s learning how to play an instrument, taking great photos or painting, when you take a class, you’ll gain skills, meet people who share your interest and be held accountable for making progress.As an adult, it’s easy to think you’re not creative. But, trust me, finding ways to bring creativity into your life will boost your happiness. Because when you think in creative ways, you’re having fun, being intellectually stimulated, feeling satisfied—your overall quality of life improves.Gretchen Rubin is the bestselling author ofThe Happiness ProjectandHappier at Home, and is currently working on her latest book, scheduled for release in 2015. She is considered one of the most influential writers on happiness today, and has become an in-demand speaker and keynoter.You can read about Gretchen's adventures and habits on her blog atGretchenRubin.com.

What can Cubs fans teach us about happiness?

Practice

Winning Isn’t Everything

More than a century has passed since the MLB’s Chicago Cubs won their last World Series, and you would think Wrigleyville would be a barren ghost town. But it’s not, and despite coming up short season after season, Cubs fans still show up for Opening Day, filing into their sainted cathedral of all things baseball with the hopes and dreams that their beloved team will make it into October… or at the very least, a series sweep. George Ellis, a lifelong Cubs fan and managing editor for The Heckler, a satirical sports newspaper, wrote The Cubs Fan’s Guide to Happiness as a way for fans to cope with the disappointment of losing. “The Cubs don’t really win that often,” George says. “If Cubs fans can stay happy, basically in the face of might be a lesson there: We somehow stay optimistic despite the fact history hasn’t given us a reason to be.” It is tough being a lifelong Cubs fan, but the “Loveable Losers” will always bleed blue. They remain hopeful for the future, bounce back after defeat (a lot of defeat) and have a good time doing it. Spend one day at Wrigley Field, and you feel the optimism. That’s why George believes his and his fellow Cubs fans’ unique perspective can teach the rest of us a lot about happiness. “Win or lose, we're in heaven” There are other things to be happy about: watching baseball in one of the remaining original and historic ballparks; you never know who will show up to sing the seventh-inning stretch (hey, maybe it’s Bill Murray or Billy Corgan or Will Ferrell channeling Harry Caray); Chicago-style Vienna Beef hot dogs; and beer. No matter what happens on the field, there is still plenty to be happy about in life. If they happen to raise the “W” flag that day, that’s just icing on the cake. Above all, George says, “you gotta have fun.” “There's always next year” As Wrigley Field celebrates its centennial this year, the only thing older than the ballpark is the home team’s championship title drought, but even that doesn’t stop these fans from showing up. Cubs fans have a philosophy for when things don’t seem to be working out: “There’s always next year.” They don’t let the previous season stand in their way of hoping to see their home team hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy in the next Fall Classic. “We’re always looking for reasons to get over that hump,” George says. Whether it’s signing great players throughout the years, new ownership or a developing farm system, Cubs fans are always hopeful for what the future could bring. “Maybe this time it’s Rizzo and Samardzija…if he’s not traded,” he adds. In a not-so-shocking turn of events, pitcher Jeff Samardzija was traded to theOakland A’s on July 5. “Let's get some runs!” The fact that the Cubs still have a fan base is a testament to their resilience. After the collapse of the 2003 season, when the Cubs were only five outs away from going to the World Series and breaking the Curse of the Billy Goat, fans were devastated. “It was the saddest city I have ever seen,” George recalls. “But in a couple of weeks we were talking about how next year’s going to be ‘the year.’ We were so close. We have [Kerry] Wood and [Mark] Prior. They both can’t possibly get hurt.” The following season, the two star pitchers, dubbed the “Chicago Heat,” did, in fact, suffer injuries. And despite the strong season, the Cubs missed the playoffs. But streaks and curses can’t last forever, right? “If you stay loyal long enough, when it does actually happen, it will be the best payoff in the history of sports,” George says. “Eamuscatuli!” (“Let's go cubs!”) Fans of the Cubbies share something very unique in sports: Most, if not all, of them were not alive the last time the North Siders won a World Series. That’s an impressive feat no matter which side of the city you claim. “There’s something fun in banding together, and just because it hasn’t gone our way, I think there’s a bonding experience when a group of people are fighting for the same thing,” George says. Thanks to superstation WGN, even the fans who move away from Chicago can still watch games and keep their Cubs connection. When the day does happen and the Cubs make it to baseball’s Promised Land, fans like George will be able to truly witness something amazing together. The friendly confines of Wrigley Field Most Cubs games at Wrigley Field take place during the day, so more often than not, the Cubs fan will have to take the day off from work or school to attend.But that’s OK, because a day in “The Friendly Confines” with good friends, njoying the great game of baseball and creating positive memories that will last a lifetime make playing hooky worth it—just try not to catch any home run balls on camera. “One moment you’re in the middle of a bustling Chicago neighborhood, and the next moment, you’re inside a stadium that has been around for 100 years,” George explains. “Say what you want about the ballpark needing some work, but the scoreboard, ivy and Old World feel of the place just make it special.” Life is hard sometimes, and there are plenty of reasons to jump off the happy wagon, but where’s the fun in that? Cubs fans prove that there are things in life worth being optimistic about and the beer cup is half-full. Since there’s no crying in baseball, when life starts shelling you with grand slams, do what every self-respecting Cubs fan would do: Just throw it back.

relationships

Power of the Page

Back in the day, unless you were taking a literature class, you did your reading and analyzing pretty much on your own. Then in the 1990s, suddenly everyone and their mother (especially their mother) joined clubs where people read the same books and gathered to share opinions and one-pot dishes.This easily could have been a passing fad of the time, but book clubs stuck around to become an important part of the culture—especially women’s culture.Oprah’s book clubOprah elevated the concept when she began her televised book club on Sept. 17, 1996, on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Beginning with her first pick, author Jacquelyn Mitchard's novel The Deep End of the Ocean, nearly every book Oprah touched turned into a bestseller and often was made into a movie.Oprah’s influence on the book-reading world was immense, and publishers certainly took notice, adding suggested book club questions and interviews with authors to the ends of many novels.What makes them so popular?But Oprah’s contribution to the form doesn’t fully explain the lasting power and popularity of the book club. For many women, that monthly get-together with friends over a book and a glass of Pinot has become an indispensable source of support—a place to exchange information and an outlet for emotions.More than attending a casual get-together or a scholarly seminar, it turns out that belonging to a book club can affect our wellbeing in several ways. In addition to exercising some of the brain cells many of us have kept dormant since college (or since having kids), apparently, “Joining a group that meets just once a month produces the same increase in happiness as doubling your income,” journalist David Brooks wrote in The New Yorker.Reading happiness“I absolutely feel that my book club brings a huge amount of happiness to my life,” says Jen Heller, a writer from Boston. “It blends the comforting continuity of regularly scheduled time with friends with the adventure of a new reading experience every month.”Adds Heller, “Women in general are in search of human connection, and it enriches our lives to be part of a community where we—and our ideas about life and literature—are always welcomed.”A source of strength and supportBook clubs have become modern versions of the consciousness-raising groups of the 1970s.According to Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, authors of The Book Club Cookbook, book clubs have “become sources of strength and support in the face of illness or other personal tragedy. They are a place to celebrate a new baby, a marriage, a promotion, or a graduation. And for many, they simply represent a refuge from the demands of work and home, a place to catch one’s breath.”Connecting with other peopleNurse practitioner Jane Parker of St. Paul, Minnesota, calls her book club, “a built-in focus group.” Launched in 1998—and still going strong—Parker’s club is a place in which “we’ve seen each other through births, deaths, divorces, child-related heartaches, marriages, grandchildren and everything in-between.”Connecting to people going through similar life experiences, such as raising a baby, was one reason Jolina Petersheim, a Tennessee-based novelist, joined.“Book clubs are so popular for women because they provide an outlet for intellectual conversation, beyond the best brand of diapers and the Moby wrap versus the Ergo carrier,” she says. “Plus, sometimes it’s nice just to read a book where the text doesn’t rhyme!”