Ways to achieve happiness - update #1

Further to my post last month looking at ways to improve your life, I have updated it following some comments and also added a few more that came to mind. As always, your comments are appreciated:
 
1.   Really appreciate good health when you have it.
2.   Take a risk once in a while - you might surprise yourself.
3.   A song or album that you love and no-one else you know has ever heard of it.
4.   Perfectly fitting pants.
5.   Accept that you will make mistakes and learn from them.
6.   A porn star that you can rely on.
7.   Truly local and fresh fruit and vegetables.
8.   At least 3 meals you can cook brilliantly.
9.   A readily available snack in the cupboard.
10. Walk around without socks on for a whole day
11. A local place to buy freshly baked bread.
12. BBC Radio 4.
13. Comfort food that is eaten without guilt.
14. An easy interesting route that you can walk anytime to clear your mind.
15. Find your passion and follow it with enthusiasm.
16. Show Your Appreciation.
17. Three months salary saved for an emergency.
18. Turning off the television and having a conversation.
19. Turning off the television and reading.
20. Find a job that satisfies you.
21. A favourite restaurant and/or bar you can almost feel at home at.
22. Quality shirts that fit well.
23. Do a regular clear out and give to charity.
24. Ability to play one entertaining and impressive thing on a musical instrument.
25. Change your routine regularly, especially the route to work.
26. A good coffee maker.
27. A favourite joke to share.
28. Stop Complaining.
29. Write down 3 things at the end of every day that were simply good during that day.
30. Be nice!

Ways to achieve happiness

In Monocle magazine this month, they had a list of "Things to improve your life".  Now, being Monocle, they included silly things like: An island, a prosciutto slicer, good posture, special fancy blankets and a meal at some restaurant in Japan.  The list is just a bit too aspirational and unrealistic apart from a few items, so I thought I would start my own and ask for your comments to add to it.
  
Having thought of a few things, it appears to me that many of mine would fall into the category of: things I can have confidence in.  So here is my first take on a list of "Things to improve your life":
  
1.   Really appreciate good health when you have it.
2.   A favourite restaurant and/or bar you can almost feel at home at.
3.   A song or album that you love and no-one else you know has ever heard of it.
4.   Perfectly fitting pants.
5.   A favourite joke to share.
6.   A porn star that you can rely on.
7.   Truly local and fresh fruit and vegetables.
8.   At least 3 meals you can cook brilliantly.
9.   A readily available snack in the cupboard.
10. Do a regular clear out and give to charity.
11. A local place to buy freshly baked bread.
12. BBC Radio 4.
13. Ability to play one entertaining and impressive thing on a musical instrument.
14. An easy interesting route that you can walk anytime to clear your mind.
15. A good coffee maker.
16. Change your routine regularly, especially the route to work.
17. Three months salary saved for an emergency.
18. Turning off the television and having a conversation.
19. Quality shirts that fit well.
20. Write down 3 things at the end of every day that were simply good that day.
 
Your comments and feedback are especially welcome on this posting.
 

Be nice

I spend a lot of time in my car driving to, between and from appointments with clients.  Earlier this week I was flicking through the radio stations as I often do and ended up on Radio 4.  Now, before the people in the UK reading this suggest that Radio 4 is for old people - try it and I guarantee that you will learn something new and will be entertained.

Anyway... I heard a play called "Brian Gulliver's Travels" in which a man in a mental institution is recounting stories of his travels to strange countries that don't actually exist (or do they?!).  One country had a law for everything and subsequently half the population were lawyers.  The next country he visited had one law and that law had just two words: "Be nice".

So yesterday, I put my usually cynical self to one side and made the conscience decision to be nice about everyone and try and find the positive in everything.  Although I like to think otherwise, I don't suffer fools gladly.  When we did a psycologilcal assessment at work, one of my "strengths" was that I hated wasting time with people who didn't know what they are talking about (I am paraphrasing a little their); but it explains why I hate meetings with the aim of finding a solution, that often do the opposite. In addition, I do like a good moan - it can be fun!

During the day, I stopped myself critisising and turned it around to the positive.  When Pete was complaining about work in the morning, I worked the facts around to the positive too.  When I found dealing with my head office to be a bit of a nightmare, I decided not to moan. I also made a decision to compliment more than ever.  I have to admit that it's hard work but strangely rewarding in places!

I cant promise to continue at this nice pace, but I will give it a try.  So today, why not stop when you are complaining about something or someone and try and be nice instead?