Tag Archives: happiness

Reality Check: The Big Value of Small Talk

Choice Theory suggests that people need good relationships to have a satisfying life. For one person, a good relationship might mean constant contact, where you share not only hopes and dreams but also the struggles and joys of everyday life. … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Does Optimism Make a Difference?

Does optimism make a difference? That is, a positive difference? Or is optimism only for the naive and easily-led, those folks who aren’t wise enough to understand how really bad and awful and disastrous everything is? If you’ve been reading … Continue reading

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Reality Check: One Suggestion

Do you look forward to each day with optimism? Or do you anticipate it with dread? Maybe you’re thinking, “There’s no point in either worrying or anticipating; it will be what it will be.” Here’s a bigger question: Does your … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Choosing Your Surroundings

It’s the dead of winter. Snow is falling, cold winds are blowing; there is ice wherever you want to walk. In the midst of this dull and often non-productive time, an amaryllis bulb that I’ve had for years is starting … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Tiny Point of Light

If you are fortunate, on a clear night you see a vast expanse of blackness interrupted by tiny points of light. Even if you’re not in a place where you can see stars, you know how one tiny point of … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Which List Do You Keep?

As you’d expect from a person who writes lessons on happiness, Dr. Gad Saad looks like a pleasant man who has a positive attitude. It makes sense; I’m sure neither you nor I would be enthusiastic about buying books or … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Unplanned Events That Change Our Lives

In my research on happiness, I came across a soon-to-be-released book titled “The Saad Truth About Happiness.” It’s by Gad Saad, professor of marketing at Concordia University in Montreal. Saad’s happiness suggestions are clear and practical; I’ll write about them … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Belonging Problem

The Choice Theory of Dr. Wm. Glasser suggests that we have five basic needs that motivate us to act. We may choose effective actions that create a satisfying life or we may choose ineffective actions that are counter-productive, even self-destructive. … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Our Most Basic Needs

Are there more incidents of unhappiness now than ever before? The pandemic and the changes that accompanied it can certainly give that impression. There are plenty of stories. Some—about celebrities or strangers—appear in the media. But you may also be … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Gifts and Earned Successes

For some folks, a favourite activity is comparing themselves with others. Who has the best car? The nicer house? The most friends on facebook? Keeping score can pass the time, but I don’t believe that it helps make one’s life … Continue reading

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