How to Feel Happier
Something I read a while back , struck a chord in me…
“Happiness is a feeling.”
This is something I tell myself often. You see, the past year has been one of the worst years of my life.
Starting my own business and trying to start a blog has kept me trying to keep a smile on. Publicly, I mean. No one cares when things are bad. They don’t want to hear it.
And when things are good?
Greed, jealousy and envy can rear their ugly heads in ways I never thought possible. It doesn’t matter how hard you try to feel happier. It doesn’t change the ugliness in this world.
With that said, despite what challenges you are dealing with now. The good, the bad or the ugly. Happy times, stressful times or scary difficult times.
There are actionable things you can do right now to feel happier.
If I can still manage to feel happy enduring what I have been through this past year, there is no question you can too. Today I want to share some of the things I think can make anyone feel happier.
On good days or bad.
Things that you might need to force yourself to do. But that you *should* do if you need a pick me up. Happiness really does only exist within yourself.
Pink, red, orange and yellow are happy colors.
You can’t change the past. You can’t make bad people good. You can’t turn black into white. But there are shades of gray that you can add color to.
Add some color to your life by surrounding yourself with cheerful colors and friendly kind people. Stop and take time to do something you enjoy.
Play a silly game on your phone for a few minutes. Go for a walk or watch a funny YouTube video. Anything that will make you laugh.
Call a friend. Be careful with this one. Not everyone who pretends to be your friend is your friend. I hope you don’t learn this the hard way the way I have.
When you do, you don’t need to mention that you’re feeling bad. You don’t have to vent or share even. Simply say to your friend, “Tell me something good.”
You’ll be surprised how a happy or uplifting story can lift your spirits. Even if it’s just for a moment.
Exercise. Exercising Makes You Feel Happier.
It doesn’t matter what you do. Walk, run, jump rope. Do a set of angry pushups. You would be surprised how you can instantly feel happier just be getting your heart pumping.
Eating Makes You Feel Good
Sometimes when you’re feeling sad you forget to eat. Or nothing tastes good…
At least for me anyway.
Eat something and drink a glass of water. Opt for something healthy like fruit or a large healthy meal. Depending on when you ate last.
Also, do treat yourself. This is time for self care. Do anything that will make you feel better!
Eating chocolate is good!
Just don’t go to town on a whole pint of Death by Chocolate (my personal favorite). Eat a small amount of chocolate while you are preparing a healthy snack or meal.
Whatever bad sh*t is bringing you down, put a positive spin on it.
I have this bizarre gift of being able to find a positive in every single situation. I’m not kidding when I say this.
Even the most horrible things that have happened to me.
How to turn a negative situation into a positive one.
Here’s an example. When I was a kid about 9 years old, I was drowning in a pool of water.
(I’ll share the story of how it happened another time.)
This is about your happiness. Let’s get back on topic…
I was taking in water, drowning. On a beautiful sunny day. Surrounded by happy kids who were swimming, laughing and having fun.
Meanwhile, I was suffocating. I was taking in water and drowning in a chlorine filled (and who knows what else) public pool. After my short bout of panic (trying to grab peoples feet to get help) I suddenly gave in. I realized that this was the end. Oddly, I felt a moment of blissful peace.
Kind of like in the movies. You know, like when the white light suddenly appears out of the clouds.
Then suddenly, someone grabbed me. It was the girl who almost killed me. She lifted me up and carried me to the edge of the pool. Where I gagged and coughed trying to breathe again.
Which felt even worse than the drowning itself.
Not to mention the humiliation I felt in front of everyone. Especially, in front of the cute lifeguards.
Because the lifeguards are always cute, right?
The three positive and most important things that have come of this are: I started taking my daughters to swim class at a very young age. I will never regret the chilly mommy and me swim classes we went to.
They continued to take swim classes until I knew both my girls could swim well.
I too finally learned how to swim. I took adult swim classes as soon as I could afford them. I was in my twenties when I finally learned how to swim.
It just goes to show you, it’s never too late to learn something new.
The most important thing I learned which is also the most valuable positive thing. That I can spin out of this dire situation is that I am not afraid of dying.
Maybe it’s because I know the things I have accomplished in my life are enough. The people I have helped and the lives I have touched. Or maybe it was that moment of bliss I felt.
There was no fear.
So what lots of people consider the worst case scenario being death, I do not.
The worst case scenario for me is that I die unhappy. Nothing will stop me from trying to make as many people feel happier before that happens.
Making other people happy can make you feel happier.
That’s what makes me feel happy. When I help other people.
Whether it’s to help you lose weight or to try to find a happier career path… Or to write that book you’ve been thinking about. The one that’s eating you up inside.
It makes no difference to me. As long as I can help at least one person.
Some business experts would say that my website is “confusing” to visitors. The message isn’t always clear.
So here is what it is all about: How you can feel happier.
If you want to feel happier check out my list of products. It’s a mixed bag of stuff. I guess I’m still trying to figure out what makes me feel happier.
So kill me – I’m not afraid.
Contact me now if you need help growing your business through the Power of Writing. Or starting your own business…
Here’s what one happy client told me:
“I really love your way with words. You’re friggin talented Irene. I love how you write. It gave me chills.”
~Jennelle Gordon
Founder of Beyond Freedom
Books and online marketing are my specialties. Check out my about page to schedule a live consultation here: Learn more…
Pay it Forward on Pinterest
Discover how you can pay it forward on Pinterest. To help more entrepreneurs succeed and make the world a better place.
Imagine your website suddenly exploding with traffic! Finally, all your hard work is paying off…
People are signing up for your email list. And you are making the kind of money you always dreamed of making.
Read how we can band together as bloggers. By paying it forward to other business owners on Pinterest. To help our fellow bloggers ~business owners just like you and me~ get the traffic they need to grow their business.
Does this sound crazy???
Maybe. Maybe not…
I have an idea. A splendidly crazy, magnificent idea.
What if every time we saw a Pin that doesn’t have a rich keyword description (and relevant hashtags) we entered an amazing description?
With keywords and hashtags that can help make all your pins fly?!
Even if we did this only once a day…
Imagine the impact we could have!
If every single business owner (or blogger) on Pinterest, repinned someone else’s pin onto one of their boards. A pin that had no description or hashtags (or one that could be better) just to help another blogger.
By paying it forward on Pinterest.
Think about it.
This idea could go viral. Imagine how many bloggers we could help!
By taking only ONE minute of your time each day. How we could vastly improve the chances of another person’s Pinterest Pin going viral.
We all know that Pinterest is a search engine.
That a great pin description with keywords and hashtags is vital to making a Pinterest Pin go viral. Without them, it’s nearly impossible for your perfect customer to find your pins.
Think of how good it feels to help people.
In fact, I have already been doing this. When I see a pin on Pinterest that doesn’t have hashtags or a description, my first thought is they must be a new blogger.
They simply just don’t know yet how important hashtags and great descriptions are.
Which is one of the reasons I started writing about Pinterest.
Then one day I realized that a lot of my Pinterest pins are also being saved without hashtags! It took a little research and testing. But once I figured out why, I found a solution.
Actually, I thought of two ways that can help more bloggers get more traffic using Pinterest.
You see, I realized that it was because my blog readers were saving my pins directly from my website. Without adding hashtags. Once I realized it, I figured out how your readers can save your Pinterest Pins with your descriptions and hashtags. Without having to add them.
Even when they are being saved directly from your website.
This way, when your website visitors save your pins, they will be saved with your description and hashtags.
Increasing the chances of your Pinterest pins going viral and driving more traffic to your website.
Cool, huh?
In fact, I created a video where you can learn exactly how to do it. It’s a quick video tutorial that I added as a Bonus video to the Viral Pin Strategy. A mini-course I created that teaches you how to make your Pinterest pins go viral.
Over and over again…
The other idea I came up with is to “Pay it Forward” on Pinterest.
By sharing this we can help even more bloggers.
Isn’t that why we started blogging in the first place? To help people?
Trevor, the adorable little boy from the movie Pay it Forward asks, “What are you doing to change the world?”
Every kind gesture makes the world a better place…
I’m paying it forward now by sharing my winning formula to using Pinterest for your business. The exact same steps I used to make my Pinterest pins go viral! Download your FREE guide below. “10 Things that Can Make Your Pinterest Pins Go Viral.”
Enter your best email below to download it now.
Start Living Your Dream Life
Today I am sharing inspiring quotes my daughter and I read from candy wrappers. It reminded me of how important it is to pursue your dreams and live your best life.
Here’s the story…
Do you know those little chocolates with the inspirational quotes on the wrappers?
The decadent ones that melt in your mouth. The dark chocolate and the milk chocolate ones are both so delicious.
Someone actually gets paid to write those quotes. Sitting around writing quotes all day.
Hmmm. Kind of like my job.
Anyway, we were eating them the other day and my daughter read her quote out loud.
Cool.
I had completely forgotten that the wrappers had quotes on them. I had already thrown my first wrapper in the trash. Bummer.
I ate another chocolate, fighting my desire to dig it out of the garbage can. I had to know what it said. It was my first one. Isn’t the first one the most important? Like a fortune cookie. Almost.
So I went under the kitchen sink and I dug it out of the trash.
My daughter said, “Ewwww. Mom!”
In my defense, it was my trash can. I had just changed the bag. It’s not like there was anything icky on it. And you know what? I don’t regret my decision.
Because they are worth sharing with you.
The “trash can quote” is second on the list since it was the second one I read. I wanted to share them with you in order of how we read them. I won’t tell you how many we ate. Let’s just say there were duplicates. 🙂
Here they are:
*Be with people who make you laugh
*Don’t wait for sleep to start dreaming
*Dare to cross the line
*Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end
*Today is your day
Today is your day.
Your day to:
*Stop procrastinating
*Start living the dream
*Surround yourself with like-minded people – who also make you laugh
And It’s your day to start living the lifestyle you desire.
If you have the desire to start your own business and live the *real* American dream you can start today. Building your own money making website is a great way to create passive income and have the freedom to work from anywhere.
Starting your own blog is easier than you might think.
There are many ways to make money doing it. Building your own email list of subscribers is the fastest and easiest way to make money blogging.
Make Money Writing
Imagine waking up happier than you ever imagined.
Working from anywhere in the world doing something you love.
As a paid writer. A published author even…
There are many ways you can become a paid writer. Writing books, blogging, travel writing and ghostwriting are just a few.
Writing and publishing your own book is by far the easiest way to begin sharing your ideas, your personal story or promoting your business.
It’s way easier than you think!
If you love writing, what’s stopping you?
I believe every single person has a story to share. It could be a real life personal experience. Something you can share while teaching a valuable lesson.
Helping thousands or millions of people, by sharing your expertise. Or writing for fun and entertainment. One of my books is a suspense mystery thriller. Shhh... I call my secret guilty pleasure.
Start Writing Your Book Today
Start writing your book today. It’s a lot easier than you think. Start now.
Download your FREE checklist “10 Easy Steps to Start Writing Your Book Today.”
Why the Glass is Always Full
This is re-posted from April 23, 2018.
This morning I was dropping my daughter off at school. It is an absolutely beautiful warm spring day here in my lovely suburban neighborhood just outside of Buffalo.
Two days ago it was snowing and today the weather predicts a high of 70 degrees.
My daughter said, “I don’t know why I am mad, that it’s nice out today. Last week it was snowing. I feel like the weather is messing with my emotions.”
Wow.
We then talked about how we can control our emotions. That our emotions come from within us.
You know, the glass is half full vs the glass is half empty.
I reminded her of a story I read about a reporter who was interviewing 2 families. Both families had just lost their homes in a fire. One family was devastated and said that “they couldn’t believe they had just lost everything.”
When she interviewed the other family down the street, who had lost all their material possessions to the same fire, the family was immensely grateful. They were thankful that everyone, including the pets, escaped the fiery blaze without harm. Of course they would have preferred to still have a place to live and all…
But it’s all in how we perceive things.
My daughter, who is also my experimental little scientist (you do NOT want to go in my refrigerator or freezer – one never knows what they might find) said, “Well, technically the glass is full. It’s full of something. Even if it’s just air.”
Do you see why I love this child?
Yes. The glass is always full.
But it could be full with better things. For example, I would rather have a full glass of water than a full glass of worms.
Unless your a bird.
I would also prefer to have my bank account full of more of the green stuff.
So my family can take more vacations, have nice things, live wherever we want to live and have less stress.
That’s why I started a blog.
Not just for the freedom to work from home. Or anywhere in the world like the beach or a mountain retreat. To make more money for my family. Learn how you can start a money making website today.
S.W.A.T.
When we were kids, my brother, sister and I used to play S.W.A.T. We would run around the house and hide behind the furniture holding imaginary guns.
Taking action!
Just like in the show. Pretending to be the elite police force super heroes. My brother was most likely the bad guy. Since big brothers usually are.
I loved the action packed show.
At first, I wasn’t allowed to watch it because it was on late at night. And because of the violence in the show. I used to sneak out of bed and peek into the family room to watch. Eventually, my dad gave in and let me snuggle on the couch comfortably wrapped in a blanket to enjoy the show.
S.W.A.T. didn’t scare me. Not at all. I thought it was exciting. I even thought about becoming a police officer for a while. I actually signed up to take the Buffalo police exam when I was 18.
Twice.
I never took the exam though. Something just didn’t feel right about it. Deep inside, I knew I wanted to do something more.
One of the things that holds people back from going after their dreams is fear.
Fear of failure. Even fear of success.
“What?”
At least that’s what I thought the first time I heard of this.
Who would be afraid of success?
This is an actual real life phenomenon?
When I think about it though, I mean really think about it, it kind of rings true. With success comes great responsibility. If you have employees, they count on you for their paychecks.
If you have a fan base and a following, they expect you to show up. You can’t just stop blogging. Or stop posting on instagram. Or stop writing novels that your following is anxiously waiting for.
You have to show up and take action. Period.
It’s a huge responsibility. And can be a little scary.
Back when I decided to climb my first mountain, I set a date, booked a non-refundable hut on top of the mountain, trained hard and did my homework. I was completely prepared with food, gear and the right clothes needed for an overnight stay and rapidly changing temperatures.
My fitness level and hiking endurance was up to par. I was prepared and excited!
When I started my own business, I vomited.
I’m not kidding. I was physically ill.
Maybe it’s because I was completely alone in my new venture. Maybe it was fear. Or maybe it was fear of success. I may never know.
What I do know, is that you don’t have to do it alone.
Because I got your back and I am here for you. I have spent the last few years of my life learning how to start a business from the ground up.
And how to get my first book written, published and sold.
I’ve done the research so you don’t have to. I also, just this morning created a new acronym. To help myself keep pushing forward. And to help you get started. A Simple Way to Attack Terror.
S.W.A.T.
The secret?
Just get started.
Or like Nike so eloquently puts it: Just do it!
Take action and tart today. The rest will all come together.
One very simple way to get started is by downloading my FREE checklist:
“10 Easy Steps to Start Writing Your Book Today.”
It will show you:
*How to choose a topic for book
*Pros and cons of self-publishing vs traditional publishing
*The best way to research your topic
*The importance of a great book cover
*Setting deadlines to “get it done”
And more…
Join the S.W.A.T. team today and take action!
I’m ready to TAKE ACTION!
How to Start Your Own Business
Burn the boats!
The other day I was reading an email from a very successful business owner.
His name is Oscar Garcia.
In fact, he is also my Facebook friend and teaches live trainings on how to create successful Facebook advertising campaigns.
Apparently, according to Oscar (I didn’t personally research this), the Spanish had a saying as they arrived in America. They would say “burn the boats” meaning that they were here to conquer and that they would not retreat.
Oscar was miserable working at a high paying corporate job. He quit his job, took his 401K money and moved in with a friend. He started his own business and is doing tremendously well.
He left himself with no safety net. No way to give up or retreat.
Like I’ve done a couple of times.
It wasn’t until I burned the boats and jumped in both feet first that I finally registered my LLC and published my first book.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you do this. In fact, I strongly discourage it. I have had to give up and sacrifice a lot of things to do this.
Which is why I would rather teach others. So they can learn from my mistakes. Instead of making the same ones I did.
This all inspired me to record Episode 3 of The Power of Writing Podcast. It’s about starting your own business.
Here it is:
How to start your own business
10 Influential Entrepreneurs to Help You Grow Your Business
A big part of growing your business is learning from top successful entrepreneurs. There are many amazing people to learn from. The best thing I can suggest is to follow people you resonate with. Observe their business models. Watch how they create their business structure, build their brand and their tribe.
I’ve created a list of highly respected, top influential entrepreneurs who’ve helped me get one step closer to growing my business. They can help you create the business of your dreams and a life of freedom. Follow them on social media and reach out to connect. You might be surprised who you might meet. You can connect with top experts in your industry to build relationships with like minded people. Position yourself as an expert and open doors to unlimited opportunities.
Tim Ferriss is an author of best-selling books, including his newest release,“Tribe of Mentors.” The first time I heard Tim was on a live interview with Jack Canfield. He shared how he set goals to write his first best-selling book. And the day his literary agent called him to inform him he had hit the charts. His exact words were bleeped out and his enthusiasm was contagious. I liked him instantly. I finally started reading “The 4-Hour Workweek” after buying it sometime last year. I’m only a few chapters in and I can already feel my dream life beginning to come alive.
Cassey Ho is an award-winning fitness instructor, entrepreneur and personality based in Los Angeles, CA. She is the creator of Blogilates, the #1 female fitness channel on YouTube with over 300 million video views and 3 million subscribers. I started following Cassey a few years ago when I started working her extreme ab series, into my workout routine. I watched her grow her business from a mat and a camera to an amazing studio. Her business model and success has been one of the strongest influences to starting my own business.
Ann Handley is a writer, speaker and marketing expert. I read an article about her a few weeks ago and started following her. I received my first newsletter from Ann a few days ago. It was filled with valuable information, kept me locked in to the end and most importantly made me laugh. Learning the fundamentals of successful marketing is key to creating a successful online business.
Nick Usborne is freelance writer, copywriter, author, and speaker. He is also known as the Coffee Detective and the creator of a course I recently completed. The course called Money-Making Websites through AWAI, teaches you how to create passive income. By using an interest, hobby or passion, building a website and learning how to monetize it.
Ryan Lee is a business coach and founder of Freedym. He helps entrepreneurs create a life of freedom by building an online continuity business. He is a master at connecting people. I recently joined one of his Mastermind groups which has introduced me to many successful online entrepreneurs. The Freedym membership site has everything you need to create, grow and market a thriving online business.
Chris Winfield is an entrepreneur and success coach in New York City. With the use of simple systems, techniques and the power of true focus, Chris teaches people how to get 40 hours of work done in 16.7 and much more. Are you seeing a pattern here? Get more done in less time. Chris also teaches about gratitude and being thankful for what you have.
Selena Soo is a publicity and marketing strategist who helps entrepreneurs impact millions. She specializes in connecting entrepreneurs with media outlets to become the expert in their field and reach the masses. Selena is someone I resonate with on many levels. Like me, she has to step out of her comfort zone to get in front the camera for photos and videos. Her techniques for getting into mainstream media can help you grow and promote your business.
Ruth Soukup is a writer, speaker, blogger, entrepreneur and founder of the Living Well Spending Less blog. She creates courses that help entrepreneurs create successful blogs. If you want to create a life of freedom through blogging I highly recommend you check her out.
Suzi Whitford is a writer, blogger and founder of Start a Mom Blog. She is an up and coming star blogger. Her courses and content are filled with great information to create, grow and build a business for mommy bloggers.
Last but not least, is someone I oddly placed after the lovely, sweet Suzi.
Dan Meredith is an author, coach and founder of a massive Facebook group called Coffee with Dan. His book “How to be F*ucking Awesome” is a must read if you want to learn what is important about building a business and how to get sh*t done. There is a waiting list to get into his popular Facebook group. A word of warning, It’s not for those easily offended.
Those are my top 10 picks for influential entrepreneurs to help you grow a thriving business. Learn from the best and live the life you deserve. While having the freedom to do the things you enjoy. Without selling your soul.
How to Discover Your Passion
Being a professional photographer always seemed like an exotic career to me. It seemed like an unattainable dream. Daunting, almost. Not the portrait photographers working at JCPenny, taking pictures of screaming babies. Or even the ones who work every weekend capturing wedding and Barvitzma pictures. Although, I am truly appreciative and fascinated by the way they capture the emotions of every moment throughout each event.
I was never really interested in photographing people. Until I had my own children. After having my first child, I couldn’t stop. I wanted to capture each and every moment. To keep each memory forever.
Just like other amazing moments I’ve experienced throughout my life. Like catching an eagle enjoying a snack, as I hiked a quiet path along a beautiful gorge trail. Or suddenly seeing a baby shark as I snorkeled in Hawaii. I followed it. Just so I could get a picture of the beautiful creature with my disposable waterproof camera. It didn’t occur to me, until after I was safely on the boat, that mommy shark was probably lurking nearby.
I started a blog and began writing articles to draw traffic to my blog. I finally published my first book, which has gotten rave reviews. Even from a bigtime guru, in my niche. With the exception of a few stock pics, I have used my own pictures for my books, my website, recipes and to create social media pins.
After a while, I began to realize that I have many amazing pictures. Some even better than ones I find on stock websites. Yet, I still didn’t value my own work. I was also a little afraid of learning how to use a DSLR camera.
Despite the fact, that I could build a website, self publish a book, learn about internet marketing and start my own my business. I still questioned my capabilities as a photographer. Until one day, I was reading a Facebook post from a professional photographer. Someone commented, that she captured the moment and expressions into her photography. I went into the family room and looked on the mantle above the fireplace, where I have framed pictures of my children. Pictures I took of them.
Their expressions and the feelings of the moment are beautifully captured. I stared in amazement as I realized I have a gift. I too have a talent of capturing the moment.
That was when I decided, it would be a shame not to share my photographs and pursue my love of travel photography. I can continue to capture moments of my life, while turning it into a career. One I am truly passionate about. I still have a lot to learn. Life in itself is a continuous learning experience. Why waste it learning things I don’t really care about?
As I was going through hundreds, if not thousands of old photographs, it solidified my confidence to become a travel writer and photographer. Below is a picture I took with my cell phone, on the way back from a hiking trip.
I remember the moment so vividly. Once again, capturing the moment. I was thinking about breaking up with my boyfriend at the time. We weren’t speaking, as he sat next to me driving my car. It gave me hope. Almost as if someone was watching out for me. Looking over me and showing me that it is safe to cross the bridge. There is hope at the other end. That I will be okay. Whatever path I choose.
