15 Effective Ways to Live Life Productively and Happily

My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can. ~Cary Grant

Instead of wishing and thinking, you can take action to get what you want in life and be happy. These are the effective ways to do and shape a positive outcome of the future:

1.      What do you always tell yourself: You are what you think. Are you thinking positively or negatively?  A positive thinking attitude generates energy, boosts confidence and you act enthusiastically. Thinking good is feeling good about yourself. Do not allow negative thoughts to discourage you and dampen your spirits.  

               Your life is what your thoughts make it. ~ Marcus Aurelius

2.      Live the life of your dreams: To live life effectively is to follow your dreams and do the things you want to do. The first thing is to find out what you want to do in life. It is your goal. Set challenging goals that are achievable. Plan ahead and work your plan one step at a time. This is the way to achieve your goals and realize your dreams 

3.      Life is a journey: There is no destination in life. It only ends when your life ends. The most important thing is to enjoy every moment of your life in what you do every day. Your goals give you purpose and meaning in life. There is always something to look forward to and something fulfilling to do every day.

4.      Manage time effectively: The most important thing is to live a balanced life. There is a time for you to work hard and there is also a time for you to spend quality time at home with family members. To go to the extreme in one area such as always working late and on weekends is to court troubles. 

5.      Go slow: Do not hurry by in life, but take your time to appreciate what you do every day. When you eat, chew your food well. When you drive, slow down. When you are having fun, loosen up and be totally relaxed. Be mindful of what you do and enjoy the process of doing it.

6.      Seek improvement: There will be no improvement when you do things the same way over and over again. Try and adopt new ways to get things done and make a difference.

7.      Be grateful: An important attitude in life is to show gratitude and appreciation. Every day when you wake up be thankful to God that you are alive and given a new day to do all the wonderful things that you have planned to do. Be thankful for what you are and what you have. The way to do it is to count your blessings instead of your troubles.

8.      Be persistent: Do not be discouraged by setbacks and problems in life, stay focus on your goals and deal with problems positively. Each battle along the way that you have won is a boost to your resourcefulness and creativity.   

9.      Be healthy and fit: The most important thing you must do in order to live life happily and effectively is to maintain your energy, stamina, and alertness. To do that, you will have to exercise every day and follow a nutritious diet. Having sufficient sleep and drinking enough water throughout the day are basic and essential daily healthy habits. Avoid bad habits like smoking and drinking.

10.  Be optimistic: Life may not be a bed of roses, but you can always react to events with a positive perspective. Look at the bright side of things, do the best you can, and hope for the best. You stay happy when you do what you can and leave the rest to God.

11.  Be self-sufficient: Do you know that one of the factors that you can’t live life effectively because you do not have peace of mind? The reason is that you don’t live within your means. You live on credit to get what you want in life and build up debts that you cannot manage. Learn to appreciate and enjoy what you have. A small house is just as homely as a big house as long as you are happy and contented. A normal bed is just as comfortable as a King Koil bed, the difference is your attitude.    

12.  Be connected: An effective life is a connected life. You are closely connected with family members, friends and relatives. You get support from them as much as you have supported them. Stay connected or you will be a lonely and unhappy soul.

13.  Do one thing at a time: Try not to cram too much to do in a day. A short to-do- list is an effective way to get the most important things done in a day.  Fewer tasks mean you will be able to do one thing at a time effectively without feeling overwhelmed.

14.  Express kindness and appreciation: Say thank you to people who serve you. Smile and greet people you meet. These small gestures will brighten up the day in other people’s life. Do random acts of kindness to make others and yourself happy.

15.  Be responsible and accountable: You are responsible for your own life. Don’t blame others when you are not successful. You have to examine yourself closely and avoid making the same mistakes. Taking pride in what you do is a positive attitude to be responsible and accountable. You will work with your heart knowing that your reputation is at stake. Build authority and gain the trust of others in you.      

Thinking and acting positively is an effective way to live your life productively and happily

Are You One of the Lazy Americans?

Last year, According to Joe Klein in an article, Road Trip Day 13: The Lazy American, when I asked why we were sliding, people blamed unfair competition from the Chinese, the loss of manufacturing jobs, the growth of the welfare state. This year, we’re blaming ourselves. I have heard the word “lazy” used at nearly every stop.

Are you one of the lazy Americans? Here are the things you can do to stay active and beat laziness:


• Be active at home: Turn off the TV, the more you watch TV, the lazier you will be. Your body is not moving, your mind is not working and you are getting obese by drinking and eating snack food constantly. Be active and help in the household chores, do the washing up, get the garbage out, water the plants, mow the lawn, walk the dog and jog around. Be active and feel the energy in you. In the evening, help your children with their homework, talk to them and be close to them.

 • Be productive at work: You can be productive at work when you are active at home. Your active lifestyle promotes enthusiasm and eagerness to do what you need to do at the workplace. You will be energetic and others can see the positive difference in you.

 • Be an active learner: The other reason why you are lazy is that you are complacent. You are satisfied with what you are now. Change your mindset and seek continuous learning to move ahead. Learn new knowledge and make changes and do things differently to seek improvement.

• Be active socially: Be active and stay connected in your social circle. Opportunities are created through active connections with people. Go to them and get to know what is happening.

• Be mentally active: Work your brain and be alert. Be innovative and resourceful at work by solving problems and finding better ways of getting things done. Be creative by writing articles, taking up painting, or joining a pottery class.

 • Just do it: The most effective way to beat inertia and laziness is to act promptly. Develop a sense of urgency. Take the first step and you will be going on with the task at hand. Do not be overwhelmed, do one thing at a time mindfully. Pay attention and enjoy the process of getting a job done.


Be active physically and mentally is the best way to avoid being one of the lazy Americans.

Be Active and Happy when You Retire

Retirement has been a discovery of beauty for me. I never had the time before to notice the beauty of my grandkids, my wife, the tree outside my very own front door. And, the beauty of time itself. ~Hartman Jule

Retirement is a time that you are able to do so much more than ever before. Time is by your side and it is up to you to live a full and active life and be happy. What can you do so that you can look forward to each new day eagerly and enthusiastically like a child?

1. Interest: What is your interest? What do you love to do but you have not been able to do until now? Doing something which you are interested to do will be a delightful way to occupy your time. Writing articles on your blog or publishing a book will be a challenging and rewarding thing to do. Writing stimulates your brain and promotes creativity. It exercises your mind. An article well written is a very satisfying experience. Start writing today.

Don't simply retire from something; have something to retire to. ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick

2. Attitude: A positive attitude during your old age is an important mindset. When you think you are young you will be young at heart. Be cheerful, joyful, and hopeful to live life happily and freely.

No life is so hard that you can't make it easier by the way you take it. ~Ellen Glasgow

3. Friendship: Do not just mix around with people of the same age group. Join younger people to be influenced positively by their youthfulness and vitality. Feel the vibration of their alertness and energy.

Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief. ~ Swedish proverb

4. Gratitude, appreciation, and acceptance: Getting peace of mind is to fill your heart with thankfulness and love. Be appreciative of what you have got out of life. Accept those things that you cannot change and be flexible to make changes that are inevitable.

If you have lived, take thankfully the past. ~John Dryden

5. Belief: You may not be working anymore but feel good about yourself and maintain your self-image and look at life with a positive perspective. Life is still meaningful when you believe you still can contribute to society.

He does not believe who does not live according to his belief. ~Thomas Fuller

6. Learning: One critical area of life for baby boomers is not to stop learning. Be curious and inquisitive to explore new things and enrich the mind. Stop watching too much TV to dull your mind. Learning is for growth and self-development and to be young again.

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. ~Henry Ford

7. Healthcare: Health is the most critical issue for older people. Health is wealth and wealth is health. Be fit and healthy by taking a walk in the park, eating nutritiously, and resting sufficiently.

If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want. ~Elbert Hubbard

8. Financial freedom: Health and money go hand in hand during a person’s retirement. The point is to have sufficient retirement funds and live within your budget. Another issue is to maintain good health and avoid huge medical expenses.

Money isn't the most important thing in life, but it's reasonably close to oxygen on the "gotta have it" scale. ~Zig Ziglar

9. Traveling and sightseeing: With good health and money you can go to places and see the world. It’s a marvelous way to observe how other people live their lives.

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind. ~Seneca

10. Relocation: Do you think you will gain a better quality of life when you relocate to a smaller town where the cost of living is not so high? There is less pollution and people care more for each other.

When you retire with good health and money, you will be the happiest person in this
world.

7 Things to Learn from a Blind and Wheelchair-Bound Boy

This morning I watched a video about a boy by the name of Patrick Henry Hughes who born blind and wheelchair-bound. I was touched and inspired. There are things that we can learn from this boy:

1. Make the best of what you have got: If you are given lemons make lemonade. Find out your passion, interests and what you do best to develop your talents to a greater height. Patrick is a solid example.
2. Parent’s love: The unconditional love of parents is the most important factor in bringing up your children. Your love motivates, inspires and supports your children to grow confidently and meaningfully in life.
3. Do not complain: If Patrick can live a meaningful life without sight and mobility. What is there for you to complain about your life? Your life can’t be as bad as Patrick. Love yourself for what you are with all your strengths and weaknesses.
4. Work harder: Patrick works very hard in spite of his disability and he has succeeded in achieving his dream with the help of his daddy. You, too, can achieve greater success in life because you are not handicapped in any way. If you were to work harder, the sky will be the limit for what you can accomplish.
5. Live your dreams: Patrick has a dream. I am sure you have a bigger dream. Take action to realize your dream. I am sure it is a lot easier to achieve than Patrick
6. Be happy: Be cheerful with what you are. When you can’t change a situation, do not dwell on it and be unhappy about it. Why live a miserable life when you can decide to live happily? Cheer up and cherish your happy memory.
7. Self-esteem: Patrick is a great motivator. He is able to boost our morale and make us feel proud of ourselves. Hold your head high and be confident of yourself. You can do what you want to do. If Patrick can do it, you can do even more.

Life is what you make out of it. It is up to you to dream and achieve your dreams.

Bring Excitement to Your Life – 7 Stimulating Tips

As we grow older we are more and more cocooned into a comfort zone. Our outlook in life is getting narrower and narrower. We do the same routine every day and our senses are getting bored and dull. How do you bring excitement to your life? How do you renew yourself so that life is more meaningful? Here are 7 stimulating things that you can do to bring back the spark into your life so that your life is filled with happiness and fun.


1. Continuous Learning: Be keen to acquire new knowledge. The latest information stimulates your mind. It sparks creativity in you. Fill your time profitably by reading and learning.

2. Travel: One sure way to widen your horizons is to visit new places. Your mind is more receptive when you go to unfamiliar places. Learn the way of life of other people and compare them with your life.

3. Connect with more people: Don't limit yourself by seeing the same old people every day. Talk to new people to bring new insights into your life.

4. Break away from your habits: Do something that you normally do not do. Instead of driving, perhaps, you take a bus to town. Instead of staying at home on Sunday, take an excursion to the beach or to the country.

5. Be curious, excited, and enthusiastic about life: As a good example, you visit the mall to do window shopping. Be alert about the latest fashion by looking at the people there. Check out the latest products on display. Find out how products are launched and promoted at the mall. Do you think the way they do marketing is effective? Is the mall well-managed? There is a lot to learn by visiting the mall.

6. Stay fit and healthy: Your energy comes from your physical activities. Exercise every day so that you are in top form. You will be able to concentrate and stay calm.

7. Develop your potentialities: Do something good for you and others. As a good example, I have taken up blogging and I find that it is very meaningful. As I write every day I polish my writing skills and at the same time, I post useful articles to solve readers' problems. I also post topics on happiness to uplift the mood of others.


Life is about movement. Be alive and bring more life into your life and start living again.