ABC’s of Happiness – Not for children

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ABC’s of Happiness – Not for children, by Mark Yablonovich and Juliet Kaska.  Illustrated by Scot Ritchie. This is a picture book, but it really isn’t for kids, as some of the pictures have adult themes.  It is mostly intended as a fun gift book, but it also has useful coaching practices to go along with each letter.  A is for Acceptance,  B is for Balance, etc.  Each letter of the alphabet comes with a couple of silly phrases and quirky pictures, and then there are some coaching or meditation practices related to each topic.

Money is too important to take seriously

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Many of us have a funny relationship to money. We give it significance way beyond its merits. We act like it means something about our worth as human beings, our potential, or the degree to which others will love us. This is one way to practice creating a lighter, more playful relationship to money. Answer this question. What are ten things you could do with money? Now, rather than saying the normal things that you usually buy, e.g., food, shelter, medical insurance, etc., brainstorm a list of things that you could do with money that would be fun or just plain strange.

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Stars and Dinosaurs

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Stars and Dinosaurs When was the last time you got a gold star for doing a good job? You work hard. You deserve some stars. Yes, just like when you were little. I did this recently and found it surprisingly motivating. Try setting a goal, and then make a chart to track your progress. Give yourself a sticker every time you take particular actions. You can use this method to track when you go to the gym, make business development calls, send out resumes, etc.

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Talking to the Voices and Tackling the Monsters

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Try talking to the people who live in your head and find out what they want. You don’t have to have a psychological disorder to have multiple voices in your head.  One voice says “go for it, have the ice cream.”  The other voice says, “you are too fat, eat a carrot.”  Since they are there anyway, you might want to get clear about who they are and what they want.  Generally, we try to ignore the voices in our heads or we take them way too seriously.  But they are people too,  :-)  and you will all get along much better if you give them some attention--without believing everything they say.

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