February's Love Tune-Up - Sweet Thanks

 I have chosen to focus on my Marriage in February. Naturally just around St Valentine's Day! I spend a lot of my time with Ricardo (approximately 96 hours a week). So naturally a huge chunk of my happiness would come from being with him and what kind of energy we feed off each other. "20 Marriage Tips Everyone Needs to Know" an article written by a recently divorced gentleman (link below). Which I found to be incredibly profound with so much #truth.

http://www.viralnova.com/20-marriage-tips

Goal: ALWAYS SEE THE BEST in her. Focus only on what you love. What you focus on will expand. If you focus on what bugs you, all you will see is reasons to be bugged. If you focus on what you love, you can’t help but be consumed by love. Focus to the point where you can no longer see anything but love, and you know without a doubt that you are the luckiest man on earth to be have this woman as your wife.

Thank you for the laughs...

for working so hard for the life we have...

Heart Vision

The Secret, by author Rhonda Byrne (no I have not joined a cult) claims that the law of attraction is based on our thoughts and visions. We see it, we believe it, and it will come to be. I will bring this forward to my love life. I will envision us through our years as happy, laughing and loving. This will be hard since society paints an ugly picture of relationships being hard work. You know with lines like "the ol'ball and chain" and "enjoy the honeymoon phase!" Who comes with this stuff anyways??

for never giving up on our dreams...

for making me breakfast on YOUR days off...

Fight Right

In any conflict, do you suddenly feel yourself regurgitating the ghost of Christmas past? This is also known as the Crockpot. When all the bad things someone does gets thrown into the Crockpot without a peep. Then it stirs and simmers, sometimes months at a time and then finally the big blowup..you are then both sitting there looking at each other angrily with absolutely ZERO solutions to whatever you were fighting for in the first place! In order to get my happy vision with Ricardo in gear I will need to bring up one difficult topic at a time. The big challenge is, I will have to do this without putting him down and without blowing up. Easier said than done friends!

for giving me my dream home...

for all the adventure...

4 Goods = 1 Bad?

I believe that as negative absorbers unconsciously we tend to hold on to the bad. Even with so much good we just can't seem to let the bad go. So I think how many good times could erase one bad time with Ricardo? Probably a lot. So it would be a good idea to pick and choose my battles. When to be heavy and when to be light. I really want him to look back at our life together as one long nostalgic song going through his head with various scenes of us happy and in love. You know, like in the movies!

for listening when I say "I haven't had popcorn in soo long!"...

for being so generous to my family...

Show Love

The things we do for each other and for the love of our family gets unnoticed. It's part of our daily routine and it just becomes so wired into our brains that it begins to lack purpose. Why are we always taking the garbage outside while the other one has got their butt parked on the couch? We need to revive the purpose in the things that we do for each other. A simple "Thank you for taking out the garbage" is nice and it is one of the courtesies that me and Ricardo have always had to thank each other for things. But sometimes it's not enough, giving us little to no motivation to pick it up and do it again for each other with some guilty comments on the side. Find out which way of showing gratitude works for you. It could be a cute sticky note showing love for the replenished milk in the fridge or even an email/text with a sweet thank you message for the coffee brewed in the morning. Anything that shows them "hi, I really do notice your existence and you did something super nice for me and I totally got your back!"

and for my morning kisses.

February's Love Tune-Up - Silly Priscilly

I have chosen to focus on my Marriage in February. Naturally just around St Valentine's Day! I spend a lot of my time with Ricardo (approximately 96 hours a week). So naturally a huge chunk of my happiness would come from being with him and what kind of energy we feed off each other. "20 Marriage Tips Everyone Needs to Know" an article written by a recently divorced gentleman (link below). Which I found to be incredibly profound with so much #truth.

http://www.viralnova.com/20-marriage-tips

 Goal: BE SILLY… don’t take yourself so damn seriously. Laugh. And make her laugh. Laughter makes everything else easier.

 Silly Priscilla

Being silly is what defined me as a kid. I would have done anything for a laugh, even if it got me into some serious trouble! The principal’s office was definitely my residence in elementary school. Although my mom never found any of this funny, I had made a good group of friends with my shenanigans. They never judged me even with the most hideous faces I made to get a chuckle.

 THEN adulthood happened. Here’s the math:

1 FT JOB + GAZILLION BILLS + 1 GIANT MTG = STRESS + 0 SILLINESS

All the stresses and pressures of growing up and taking on responsibility has the ability to take all the fun and excitement from your life…if you allow it to.

Add Silliness

 Sure you can’t go and blow your cash on a lavish night in Niagara with Champagne showers and a party bus with Vinny from the Jersey Shore. But there is so much joy and pleasure in the little things that the average eye cannot see. BE SILLY!! Laugh at yourself! Sing along, make funny faces, do cartwheels and somersaults and indulge in a little candy once in a while. We need to bring out the kid in us out for the world to see. ITS INFECTIOUS! Watch as your guy/girl catches it and starts bringing their kid out! Let the play dates begin!!

Minus Ego

As we grow older we tend to care about what others think. This puts us in a tight package of unoriginality. We don’t express what we feel, we don’t share our ideas all because we are afraid of how others perceive us. I teach Ricardo again and again to always put yourself out there, especially with his english. Ask questions, try new words and phrases. Why wouldn’t I take my own advice? CAUTION: You may receive feedback that you might not like to hear. Listen to what they have to say, and take what you’d like from it. Just don’t let it upset you, it’s just not worth throwing away the happiness we’ve been working for.

 Benefits of Laughing

-Lower blood pressure

-Increases vascular blood flow and oxygenation of the blood

-Gives a workout to the abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg, and back muscles

-Reduces certain stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline

-Increases the response of tumor- and disease-killing cells 

-Defends against respiratory infections even reducing the frequency of colds

-Increases memory and learning

-Improves alertness, creativity, and memory

Funny is Sexy

Tina Fey is named as one of the 50 TOP sexiest women of all time. She's not only a beauty, but she has the ability to find the funny in any given situation. This doesn’t mean you should get out your clown gear ladies. Just let loose and laugh at life when you can.

Har-dee-har-har!

So what makes your darlin’ laugh? Do they like Adam Sandler? Plan a movie marathon! Is there a certain phrase that they find hilarious? Say it often. Maybe in a funny voice! Make their day, especially when they’re singing the blues.

Check out my favourite giggly scene from Mary Poppins...

http://youtu.be/BvAGNSJ7Wrc

"To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it!"
- Charlie Chapman

February's Love Tune-Up - The Perfect Gentlewoman

 I have chosen to focus on my Marriage in February. Naturally just around St Valentine's Day! I spend a lot of my time with Ricardo (approximately 96 hours a week). So naturally a huge chunk of my happiness would come from being with him and what kind of energy we feed off each other. "20 Marriage Tips Everyone Needs to Know" an article written by a recently divorced gentleman (link below). Which I found to be incredibly profound with so much #truth. So I have chosen 4 really important points he brings up that I find I could really brush up on.

http://www.viralnova.com/20-marriage-tips

Goal: Never stop courting. Never stop dating. NEVER EVER take that woman for granted. When you asked her to marry you, you promised to be that man that would OWN HER HEART and to fiercely protect it. This is the most important and sacred treasure you will ever be entrusted with. SHE CHOSE YOU. Never forget that, and NEVER GET LAZY in your love.

Sure we are in 2014. The days where women make most decisions in a fam. We change our tires and master the barbecue. We paint our walls and shovel our snow. It’s hard to believe that once upon a time there existed courtship. Where men would open our doors, pulled out our seat, offered flowers, noticed our beauty, held their farts in, and did not speak of T&A. I’m not saying gentlemen aren’t out there anymore it is quite a rare breed, but I did get the wrong impression of how real relationships work from the Rom Coms of the 90’s.

Gent·le·man

ˈjentlmən/ - a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man.

I choose to focus on the good! Ricardo has this amazing capability of caring for others. Once you are in his circle of loved ones, you my friend will have him at your beck and call when you need a friend and he will worry about you while you’re out until you arrive home safely. This is one thing I truly admire about him. He knows how to be really silly and won’t ever judge me when I wanna do jumping jacks together or sing out loud. I like to think he actually like this immature side of me, I may be wrong about this!

So instead of waiting for him to help me with my jacket, I will help him with his. I will treat him with Tim Hortons after a long night of cake and I will help him Band-Aid any cuts he has. My  fellow Canadians! We know that there is nothing like being offered a thoughtful warm toasty cup of Tim Hortons without asking eh? It is something that costs less than $5.00 and gives the effect of a million! I have brought Tim Hortons to those that I care most for and their faces are always priceless. For Ricardo, I will be the perfect gentleperson that I long for. I will not get lazy with my marriage and I will try to wow him at every opportunity I have. Being in business we tend to treat our clients like royalty, give them everything they want and how they want it. Why in God’s Green Earth would I not give that kind of treatment to the person I have promised to spend my whole life with!

Some great ideas for the #thriftyvalentiner ! 

 http://www.viralnova.com/say-i-love-you/

"Whatever happened to chivalry? Does it only exist in 80's movies? I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me. I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me. Just once I want my life to be like an 80's movie, preferably one with a really awesome musical number for no apparent reason." – Olive Pendergast, Easy A

February's Love Tune-Up - Be Present

I have chosen to focus on my Marriage in February. Naturally just around St Valentine's Day! I spend a lot of my time with Ricardo (approximately 96 hours a week). So naturally a huge chunk of my happiness would come from being with him and what kind of energy we feed off each other. Featuring "20 Marriage Tips Everyone Needs to Know" an article written by a recently divorced gentleman (link below). Which I found to be incredibly profound with so much #truth. So I have chosen 4 really important points he brings up that I find I could really brush up on and bring the swoon back into my life.

http://www.viralnova.com/20-marriage-tips/

Goal: "BE PRESENT. Give her not only your time, but your focus, your attention and your soul. Do whatever it takes to clear your head so that when you are with her you are fully WITH HER. Treat her as you would your most valuable client. She is."

We all want that can't eat, can't sleep high we first get about a new guy/girl in our life. Just counting the minutes to see them and jumping right into their arms the moment we lay our eyes on them. Many people in long term relationships will know that this high does NOT last for the most of us. Our "hey babe, missed you soo much!" basically turns into "hey finally your home can you hold this?". Though our relationship has evolved to something more real, I would still like to ignite the spark between us giving Ricardo the fun and companionship that I did back at the age of 16. 

There comes a time when you just need to put your phone/iPad down. That last notification does not need to be checked right at this minute! We need to take advantage of the handful of hours, give our undivided attention to the bf/gf and show them how important what they have to say is. Think of all the hardship and good times you go through in your day to day. Wouldn’t you want to share that with someone? Wouldn’t you be just so happy if someone put down all their distractions and really listened to what you had to say about your day? Well that is one free gift that you are able to offer everyday. WARNING: Don't be too eager to give your feedback! I find the simple act of listening is one of the most underrated tools of communication. 

With me I find it hard because the little time I have after work is spent on a bajillion tasks. If I I find myself needing get up and do something while listening in on his day at he bakery, I will gently let him know I am still listening so that he doesn’t take my body posture as “Dear God this is torture”. Body posture is a big key to communication. We say so much to each other without a single word said. Ricardo has in fact caught me with my many faces and bulls eyed exactly what I was thinking.

Look them right in the eyes and face them as much as possible. It won’t hurt to mention how you truly feel about each other. One never knows what could happen tomorrow. Take advantage of every second you have as if it might be your last with them.

"I want you. I want all of you. Forever. You and me, everyday." - The Notebook

January Energy Boost - Results are in...

Daily Meditation/Forgiving 3 out of 5 Stars

I found meditating very difficult to schedule. One easy way to slip in some zen time was doing it about 5 minutes before bed. This totally helped me temporarily place my worries on my night stand and have thee most peaceful sleep. In forgiving I found a lot of love I get that I never knew of before. Whoever you are reading this, I need to tell you that you are loved! Even if you don't feel it. You just need to see it.

Stay in the Gym / Dance 5 out of 5

Maybe it's the January resolution juice running through me but I just can't seem to stay away from the gym. I feel this huge rush of energy going through me in everything  I do. Having a good time in those classes, meeting and seeing so many new faces has kept me at the gym. Classes have made me move away from the treadmill. They give me cardio and all the strength training all in one package so it keeps me having fun and doing all the right things to keep me in shape. Dancing makes me so happy, so not only am I attending my lessons but I have actually incorporated it to my routines at home. I've never had so much fun just washing dishes!

Fuel my body 3 out of 5

After my scare I definitely started eating more and often however the quality of my food was lacking in vitamins and maximizing in fats. Warm comfort food in the winter is definitely my temptation. Recently we just hopped on the Costco train and I found it very hard to commit to 5 kilos of Celery so I have pinned down a local grocery store on my way home from work that I am going to once a week to refill on our fruits and veggies.

 

8 sleep hours minimum 4 out of 5 stars

Hammering down when it came time to bedtime wasn't too hard. Once I got in the habit of pressing the Power button on the TV with no remorse it was pretty much easy street. I gave myself a 4 because there were few naughty nights where I went to bed late due to social interaction (which I enjoy most). I do keep my count of the hours I had lost and make sure I catch up on weekends or naps during the week.

Heart your Home 2 out of 5
I just started this on Wednesday so I didn't give myself such a high rating. So far I have implemented the 10 minute tidy rule and what a difference it made to my morning to see my beautiful home clutter free before heading out to work. However I have yet to initiate a big clean up in my basement aka storage level. 

Am I happier? Loaded question. I feel the same as December 31st when I started making these goals. However my perspective has changed. I know I have changed and I am now catching up to all the change. Things that make me happy today are not things that would've made me happy 5 years ago. What I do feel is grateful. I have had an overwhelming response from my friends and family in supporting me on my happy journey. People are sharing their happiness projects with me and I am just thrilled that we are realizing the big picture FINALLY! We are all responsible for our own happiness. If you choose to not focus on it, sure you won't notice the difference. You may very well be happy without the bells and whistles of a project. But life is short to just go with the flow and see what happens. Make things happen for yourself! It's a responsibility we must take as humans to take our lives and make something of it. Something that makes us proud! Something that will make our eulogy quite an interesting piece of literature to read one day. 

Happy Vid of The Month

http://youtu.be/Mdr8vI37MvY

To coincide with the single release, the website 24hoursofhappy.com has been launched featuring a visual presentation of "Happy" advertised as being "the world's first 24 hour music video". The video consists of the four-minute song repeated with various people dancing and miming along.