If You Are Happy, You Are Worth At Least $20,000

Suppose you were given the choice of hanging around with happy hearty people or slugging it out with the depressed gloomy grouches, which will you choose? And why?

Well, chances are, most people do prefer the smiling faces with that sincere joyous mood than to see the frowns on the facials.

It’s little wonder that we are so driven to want to be happy. Perhaps the journey towards happiness might be a bit mystical and obscure, with the unpredictable climate of changes in different life dimensions. However, being around happy people do seem to help alleviate those drowsy blues.

According to Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis, who has just recently concluded a study on happiness and its interactive results, he said, “Your happiness depends not just on your choices and actions, but also on the choices and actions of people you don’t even know who are one, two and three degrees removed from you,”

Hailing from Harvard Medical School, Dr. Christakis, a trained physician and social scientist, affirmed that, “Emotions have a collective existence — they are not just an individual phenomenon.”

The study by his team of researchers had analyzed data, statistics and information ranging from 1983 to 2003. It was based on the happiness of 4,739 people as well as their social connections. These included their spouses, relatives, close friends, neighbors and co-workers.

It emerged with evidence that the more happy people you know and surround yourself with, the more likely you will be happier yourself. Hence, happiness is contagious, it gets “spread”.

Co-researcher, Associate Professor of Political Science, James H. Fowler from The University of California, San Diego said their research discovered the link that “if your friend’s friend’s friend becomes happy, that has a bigger impact on you being happy than putting an extra $5,000 in your pocket.”

Drawing from further data, they determined that your neighbor’s joyfulness and delight can improve your own happiness by 34 percent. Your happy network and contacts will increase your joy by 15 percent, while your friend’s happy friend or your closed one’s elated friend adds 10 percent to your chances of being happy.

Finally, your friend’s friend’s friend, the 3^rd degree contact, will add 6 percent to your personal joyfulness level. Be with any additional unhappy person, and you become unhappier by 7 percent concurrently as each negative person enter your contact.

This means that your happiness level is able to affect people around you and your close acquaintances.

A note to add, the researches are not advising that you change all melancholy your friends, but strive to work together for an improved relationship.

Extending from other previous studies, they asserted that an extra $5,000 improved your chances of happiness by 2 percent. This, Dr. Christakis, would imply that “a happy friend is worth about US $20,000”

That’s what I call a golden smile. 🙂

(Source: wekie.com)

Advertisement

3 Artful Ways To Add Humor And Laughter Into Your Speeches

Back at my other Club tonight was another meaningful meeting. I was definitely glad to be the Language Evaluator at Telok Blangah Toastmasters Club tonight.

In addition, I got to listen to an advanced speech and a speech about organization. Incidentally, both speeches centered about humor and laughter.

There are quite a number of places to include humor into whatever you are presenting. Here are 3 of the artful ways:

1. Check out for where you insert your punch line, especially in between paragraphs. Test them out for different punch lines will create different impact.

2. Note the high point of your speech and work some simple exaggeration into it.

3. Discover where the surprise of your speech is and follow it up with a one-two punch line.

Experience The Humorous From The Famous

Their quick wit and quirky sense of humor never fail to amaze me. They can simply take a shot, and often a pot shot at life. For today, it wouldn’t harm to skip a beat, take a walk down funny lane and enter into the world of the famous comedians. Let’s see how they see.

After all, who says living a life must be that serious?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Bill Cosby

“Don’t worry about senility,” my grandfather used to say. “When it hits you, you won’t know it.” (Time Flies)

Immortality is a long shot, I admit. But somebody has to be first. (Time Flies)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Bob Hope (1903-2003)

I grew up with six brothers. That’s how I learned to dance -waiting for the bathroom.

(As he was receiving a gold medal from President Kennedy. ) I feel very humble, but I think I have the strength of character to fight it.

You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Woody Allen

I am not afraid of death, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.

Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought — particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things.

I’ve never been an intellectual but I have this look.

When I was kidnapped, my parents snapped into action. They rented out my room.

If you don’t fail now and again, it’s a sign you’re playing it safe.

When I was in school, I cheated on my metaphysics exam: I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me.

What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet. (Without Feathers)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Tim Allen

Electricity can be dangerous. My nephew tried to stick a penny into a plug. Whoever said a penny doesn’t go far didn’t see him shoot across that floor. I told him he was grounded.

Who gave you permission to tell Charlie there was no Santa Claus? I think if we’re going to destroy our son’s delusions, I should be a part of it. (Santa Clause)

While awaiting sentencing, I decided to give stand-up comedy a shot. The judge had suggested I get my act together, and I took him seriously. (Don’t stand too close to a Naked Man)

Women now have choices. They can be married, not married, have a job, not have a job, be married with children, unmarried with children. Men have the same choice we’ve always had: work or prison.

More Twists From The Wits

We will be surprised what goes on behind the brains of these people. They ponder and share their wittiness with flair. In addition, it’s often their insights of life that we can derive lessons from.

Here are more wits and twists from the famous:

Anything not worth doing is worth not doing well. Think about it.

– Elias Schwartz

Everything you can imagine is real.

– Picasso

Learning is not compulsory… neither is survival.

– W. Edwards Deming

Hunger is the best sauce.

– Proverb

Better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

– Chinese Proverb

That’s the difference between me and the rest of the world! Happiness isn’t good enough for me! I demand euphoria!

-Calvin

No matter how much the cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens.

– Abraham Lincoln

Don’t argue about the difficulties. The difficulties will argue for themselves.

– Winston Churchill

A Twist Of Wit And Irony

When we look at life with a twist of irony, we discover a new paradigm. It is the ability to make sense of this perspective that give us further insights of life. From a more humorous and unique point, we call this… wit.

And there are the greats, who entertain us and impress us with their wit. Yet with every witty quote uttered, there is an irony behind. Some are satirical, some are meant to teach, others remain perceptive. The rest just aim to amuse.

In this article, I present to you some of their wittiness, often accompanied with an indication of the irony of life.

After all, who says living has to be so straightforward. Enjoy!

“Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you.” – C. G. Jung (1875-1961)

“To sit alone with my conscience will be judgment enough for me.” – Charles William Stubbs

“Speak the truth, but leave immediately after.” – Slovenian proverb

“If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?” – Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

“For there is nothing either good or bad, thinking makes it so.” – William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet, II.ii

“The longer I live the more I see that I am never wrong about anything, and that all the pains that I have so humbly taken to verify my notions have only wasted my time.” – George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” – Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” – Yogi Berra (1925-)

“It usually takes a long time to find a shorter way.” – Anonymous

“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it by not dying.” – Woody Allen (1935-)

“No pressure, no diamonds.” – Mary Case

“The fellow that agrees with everything you say is either a fool or he is getting ready to skin you.” – Kin Hubbard

“Don’t let people drive you crazy when you know it’s in walking distance.” – Anonymous

“Happiness is good health and a bad memory.” – Ingrid Bergman (1917-1982)

Have You Ever Wonder Even More…

Now that the curiosity of the mind has been piqued, it’s always useful to pay attention to things around us. And this will led us to discover even more wonders that follow…

Have you ever wonder…

If all roads lead to Rome, where do the streets go?

Why does the bread always fall butter side down?

If what goes up must come down, what happens to the things that go down?

If rabbits’ feet are so lucky, how come the rabbit doesn’t have ’em?

Why, when faced with a choice of 2 doors upon entering a building, will you always pick the locked one first?

How can you be overdrawn and still have checks?

Why does one wheel on a shopping cart always tend to go opposite the direction you want to go?

Why do hot dogs come in 10’s and buns in 8’s?

Why do birds wait until after you’ve washed your car before they drop on it?

Why does the telephone wait until you’re in the bathroom before it rings?

Why is it that you throw away something the day before you need it?

Have You Ever Wonder…

I’ve always been fascinated by those tongue-in-cheek questions about things around us. Those thoughts yield no direct answer, yet are so intriguing that they warrant some pondering. Being in a light hearted yet thoughtful mood today, I’ve decided to dig out of some of these commonly asked questions.

We often take life for granted and sometimes, straight forwardly accept the things that be. But are they really that direct?

Whatever the real explanations may be, the idea is to remain curious about the mysterious of life and the wonders of living.

Enjoy. 🙂

Have you ever wonder…

…why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

…why women can’t put on mascara with their mouth closed?

…why you don’t ever see the headline “Psychic Wins Lottery”?

…..why “abbreviated” is such a long word?

…why doctors call what they do “practice”?

…why you have to click on “Start” to stop your Windows program?

…..why lemon juice is made with artificial flavor, while dishwashing liquid is made with real lemons?

…why the man who invests all your money is called a broker?

…why there isn’t mouse-flavored cat food?

…who tastes dog food when it has a “new & improved” flavor?

…why Noah didn’t swat those two mosquitoes?

…why they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

…why they don’t make the whole plane out of the material used for the indestructible black box?

…why sheep don’t shrink when it rains?

…why they are called apartments when they are all stuck together?

…if con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

…why they call the airport “the terminal” if flying is so safe?

Of Colors And Brushstrokes, The “Artistic” Sayings…

Artists tend to see the world differently. Here’s what some artists think of their lives and the world around us.

Pablo Picasso

Are we to paint what’s on the face, what’s inside the face, or what’s behind it?

Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.

Art is not the application of a canon of beauty but what the instinct and the brain can conceive beyond any canon. When we love a woman we don’t start measuring her limbs.

Art is the elimination of the unnecessary.

Salvador Dali

There are some days when I think I’m going to die from an overdose of satisfaction.

There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad.

Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.

Wars have never hurt anybody except the people who die.

How To Boost and Maximize Your Brain’s Learning Capabilities?

“Your mind has been a learning machine ever since you’re born.” This was one of the messages I shared with my course participants for the last two days. In “Brain Power”, I’m so glad that all the participants took immense interest excelling in their own mental well being and life success. Well done, everyone!

To add on, here are the ways to maximize and boost your brain’s learning capabilities:

1. Get curious. And I mean really curious about everything.

2. Start to ask questions. Ask them well and ask them deep. Ask me too.

3. Be observant. Hone your powers of sight and hearing. Tune your instincts.

4. Study different perspectives. Be receptive to possible ways of looking at issues and ideas. You see what I mean?

5. Take notes. Note them down. Study them. Discuss them.

6. Test for reaction. A bit of cheekiness here. Dare you push someone to the brink of their limit? Not crossing it though. A little sort of “what happens if I do this?” and then just work on the nerve buttons. I bet you’ll learn something you’ll never forget. (Please… use some emotional intelligence here to know your limits of testing, ok?)

7. Add variety. A little bit of pepper won’t hurt. Who knows, you might like it. So, instead of cramping the books, get out and boogie!!!

8. Seek creativity. When variety isn’t enough, get creative. Ever worn a flowery shirt to work instead of the usual black-and-whites?

9. Have fun. Fun has the strange ability to make you want more of it. So if you have fun learning, guess what you want more of? (The irony is… it’s a no brainer!)

10. Experience freshness and refresh your life. Take a deep breath, feel the positive energy of this world. Reflect on its existence and your purpose of being here in this life. Mediation adds to your enlightenment too. Hmmm……

Remember, your mind craves for new knowledge. Never deny it the chance to grow, for its continued growth is your guarantee to excel in life. A life that lets you excel beyond excellence!

What’s In A Name? Here’s Steering You Through The 10 Odd Car Names

Like it or not, the name says it all. And people form impressions from names.
(Yeah, and that includes my own name, Wekie. Whatever impression you get from it, I’ve most likely heard before. And I’m cool about it. 🙂 )

As you launch a product, its name communicates something. People get emotions and are somewhat affected by the name to varying degrees. What’s more, your customers will also take names into consideration in deciding if they want to write out that check.

Whenever customers buy, they want a suitable sounding name that goes with what they are paying their hard-earned dole for. After all, it’s partially their right too.

When you drive a car, you derive certain satisfaction from it. It could be the class, the luxury or even the functionalities. No matter what, the name of the automobile does reflect something.

And this article from Msn.com features some tongue-in-cheek comments that come from odd car names.

(As usual, take it with a pinch of salt, it’s just for your general fun and entertainment. But do reflect on the importance of names, their impact and purposes, be it subtle or distinct, intentional or accidental.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 Odd Car Names

Where do they come up with names for cars? Some of them make sense: the Audi Quattro refers to the car’s all-wheel drive system, the Acura Legend inspires confidence, and the Plymouth Voyager conjures up family road trips. But others…well, you just have to wonder. We called up the actual definitions for some of these names in an attempt to understand…

1. AMC Gremlin: “a tiny imaginary mischievous creature that is blamed for faults in tools, machinery, and electronic equipment.” Do you really want anything to do with gremlins when you are driving down a steep and slippery road?

2. Ford Probe: Probably the manufacturers meant probe as in space probe. However, we can’t rule out another definition: “surgical instrument for exploring.”

3. Chevy Cavalier: “showing an arrogant or jaunty disregard or lack of respect for something or somebody,” or a “gallant or chivalrous gentleman, especially one escorting a lady.” Which do you think they were going for?

4. Plymouth Reliant: “depending on or needing somebody or something.” Wouldn’t you like to be able to rely on your car, rather than have it rely on you?

5. Oldsmobile Cutlass: “a short thrusting sword with a flat and slightly curved blade used in the past, especially by sailors.” This might be a better name for a boat.

6. Volkswagen Golf: “an outdoor game in which an array of specially designed clubs with long shafts are used to hit a small ball from a prescribed starting point into a hole.” What if you prefer tennis or soccer? Can you still drive this car?

7. Toyota Corolla: “the petals of a flower collectively, forming a ring around the reproductive organs and surrounded by an outer ring of sepals.” Well, at least the literal Latin translation of corolla is “little crown.”

8. Chevy Suburban: “relating to, belonging to, or located in a suburb.” Why is there no “Urban” or “Rural”?

9. Mitsubishi Mirage: “something that is unreal or merely imagined.” This suggests the car may not be as good as it seems.

10. Subaru Brat: “demanding and selfish person: somebody, either a child or an adult, who is regarded as tiresomely demanding and selfish, like a spoiled child.” So, it’s not surprising that Subaru has discontinued that model.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a thought, if you can name any car of your own, what will you call it?

Happy driving on the road to excellence!