Five Things Happy People Do
By Gabrielle LeBlanc
Sages going back to Socrates have offered advice on how to be happy, but only now are scientists beginning to address this question with systematic, controlled research. Although many of the new studies reaffirm time-honored wisdom (“Do what you love,” “To thine own self be true”), they also add a number of fresh twists and insights. We canvassed the leading experts on what happy people have in common-and why it’s worth trying to become one of them.
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Posted in Articles, Everyday Wisdom
Tagged allowing, assumptions, change process, deliberate change, happiness, purpose, questions, relationships, self love, start small, wisdom
I’m Sorry… So Sorry…
If you accidentally step on your neighbor’s dog, by all means, apologize. But why are you apologizing for calling a friend and discovering they are in the middle of a family conflict when you called? You have nothing to be sorry for. Sure, you regret that they’re in the middle of a struggle and that you interrupted, but is any of that within your control? Apologies are only appropriate when addressing an action or behavior that was within your own control, and that brought hurt or harm to another.
Don’t be a serial apologizer. The next time you feel an apology coming on, ask yourself this question: “did I do something to hurt or harm the other person that I need to apologize for?”
If the answer is no, as is the case above, don’t apologize. Think of other ways to express your empathy or acknowledge an awkward moment, like “that’s too bad,” or “I’ll call back at a better time.”
Stop making excuses for yourself. You’re good enough, smart enough and rich enough. At least you will be. In self-esteem, that is, now that you’ve stopped apologizing so much.
