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3 Inspiring Lessons From the Thai Soccer Team Rescue

For 17 days, the eyes of the world were on Thailand. There, 12 young men, ages 11–16, were trapped in a pitch-black, flooded cave with the very real possibility of never coming out alive. As I reflected on their incredible rescue story, I couldn’t help but hear whisperings of ancient wisdom—wisdom steeped in powerful spiritual and ethical teachings that still ring true today. A sign outside the cave warns visitors not to enter during the months of July through November, the area's monsoon season. Assistant soccer coach Ekkapol (“Ake”) Chantawong had taken his team to the Tham Luang cave earlier in December. This time, a week before July, he took them there after a day’s soccer practice to celebrate one of the boy’s birthday, planning to stay for just an hour. Mother Nature had a different plan, though; a flash rainstorm drove them deeper inside the cave. It was this one seemingly simple act that proved to be an extreme example of how our every action takes place in a dynamic chain of countless reactions and interactions. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once referred to our being bound together in an inescapable network of mutuality. In Thailand, they might call it the network of karma. In a matter of days, a simple visit to a cave mobilized 10,000 people—including 2,000 soldiers, 200 divers and representatives from 100 government agencies. The lesson to be learned? Our lives are not separate; one life can affect tens and hundreds of thousands. Now, let’s take a look at how the parents responded to the coach’s actions. In Western societies, placing blame is often the go-to response. Yet, here, the parents acknowledged the imperfection of the situation, and then went on to express their gratitude to Coach Ake for caring for their sons. This is interesting. Perhaps it’s because Thailand is 95 percent Buddhist. For them, it’s about getting clear about their purpose in life, building an enlightened society together, and attaining liberation from needless suffering rather than becoming attached to outrage, blame and fear. They wanted to get on with their lives, and let Coach Ake begin anew and do the same. As famous radio host Bernard Meltzer once put it, “When you forgive, you in no way change the past, but you sure do change the future.” Compassion and forgiveness can be more invaluable than recrimination and litigation. It’s the third lesson this survival story reveals that is the real keeper for me. Put simply, hope is real. Looking back, there were doubts at first that there’d be survivors. Then, once they were finally located (by smell, in fact), it was determined that the delicate, dangerous maneuver would involve navigating nearly 2 miles underwater. There was even talk of the rescue possibly taking months. And yet, more and more people came together, saying, “No. We have to turn around what you may call Mission Impossible into Mission Possible. Failure is not an option.” To what do we attribute this awesome resolve in the face of dicey, adverse odds? The intention here is clear: “Let’s save the kids.” Whether or not the growing members of the rescue team had kids of their own, they recognized these children as their very own. And as the world watched, they became our children, too. What rallied the Thai people and motivated others to quickly join hands across 15 nations can give all of us hope. I know I personally need that sense of fearless courage, optimistic determination and clear-headed resilience in my life right now. It’s true, too, for many of my friends during these uncertain times. Our hearts know of a better world; we saw confirmation in the Thai cave of how that world is possible. May we all continue to draw from the healing, transformative watershed of courage, hope, resilience and community which the good news in Thailand has nourished in tens of millions of hearts around the world.

Interrnational Positive Education Network

Self-Care

Summit Kick-Starts Global Positive Education Transformation

Educators, administrators, students and anyone concerned about the inclusion of character and well-being principles in schools traveled from all around the globe to attend The World Positive Education Accelerator (WPEA): Second Festival of Positive Education + Appreciative Inquiry Summit last month in Fort Worth, Texas. Held in the Fort Worth Convention Center, more than 30 countries were represented with roughly 900 like-minded individuals dedicated to integrating more positive education in global educational systems. This conference’s unique approach went beyond topics of learning and achievement in math, science, social studies and language, sharing the latest in research on curricula that boost student well-being, resilience and “grit.” This focus aids the development of individuals who reach their full potential of learning and leading through a positive mindset and critical problem-solving. With a growing number of children struggling today to cope with challenges at school and at home—ranging from technology distractions and innovations to increasing teen depression, bullying and school violence—the need is urgent, participants say. “Essentially we’re redesigning what 21st century global education looks like,” says Sir Anthony Seldon, president of the International Positive Education Network (IPEN), a co-convener of the four-day conference with the David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry at Champlain College. “We want educators to walk away empowered with the tools, resources and connections to make real, lasting change.” Advocates for positive education, including Lea Waters, Ph.D., a psychology researcher at the University of Melbourne in Australia, say that when we focus on our children’s strengths and have the right tools to teach character, we can see grades, life satisfaction, self-confidence and positive emotions improve. This gives our children the best chance to cope with the struggles that life may bring. One of things that has got to be in our close future is the creation of inexpensive ways of reliably and validly training many teachers who want to deliver positive education,”-Martin Seligman, Ph.D. Using David Cooperrider’s Appreciative Inquiry method (a whole-system approach to problem-solving), attendees had the opportunity to look for solutions from all angles, including strengths-based parenting, positive psychology practices, faculty and staff training, and lifting up surrounding institutions and communities. “We have this opportunity to create the best educational systems in the world,” David told the eager crowd. “My heart aches for where it is not happening.” Attendee Margarita Tarragona, Ph.D., a psychologist, coach, organizational consultant and author from Mexico, found the conference empowering. “I came for two reasons. I love positive psychology and am very involved in the movement, and I wanted to experience the full Appreciative Inquiry process for the first time,” she says. “It’s so interesting to me to observe the process that can bring so many people together and turn that energy and brain power into something concrete to create real change. “It was particularly moving to hear David Cooperrider say that of all the projects he’s involved in, he believes this is the most important and the most critical to our global future. What a wonderful inspiration to be a part of that,” she says. Keynote speakers included positive psychology powerhouses such as Martin Seligman, Angela Duckworth, Lea and Anthony. David led the summit portion of the conference with Lindsey Godwin, director of the Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry at Champlain College. Attendees from Texas, California, Vermont, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, China, Mexico, Australia and beyond broke into smaller groups according to their strengths and interests to address summit topics such as teacher enrichment and training; what the future of learning will look like for all levels from early education to higher education; new science and research opportunities; national and international policy; and business as a force for positive education. Martin, a founding father of positive psychology, explained to the crowd that teaching character and well-being in schools can buffer against negativity, anger, anxiety and depression. He notes that more accountability and training is needed to help it take hold. “One of things that has got to be in our close future is the creation of inexpensive ways of reliably and validly training many teachers who want to deliver positive education,” he says. Lisa Sansom, an organizational development specialist from Ontario, Canada, shares the desire for more teacher training at all levels. “I would really like to see this flourish and grow and really come to life,” she says. She believes more leaders in the right positions need to make the right decisions. “The one thing we really need is a leadership champion. Someone who is positioned high enough to be able to say, ‘yes this is it, and start making it happen,’ kind of the way Anthony Seldon has in the U.K. ... We need someone to say, ‘this is great, let’s go.’” The global turnout and interest in positive education was encouraging to Lewis Forrest II, associate dean for university life at George Mason University. He believes there would be more interest in well-being and character in schools if more educators had access to the information. “I’ve gotten a few responses on social media from folks who asked, ‘Where are you, what are you doing?’” he says. “These are really excellent dedicated teachers and educators who just don’t know.” As educators and administrators start to see results, there will be more of a positive response, he says. “With anything that you learn, the critical piece is how you share it, explain it to folks and coach them on what is useful.” For more information or to get involved, go to IPEN and David Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry at Champlain College.

relationships

17 Things Our Kids Teach Us About Happiness

Parenting isn’t easy. We wonder if we are doing a good enough job while we juggle multiple responsibilities and watch our kids grow up too fast. Sometimes we are so caught up in teaching our children that we forget to pause and ask ourselves what we can learn from them. What if children hold the secret to a meaningful and fulfilling adulthood? Here are 17 things you can learn from kids: Stay present. When a child wakes up, they are not stressing about what’s on their to-do list or how to get it all done. Kids just naturally live in the moment. Adults can choose to as well. Be spontaneous. While we may not want to emulate our kids when they go from temper tantrum to happy in a matter of seconds, we can follow their lead when it comes to unplanned fun. Forget the workweek drudgery and the fun-is-for-the-weekend mindset and seek more moments of joy within each day. Find your voice. Our kids are always vying for our attention. They want to be seen and heard. Adults need to know they matter, too. Surround yourself with people who value you and what you have to say. Don’t worry about what other people think. Watch a 4-year-old select an outfit, and you quickly realize they don’t care about what other people think. Blue sparkle pants can go with a black and white polka dot shirt and orange rain boots. Make decisions based on what you like and not what the critics might say. Dance. Don’t wait for a dance club or ballroom lessons, let the music play and dance in your kitchen or down the street. Kids delight in movement, anywhere, any time. Be open to some playful dancing just because. Start with a blank slate. Even if little ones go to bed pouting, they often wake up happy without holding on to what happened the day before. A new day is a chance to start again. Be silly and laugh for no special reason. It’s easy to make kids laugh. Adults? Not so much. Booked schedules and multiple responsibilities can make adults too serious. Let yourself be silly for no special reason. Laugh with your co-workers. Crack a joke. Watch a comedy and laugh out loud. Be playful with your spouse. Laughing is good for your health. Go outdoors. Remember when you were little and you’d come inside smelling like fresh air? You probably had dirt on you, a fresh scratch or two and you were exhilarated from a day of running around outside nonstop. Seek out nature more often to recharge and awaken your spirit. Love unconditionally. Even when we don’t have our best day as a parent, our children love us anyway. Instead of being so tough on yourself, choose to love yourself and others without conditions. It feels so good when your child says, “I love you.” Offer that unconditional love to others around you, too. Do what you love. Kids are inherently drawn to what they love doing. They will ask mom or dad 100 times in a row if they can do that activity. Too often adults let what they love doing slip to the bottom of their list—buried under responsibilities and daily habits. Get back to doing what you love—it’s often the path to your purpose. Play. Children often view every environment as an opportunity to play. What if you began filtering your world (and days) looking for opportunities to have some fun? Make messes. Enjoy the freedom in making a mess. (Note to neat freaks: You can clean it up!) You don’t have to destroy your kitchen with a food fight. Channel your inner child by riding your bike through a puddle, running through the sprinkler, playing in mud with your kids or painting without worry that colors will drip on your clothes. Get excited. How often do you get crazy psyched for something? Anticipation and excitement are skills kids have mastered. (Picture wide eyes, big smiles, jumping up and down and shrieking.) When is the last time you felt that excited? Put some things on your calendar that make you giddy with childlike excitement. Notice the joy all around you. Kids find joy in the smallest of pleasures—from a firetruck that passes by to a butterfly landing near them. Children delight in cloud shapes, a rabbit that hops into the yard and rainbow sprinkles on ice cream. Start noticing and appreciating the simple little joys that surround you every day. Accept others exactly as they are. Children are drawn to adults who show an interest in them. You don’t have to look or be a certain way to be loved and accepted by kids. Take a tip from the little ones: Don’t judge others. Take an open-minded and kind-hearted interest in other people. Be curious about the world. Kids have a natural wonder and curiosity about the world. Be a sponge and love to learn like your kids do. See every new person you meet as someone you could learn something from. Look for new experiences and opportunities to absorb knowledge. Be authentic. Some adults spend their lives learning to be who they are. Children just know who they are unapologetically. Find your way back to who you know yourself to be.

relationships

Shower Truck Helps Nashville’s Homeless

When Rhonda and Paul Schmitz moved to Nashville in 2013, they wanted to continue doing the kind of volunteer work they’d been doing with the homeless in Kansas. The more work they did with the Nashville homeless, the more they heard of an unmet need. “The one thing we heard over and over was that people needed a place to shower,” Rhonda says. “We looked around, thinking there had to be something available, and there wasn’t anything for them.” Nashville’s growth boom and current role as the “it” city of the South has been hard on the underemployed; many of the city’s homeless have jobs but can’t afford skyrocketing rents. “Imagine having to get up every day to go to work, and the first thing on your mind is trying to find someplace just to clean up,” Rhonda says. She says they couldn’t imagine having to do that every day, but they could imagine a solution. “Paul said, ‘We need to do a shower truck’ and that’s where it started. It all came together from there.” Community Effort They called their new initiative Shower Up, and as soon as they received their nonprofit status in November of 2016, they began fundraising efforts. They signed up for The Big Payback, a citywide drive to raise money for nonprofits, and received what Rhonda calls “a tremendous response.” By December, they had a box truck, but needed to convert it into a mobile shower unit—something they had no idea how to do. “I asked around, and the one thing women really wanted was to be able to shower in private,” Rhonda says. “Usually if it’s a portable shower, it’s not very private. And women, especially women who are living on the streets, need those moments to themselves.” Rhonda and Paul took their ideas (and their truck) to the Lee Company, which provides heating, air conditioning, electrical and other services. “They were incredible, they knew exactly what we were doing and every time I said what we wanted, they just said ‘we can do that.’ It was amazing,” she recalls. But she and Paul were in for an even bigger surprise when the company said they would design and complete it for only the cost of materials. Before Rhonda and Paul left the meeting, the workers had one more surprise for them. “They brought in one of their senior executives, who told us that he’d had a dream the week before that they were going to build showers for the homeless in a box truck,” Rhonda says. “He had come in and told them that’s what they were going to do.” And that’s exactly what they ended up doing. Giving Back a Bit of Humanity By April 2017, the truck was ready. Thanks to Facebook and word of mouth, the Schmitz garage was filled with donated shampoo, soaps and supplies. (To this day, they have not yet had to buy any shampoo.) “People just got behind it in such a big way. We started offering showers in May, and after the first week, I got a message from a hairstylist named Carolyn who wanted to know if she could come down and cut hair.” That launched yet another movement that today is known as the Nashville Street Barbers. This collective of professional stylists donates services every Monday night to provide beard trims, haircuts and other salon services at the Shower Up locations. “We’ve had an incredible response, both from the homeless and from volunteers who want to come help,” Rhonda says. “Maybe they’re cutting hair, maybe they’re passing out towels, it just gives people a stepping stone to be able to do something for others.” Kayce Tutor, one of the hairstylists and founding members of Nashville Street Barbers, says the experience has been life changing. “I think in the beginning, it was a calling I think we all felt separately, to do something more with the talent we’ve been given,” she says. “After my first Monday with them, I knew it would be a weekly event for me. Something as simple as a shower and a fresh haircut can make a huge difference. It gives people a bit of their humanity back.” On a Mission, On the Move The mobile shower unit visits a downtown location every Monday night, and is at another location frequented by the homeless every Sunday afternoon. It attracts dozens of homeless men, women and children who appreciate taking a hot shower in a private, welcoming setting. Shower Up recently held a fundraising campaign that allowed them to put a second mobile shower unit on the streets. “We have people who have been on a construction site all day and just want a shower. Or sometimes they have a job interview,” Rhonda says. “It’s amazing how something as simple as a shower can move you forward in life.” In addition to seeing the joy it brings to the people they serve, Rhonda says it has been rewarding to see how volunteers have gotten involved—and how this has changed their perception of the homeless. “It’s a blessing and an honor to get to know each other on this level,” she says. “When you invite someone into your world, you get to know them and it changes your perspective. “To see what this does for people, it’s just so worth it.”

Kirobo Mini can fit in the palm of your hand.

Lifestyle

Driving Happiness

While Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT) may have been ahead of its time, car companies are turning to neuroscience and artificial intelligence technology to boost your positive emotions behind the wheel and beyond. Recently, Toyota Motor Corporation unveiled a palm-size companion robot to keep you company on and off the road. The Kirobo Mini, which is now available in Japan, is designed to read human emotions—like delight, pleasure, surprise or anger—from our facial expressions. Kirobo Mini will ask if you are sad or comment that you look happy today. If we drive too fast, it may tell us to slow down. Kirobo, which is the Japanese word for hope, eventually adapts to your personality and remembers conversations. According to Toyota, more than 5,000 Kirobo Minis have been sold, and the reception to these cuddly bots has been positive. Some have even accepted Kirobo Mini as part of the family. “We did receive some feedback that Kirobo Mini encouraged and increased conversation between couples who gradually had less conversation after their children had grown up and left home,” according to a spokesperson with Toyota. Researchers at Ford are also trying to enhance the driving experience by tapping in to our emotions. In a recent study, Ford teamed up with neuroscience and bio-emotion research company Sensum to see how driving compared to other peak excitement activities. Researchers found that participants driving in a Ford Focus RS loaded with artificial Intelligence emotion reading technology had 2.1 buzz moments during a typical commute. Only a ride on a roller coaster gave more moments of intense excitement. The 2018 Ford Mustang V8 GT. Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company. Emma Bergg of Ford Public Affairs says the driver-state research at the Ford Research and Innovation Center in Aachen, Germany, is paving the way for smarter and safer cars. Working with EU-funded projects to bridge the gap between human interaction and autonomous driving, researchers at Ford hope to build in-car systems designed to detect our emotions, notice when our stress levels are too high or when we are too tired to drive. Our cars may even take control and save us from dangerous situations. Michael Knight would be proud. Ford’s “Buzz”-worthy Moments Number of times people hit peak levels of excitement: 3.0 On a roller coaster 2.1 Driving a performance car on a typical commute 1.7 On a shopping trip 1.5 Watching Game of Thrones or sports on TV 0 Salsa dancing, fine dining or a passionate kiss

Older lady flexing her muscles before a swim

Practice

3 Strategies to Build More Perseverance

Perseverance goes by many names—resilience, grit, hardiness, persistence, hard work, industriousness—each with its own twist but similar meaning. It all comes down to the two major directions of perseverance: intensity and duration. If you’re going to persevere to solve a problem or strive toward a life goal, you need to bring forth hard work (intensity) over a period of time (duration). “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration,” Thomas Edison is often quoted as stating. Consider replacing “perspiration” with “perseverance,” and the meaning is fully retained. It is this strength that makes genius and talents possible. Research has found that perseverance is a primary character strength linked to school achievement, productivity and success at work. Perseverance is not only a strength to help you accomplish your goals and dreams, it is also your strength of engagement. When you persevere on a task, you are “in the zone,” likely functioning at your best or close to it. Think about reorganizing a room at home or collaborating with others on a work project. Your perseverance keeps you engaged, focused and connected with what you are doing. You can tap into that engagement with any action in your life. Ready to boost your strength of perseverance? Here are some practical approaches based in research: 1. Set a goal. Now list at least two obstacles that might get in the way of reaching the goal, such as feeling tired or interacting with a negative person. Decide ahead of time how you will use your character strengths to overcome the obstacles. 2. If you are persevering on a project that falls apart, consider what you have to gain from accepting the loss rather than focusing on what you could lose. Sticking with a failed project can lead to further loss (also called sunk costs). This strategy will help you to not overuse your perseverance. 3. If you want to increase the perseverance of someone else, such as a child or a student, give positive feedback about the person’s effort, focused attention and energy, rather than praising their success. We have more control over effort than success. Offer encouraging remarks, such as, “Your hard work on that project was admirable,” or “I appreciate all the energy you gave during that baseball game.”

Practice

Find the Good: A Gritty Raccoon Gives Us All Hope

In our daily lives, it’s so easy to focus on what’s not right—burned toast at breakfast, the slow leak in your car’s back tire, that looming project deadline at work that defies progress. Positive psychologists say it’s our innate negativity bias—built in to help us ward off threats to life and limb—that makes it so easy to worry or stress about challenges large and small. Yet one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my five years building Live Happy—and many more before that—is that living a rich, happy and fulfilling life is about looking for, appreciating and savoring what’s good in our world and investing the time and effort to make those things even better. So, this month I launch my new blog, “Find the Good,” where I share a few high points from our readers, partners and recent news reports. The Critter Grit Award Goes to… The #mprraccoon! In case you missed it, this tenacious 2-year-old female raccoon scaled a St. Paul, Minnesota, high-rise building in June after maintenance workers tried to lure her from a ledge about 20 feet above the ground. Her death-defying 25-story climb to the top caught the attention of Minnesota Public Radio reporter Tim Nelson, who gave a name and a cause to the critter who would just not stop, except for brief adorable pauses with her whiskers squished up against office windows. The Minnesota publication mspmag.com collected the best tweets from her viral adventure, including this one that spoke for us all. And this very concerned Tweet from actress Debra Messing. Fortunately, all appeared to end well, with #mprraccoon enjoying a bowl of stinky cat food on top of the world and eventually being released into a nearby private residential property. Fighting Crime on the Streets of London You can’t make this stuff up. Would you believe Sherlock Holmes actor Benedict Cumberbatch and his Uber driver leapt to the defense of a food delivery bicyclist getting pummeled by four muggers? Just around the corner from Baker Street, even. It was “surreal,” according to the Uber driver in this U.K. news article. “They tried to hit him [Benedict] but he defended himself and pushed them away,” the driver recounted. “He wasn’t injured. Then I think they also recognized it was Benedict and ran away.” No bullying allowed on Benedict’s watch, which puts him firmly in our category of Happiness Hero. As Matthieu Ricard says in this excerpt from his new book, In Search of Wisdom, “Don’t blame yourself for not doing what is beyond your strength, but do reproach yourself for turning away when you can do something.” Mental Health Awareness I highly recommend this brave series on mental health from Live Happy columnist and best-selling Profit From the Positive author Margaret Greenberg. Even though May is mental health month, it’s clear from watching the news and depression statistics that these insights are valuable and needed every day. Here areParts I,II,III, IV, and V. Please comment or share and help end the stigma. It’s Lonely at the Top “Leaders are overwhelmed, distracted and desperate for answers,” says Amy Blankson, best-selling author of The Future of Happiness: Five Modern Strategies for Balancing Productivity and Well-Being in the Digital Era. If you’re one of those leaders, sign up now for Amy’s TechWell Retreat September 27–28 in Midway, Utah. Redesign your digital life to allow moments of peace and balance—Amy will show you how! We Will Rock You Was the mass celebration from the game-winning goal in the Mexico vs. Germany World Cup match enough to cause a mini man-made earthquake in Mexico City as reported on social media? While I’d like to think so, scientists are doubtful, according to livescience.com. It also warms my heart to see all the amazing team spirit throughout the World Cup, most notably fans from Senegal and Japan helping to clean up their sections of the stadium after matches. Keep looking for the good, and you’ll find it!

Practice

How to Start and Keep a Journal

I’ve kept a journal since I was in third grade. I started with a diary that had a tiny lock and key. Back then I used to grade my days. “Today was terrible. My parents made me eat eggs. Someone at school said I look like Pippi Longstocking. Today is a D.” I moved on to notebooks of all different sizes and designs. For every entry, I filled page after page with my chicken-scratch handwriting until I felt better. Like a genie going back inside her bottle, opening a notebook and writing felt like an escape for me. A journal can be a friend, a secret-keeper, a form of meditation or a therapy session. Science also backs up the therapeutic and health benefits of keeping a journal. James Pennebaker, Ph.D., a psychologist and a leading expert on journaling, says expressive writing—putting words to our painful experiences—can strengthen immunity, decrease anxiety, lessen depression and improve relationships. His research shows that writing about emotional upheavals can even help us heal. I credit journaling combined with talk therapy for overcoming painful moments in my past, and the solace and power of writing has stuck with me as an adult. Now I grab my journal to recharge. I write until I feel a renewed sense of clarity and peace wash over me. Blank pages can unravel challenges and provide comfort. Writing is how I think. Experiencing all the benefits firsthand, I often recommend journaling to others. It’s typically met with, “I want to, but I wouldn’t know what to write.” If journaling doesn’t come naturally to you, but you’d like to reap its benefits, here are some ways to get started. Just Write Write whatever comes to your mind. Turn off the perfectionist and silence the 10th-grade English teacher who lives in your head. Keep it private and tell yourself your notebook is just for you. Then, start putting your thoughts on paper. Stream of consciousness writing can help you connect with who you truly are and what is going on with you at your core. Write to identify or solve a problem. Write to vent. Write to connect with yourself, hear your inner voice and make sure your life is in alignment with your values. Journal to Start a Gratitude Practice Simply writing down three things you are grateful for each day can shift your perspective and make you a happier person. It’s also simple to do. You’ll notice more of what you enjoy because you are training your brain to seek the positive. Your well-being is also likely to improve, as positive psychology founder Martin Seligman, Ph.D., has found in his research. Gratitude has a compound effect. Soon you will have a journal filled with positive thoughts. Write to Heal James encourages people to write about emotionally turbulent experiences because truth-telling heals. There is power in sharing your story. Put words to a painful time or event in your life and watch how the process of sharing your story—even to yourself—can have a transformative effect on your life. Writing can help you think with clarity by filtering out all the noise around you. Let Journaling Evolve With You I don’t plow through journals like I used to anymore. I semi-jokingly tell my husband he’s my journal now. (Poor guy.) With young kids, a husband and a career, I don’t have as much time to journal these days. I use one hardbound journal for an entire calendar year. I may use it for stream-of-consciousness writing when I need to, but now it is more of an everything journal. I use my journal to capture and savor gratitude. I jot down funny things my twin girls say. I use my journal to capture pearls of wisdom from books, experts, podcasts and magazines. I write favorite quotes. I even track my weight and fitness goals. Let your journal work with your life. Let your writing flow in a way that resonates with you. There are numerous ways to keep a journal. Experience how journaling can be life-changing for you.

Practice

Change the World, Be a Mentor

Welcome, Happy Activists! A Happy Activist is someone who, through kind words and intentional actions, strives to make the world a better place. Live Happy invites you to join our #HappyActs movement! On the 20th of each month, we encourage everyone to incorporate kindness into your daily lives by participating in each month’s planned activity. The more who join the #HappyActs movement, the more positive impact we'll all have on our homes, workplaces and communities. What you think and do matters! July’s theme is connection.Studies suggesteach positive interaction you have bolsters your cardiovascular, neuro-endocrine and immune systems, so the more connections you make over time, the better you function. Our July 20 Happy Act is to be a mentor to someone. Meet our Happy Activist of the month, Megan Knoebel, who is a Big Sister as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in Texas. 3 Steps on How to Prepare for a Happy Act: Researchwhat charitable opportunities are near you. Contactthe organization and discuss how you can help. Plana time to go volunteer and/or determine what you can donate. Learn more: 33 Ideas on Leadership. We love No. 13! Volunteer as a mentor in your area of professional expertise. Many universities or civic organizations can help pair you up. Empower the Next Generation. Victor Palomares, known to many as the Kindergarten CEO, uses humor to inspire and empower teens to make smart decisions. “Stop trying to impress your friends. They aren’t thinking about you. They are thinking about themselves,” Victor says. Give Back According to Your Strengths. Are you a savvy businessperson or entrepreneur? Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of theChicken Soup for the Soulseries, came up with a twist on tithing: Instead of giving away 10 percent of your money, he suggests giving 10 percent of your fantasticbusiness ideasto nonprofits. Inspire Family Members: Harry Connick Jr. learned to be authentic and to always help others in need from his parents. What lessons do you want to share with your children and grandchildren? The Slight Edge to Happiness: Listen to our podcast with author Jeff Olson on Live Happy Now. 6 Tools To Help Children Develop Coping Skills: Your mind flows when sparked by high-quality energy and personal motivation. The two go hand-in-hand. When they do, you feel “lit.” Connect Better With Co-Workers Professor Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D, from the University of North Carolina, has discovered it takes just a micro-moment of connection to create an upward spiral of mutual care and companionate love between colleagues. Her research suggests three simple steps. First, share positive emotions, like interest, joy, amusement, awe or pride. Secondly, synchronize your biochemistry and behaviors through shared eye contact with the person or matching your body gestures or vocal tone to create a moment of positivity resonance. This causes both brains to light up like a mirror of each other. And finally, invest in a reflective motive to invest in each other’s well-being that brings about mutual care. Additional resources: Big Brothers Big Sisters Love 2.0: Finding Happiness and Health in Moments of Connection Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation Momentous Institute Profit from the Positive

Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas, Costa Rica, Kind Traveler, relaxing ocean view

Lifestyle

One Kind Stay

After Jessica Blotter and Sean Krejci returned from a trip to Belize, they felt inspired to create a simple way to give travelers opportunities to make a difference in the destinations they visit. So, in August 2016 they launched Kind Traveler, the socially conscious hotel booking platform. This unique “give and get” concept rewards vacationers with exclusive hotel rates and other perks when they make a $10 nightly donation to one of the platform’s 50 partnering nonprofit groups. So far, Kind Traveler contributions have fed 77 animals rescued from illegal circuses; funded 630 days of music lessons for students in underserved schools; and helped plant 250 trees in U.S. forests impacted by fires and natural disasters. Travelers also get a bonus from the internal benefits of giving back. “Contributing to the local community evokes feelings of happiness and purpose in addition to creating a more meaningful travel experience,” Jessica says. Want to leave a lasting impact during your summer vacation? Here are five of Kind Traveler’s favorite hotels and the organizations they benefit: Hotel G, San Francisco Using Kind Traveler to book a stay at the centrally located Hotel G in San Francisco’s iconic Union Square helps support animal welfare through the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SF SPCA). These donations feed and provide shelter for rescue cats and dogs, meanwhile travelers can also attend one of the SF SPCA’s local events when they visit. In addition to its partnership with Kind Traveler, the 149-room boutique hotel sells the creative works of local artists with developmental disabilities on behalf of the nonprofit Creativity Explored. The Standard, East Village, New York City With a lobby housed inside a historic tenement-style building, it’s clear The Standard, East Village not only embraces the swanky and eclectic soul of New York City but also supports it. By contributing to the Lower East Side Girls Club (LESGC), the hotel helps provide free education and entrepreneurship training to local young women. LESGC also runs several local businesses like Sweet Things Bake Shop and Girl Made Gift Shop that offer job training and employment to teens and young mothers. The Palms Hotel and Spa, Miami Beach Sunbathe on pristine beaches and help preserve the coastline’s natural beauty at the same time with a stay at the Palms Hotel and Spa. Those who vacation at this luxurious beachfront resort can support the Surfrider Foundation Miami Chapter. The nonprofit keeps beaches clean, tests and manages water quality and restores sand dunes. While in town, travelers can also volunteer during Surfrider’s quarterly beach cleanups. As an added perk, Kind Travelers receive a $50 spa credit per person per stay at the Palms Spa. Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas, Costa Rica A night at Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas in Guanacaste, Costa Rica benefits Alfalit, a worldwide literacy and education nonprofit, which has helped more than 8 million people achieve literacy since 1961. A traveler’s nightly donation provides basic resources for students learning to read, write and do basic math. Beyond supporting education, the eco-friendly hotel adheres to green initiatives that help protect the local environment, including the adjacent 1,000 acres of tropical forest. Hotel El Ganzo, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico With the Sea of Cortez as its backdrop, Hotel El Ganzo in San José del Cabo, Mexico is making strides to educate its local community about the benefits of art, music and sustainable agricultural through the El Ganzo Community Center. Located on site, the center helps locals understand how to plant and harvest their own food. This encourages people to take care of the environment and grow ingredients for nutritious meals.

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