Monthly Archives: November 2006

Two of my resolutions are “Enjoy routines” and “Cultivate little pleasures”; I’m trying to make myself more aware of the things I enjoy about my daily life. And one thing that’s been making me very happy lately is my new lunch place: Lenny’s at the corner of 77th and 2nd. It’s slightly off my beaten track; I discovered it when … →

Every Wednesday is Tip Day. This Wednesday: Tips for boosting your ability to concentrate. 1. Chew gum. According to a recent study, chewing gum improves memory by increasing blood flow to the relevant brain regions. 2. Or chew on a plastic stirrer. I don’t like gum, but I find that keeping one of those plastic coffee stirrers in my mouth … →

One of my resolutions from August is to “Turn complaints into pleasures.” This vow was partly inspired by something a friend said to me during our senior year in college. She was an art major, and I was an English major, and we were commiserating about all the work we had to finish before we graduated. “Well,” she said at … →

Here’s something I’ve been doing—or rather, not doing—that has boosted my happiness and (I bet) the happiness of the people around me. I’ve stopped talking about things that annoy me. (At least, when I manage to catch myself before I finish talking.) This resolution was inspired by one of my favorite authors, Samuel Johnson. “To hear complaints,” Johnson observed, “is … →

“We must, therefore, pursue the things that make for happiness, seeing that when happiness is present, we have everything; but when it is absent, we do everything to possess it.” — Epicurus

One of my Twelve Commandments (see sidebar) is to “Spend out.” This somewhat cryptic phrase encompasses several resolutions, but one aspect of “spending out” has to do with buying things. I am very, very bad at buying things. Some might assume that this would be a good trait, and I suppose in some ways it is, but it’s also a … →

I’ve started a satisfying tradition that meets my resolution to “be a storehouse of happy memories.” (And why is that a happiness-project goal? because reflecting on happy times in the past helps boost happiness in the present.) Every Halloween, I take a picture of the Big Girl—and now the Little Girl, as well—in their Halloween costumes, put the photos in … →

Every Wednesday is Tip Day. This Wednesday…Tips for liking someone better (or disliking that person less). Some people are part of your life, whether you want them there or not. What if you don’t have the warmest of feelings for your boss? your mother-in-law? your next-door neighbor? It’s easy to come up with a mental catalogue of all the ways … →