Image by ~FreeBirD®~ via Flickr I was sitting here at my computer, pondering whether I wanted to write a post with tips about “making 2009 your best year ever”. It’s been done, and most of my tips you’ve already read before on Cheerfulliving. I made a small list of things I’d recommend... 

Image via Wikipedia Tomorrow evening, like billions of people around the world, my wife and I will be celebrating the coming new year. Some people celebrate this by having a big New Year’s Eve bash at their home. Others go out to various parties, enjoying the celebrations put on by others. Still... 

Image by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ via Flickr Along with the joy and excitement of the New Year’s season, a feeling of sadness often exists side by side. This feeling sometimes grows stronger after the New Year itself has passed. During this period we consciously or unconsciously review... 

“So if we love someone, we should train in being able to listen. By listening with calm and understanding, we can ease the suffering of another person.” Thich Nhat Hanh It’s Christmastime and it’s the season of giving … what are you giving your loved ones this year? The holidays often mean... 

Image via Wikipedia Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Sharon Jayson of USA Today Does the economic downturn terrify you? Or are you plotting a new strategy for life with less money? Your reaction offers a peek into your psyche, say researchers who study how personality shapes people’s... 

What is Positive News? Positive News is a quarterly international newspaper, founded in 1993 by Shauna Crockett Burrows. The publication focuses on issues rarely covered by the mainstream media and promotes the many individuals and enterprises that are working to create a more healthy, humane and... 

I have to admit that I have my ups and downs with the exercise habit. So I know that it’s not the easiest habit for most people, and most people’s experiences consist of starting and stopping and starting again. Which is fine — don’t beat yourself up about it. The important thing is starting... 

Image via Ode Magazine Receiving is harder than giving, but can lead to even greater personal and spiritual growth. During a visit to Paris, my mother bought me a gift and dropped it in the mail. I didn’t receive it very well. I tore away the brown paper packaging and, at the first sign of... 

Image via Wikipedia Tom Peters said, “Effective visions prepare for the future but honor the past.” Do you have a set course in your life, an established direction, outlined with purposeful thought? Or are you simply a boat floating on the water with a broken rudder, able to be pushed... 

Photo from Zen Habits Tell me if this has happened to you: You wake up one morning several years into your marriage and wonder how in the world did I end up here? Not wondering this in an overly negative way, as in I can’t believe I am with this person (although that may indeed be the case)...