Happy Thanksgiving

What will you be doing this Thanksgiving?

In a world of gratitude this is the best time of year. A time of mellow fruitfulness and harvest festivals. The barns are filled with food and we relax into the warm fire glow of dark cosy evenings. This was always the time of story telling and craft making, a time when people get together and enjoyed each others company. Being thankful for all that you have and, all that you will have, raises your mood and increases your sense of wellbeing and happiness.

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Is happiness more important than money?

Today on-line carried out a survey in Singapore. 1,500 people responded making it Asia’s most comprehensive psychographic study in terms of the number of respondents, geographical coverage and insights into 16 key topics: Beauty, communication, education, entertainment, fashion, food, health, kids, love, luxury, media, money, sports, technology, travel and vehicles.

One of the key findings in the study revealed that 75.4 per cent feel that happiness is more important than making money.

Ok, so would you rather be rich or happy?

I love surveys like this one because they go to re-prove that money doesn’t make you happy. Psychologically we all know this to be true, so why are so many of us obsessed with becoming rich? I have been doing a straw poll of those I have met today and my instant findings are that when people are talking about happiness they mean feeling secure with nothing to worry about. We seem to collectively have the belief that if we have money we will then be happy, because at a deeper level we feel that it would give us security, meaning that we would then have less to worry about.

Well, I have worked with many very rich and very unhappy people and very poor and very happy people. I know you can be poor and miserable and rich and happy. But try this for size…

In the present, in the here and now, at any given time or point, we are both safe and secure. Check it out as you read this. Are you safe, are you secure, do you have anything to worry about right now this minute?

If you keep worrying about the future you will forever have an anxiety syndrome. If you keep worrying about the past you will be in a depressive syndrome. If you do both you will be anxiously depressed. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, young or old, healthy or infirm if you live in the present you can find happiness.

Live in the present and be happy now

Take care

Sean x

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Laughter is the Best Medicine

I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.
Woody Allen

How can you tell when you’re really in the moment? Well, it’s hard to say, because when you’re in the moment the last thing you’re worried about is whether or not you’re actually in the moment. Does that make sense?

Jim Carrey is a funny guy. There’s a great stand up routine that he did early in his career when he says that the only time his trouble leave him behind are those precious few moments during a sexual orgasm. I’ll let you decide whether or not you agree with him.

One other route to your present? Laughter. Think back to the last time that you really laughed at something (or with someone). Fantastic, wasn’t it? You can’t quite put your finger on what was happening but, hey, who cares? It was fantastic!

I try to laugh as much as possible. It’s so easy! My Dad force fed me Marx Brothers movies when I was a kid. I’m a big Mel Brooks fan. Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, Brass Eye and Alan Partridge.

My friends are VERY funny. You probably wouldn’t agree as we’ve spent nearly 20 years honing our routine–trouble is it only works if you’re ‘in the know’. Our poor wives and girlfriends stare blankly at each other as we men roll around on the floor in stitches.

Go forth and laugh! Trawl the archives of YouTube for your favourite comedian or actor and laugh like no one is watching.