Happy Stuff

Joy

How to be happy.

1. Be you. You're already the most awesome sauce YOU in the entire universe galaxy! Shake your pom-poms baby!

2. NEVER listen to naysayers, bosses who are drunk by lunch, teachers who call you dumb, parents who worry that you're destined to be a secretary or scaredy-cat wannabees with inflated egos of their dullard reality. ALWAYS listen to strangers on the bus who talk to you or themselves, children, animals and the voices (I know you hear them too).

3. Trust your gut instinct. It tells you the truth 99% of the time. Your gut instinct creates a wonderful and peaceful feeling as opposed to the nauseous ache of the horror-filled ego – which feels like the time you ate an entire family-sized bag of ripple chips with onion dip, washed down with a bottle of red wine.

4. Make stuff up to validate your beliefs. Name your pet unicorn!

5. Be fearless. Feel Everything And Rejoice! Shake hands with your horror stories, give them a hug, have a drink with them – then make a monster face and tell them to get out (Amityville Horror style).

6. Don't play it safe. Crazy spontaneity and imaginative combustion is way more fun and it's also contagious!

7. Replace the word need with desire.

8. Embrace mayhem, madness and chaos – it is a prerequisite in the process of evolution.

9. Believe in something unbelievable, invisible and intangible.

10. Embrace your inner psychopath. Don't act on it – just tend to it.

11. Lose the attitude. Develop a lovitude.

How to choose happiness.

1. Start with smiling. It's easy and only takes 17 muscles as opposed to the 43 that it takes to frown.

2. Count your blessings: be grateful for what is yours.

3. Don't compare yourself to others. Life isn't always what it seems to be on the outside and studies show that if you put all your friends' problems in a pot, you'd pick your own.

4. Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen. Optimism is a natural breeding ground for joy.

5. Choose it! Happiness is a choice. It's an option. Happiness can be your outlook, perspective, attitude and altitude.

6. Happiness isn't a constant state of being. There has to be both rainy and sunny days. Just try not to let the bumpy days linger. Feel. Deal. Heal. Work through your worry, anger, disappointment, sadness and hurt. Forgive, let go and make peace.

7. Think happy to create happy. Plant giggles, memories, dreams, wishes and joyful jellybeans of glee in your mind. Paint your walls orange, wear yellow and surround yourself with molecules of magic, beauty and joy.

8. Do what makes you happy. Dance, sing, make art, crank the tunes, cook, laugh, play and always be true to yourself.

9. Money doesn't buy you happiness but being comfortable with your bills and lifestyle contributes to a happier you. Budget your coin responsibly so you have some leftover to play with.

10. Invest in friendships. Get a pet. Share. Do something nice for yourself and for someone else.

11. Do the hokey-pokey, hum, toss lucky pennies into the street and for goodness' sake – wear your rainbow wings.

How to make someone feel good.

1. Make an effort to know what their favourite things are.

2. Surprise them with a coffee, donut or unicorn sticker.

3. Acknowledge their birthday, good hair day, cool outfit or smarty-pants effort.

4. Pay attention to them. Listen to them. Be interested. Remember stuff they say. Ask questions. Give a shit.

5. Let them into your world. Rant, rave, smile and share.

6. Be the first to say "good morning", "hi", "how ya doing?" or "I'm sorry".

7. Send an email, make a phone call, leave a smiley post-it note.

8. Do random gestures of kindness ... just because.

9. Put their needs first. Have their back. Be their cheerleader.

10. Smile, hug them, make them laugh or do an interpretive dance to express your feelings for them (aka make them laugh).

11. Make them feel like they matter. BTW – everyone matters.

How to be wonder full.

1. Be insatiably curious. Find out what's in that secret locked closet. Dip pickles in butterscotch and discover what makes an elephant giggle.

2. Dare yourself on a daily basis.

3. Imagine the unimaginable.

4. Covet brand-spanking new experiences, strange strangers, awkward situations and out-of-the-box, out-of-your-mind adventures.

5. Choose the path less travelled and get lost.

6. Expect the unexpected.

7. Amp up your molecular adrenaline. Surprise, shock and mildly scardiate people. Keep them guessing.

8. Be remarkable. Save worms on the pavement.

9. Admire someone and live up to their super star status.

10. Experience life to the fullest. Suck a jellybean until each grain of ambrosial-infused sugar dissolves, sending your senses into a candy euphoria!

11. Hunt for the pot of gold at the rainbow's end. Reach for the stars on your tippy-toes, oh so high. Trust that when you least expect to find it ... you will.

How to engage your inner child.

1. Wrap a towel around your head and pretend that it's your hair.

2. Throw a temper tantrum. Even better – do it in public.

3. For starters – rock your pigtails, jump in puddles, walk like a penguin, eat peanut butter, grapes & hotdog sandwiches and always colour outside the lines.

4. Reunite with your invisible best friend. I love you, Bobo!

5. Wear polka dots and stripes at the same time and add bunny ears for a little extra flair.

6. Embrace everything like it's your first time.

7. Believe in the unbelievable: Santa, The Easter Bunny, Unicorns and The Tooth Faerie.

8. Play more. Visit a farm. Go to the zoo. Talk to a squirrel. Write a story. Draw a picture. Make macaroni art.

9. Let your silly out. Spontaneously dance, sing, do a cartwheel or stuff marshmallows in your mouth.

10. Let your imagination run wild. Go on a safari with your pet flying monkey. Visit Mars in your spaceship. Swim in a sky of stars as a mermaid. Talk to the faeries in the chandelier.

11. Embrace wonder, joy, innocence and the monsters under the bed.

How to be positive.

1. Choose between being a collection of happy, shiny, rainbow-magic jellybean molecules of effervescent-infused joy or mud girl.

2. See beauty, fortune, wonder and magic everywhere. Look for it in nature's colours, scents and sounds, fluffy clouds, resilient trees, singing birds, random squirrels, quirky architecture, tossed-out treasures, people's faces, funky outfits, and anything else that strikes your...