Be Deliberately Happy

Posted by shooperman on Mar 7, 2008 in Happiness | 2 comments

We have been on a quest for happiness for too long.

The adult version of happiness: I will be happy when I get that promotion, make a million bucks, marry that girl, buy that car, live there, etc.

The child’s version: I will be happy now, hahahahahaha.

Right this minute, I am seated comfortably at a cafe along Orchard Road, sipping a chocolatey mocha spin and finishing one of the best apple crumbles I’ve ever tasted. The wind is weaving through the greenery around me. The hustle of traffic ring in a distance. I stretch out my legs and took a deep breathe of the best air this city can give. I like to loiter the crowded stretch of Singapore’s shopping street because I think it’s the happiest place in the country.

No matter where you are and what you do, you can decide to be happy too, like the child.

Be Picky about Feeling Good

Posted by shooperman on Feb 14, 2008 in Happiness | 0 comments

Photo by longhorndave

I realize how much time I spent on the average day picking on the wrong things.

• A government-proposed annuity plan that means I’ll get less when I retire
• An inconsiderate road hog
• A property agent who was late for my appointment
• An ugly pink bedroom
• A server outage false alarm
• A client complaining about a project not progressing to expectations
• A last minute request

Ok, I admit I tried very hard to come up with a longer and more formidable list. My list of wrong things has gotten a lot shorter than it used to be, something that I’m truly thankful and happy about. This post is about how I shifted to being picky about feeling good and dramatically improved my quality of life.