Don’t worry, be happy!
We live in a time when much emphasis is placed on personal happiness, yet when asked, few people would say that they are truly happy. It is as if the more we chase being happy, the more it eludes us. Perhaps it is not that we do not have the things in our life that create happiness as much as we have lost the ability to recognize what happiness truly looks like. Perhaps, just possibly, we are happy but just don’t know it. Happiness and optimism though two different things are tied together in ways most do not realize. We can feel optimistic about our future yet unhappy now, or happy now but that being happy is limited because we are not optimistic about our future. It might be easier to feel both happy and optimistic if we take some steps to understanding the power of positive thinking so that we can truly recognize the happiness we have both now and have optimism for the future. The following ten websites, listed in order of their Alexa traffic count rating, are ideal for that task. They will help you move toward a happier and more rewarding life. Now take a deep breath, put a smile on your face and at least show enough optimism to get started. You’ll be happy you did!
Global Alexa Rating: 3,913
This website is the homepage of Dr. Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center and founder of positive psychology, a branch of psychology which focuses on the empirical study of positive emotions and more. The website has a number of questionnaires so you can get an assessment of where you lie in such things as emotions, enduring happiness, forgiveness, work-life satisfaction and a lot more. You will need to register to the site to participate, but considering the ability to develop insights into yourself and the world around you, this is well worth the few moments of your time to register. The website includes articles about a number of subjects such as PERMA, a new theory of well-being. You can even make a difference by becoming part of their research as they are seeking research participants. Dr. Seligman is also participating in a speaking tour in Europe in the summer of 2014 which many may find helpful.
2. Tiny Buddha: http://tinybuddha.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 1,706
Tiny Buddha is about reflecting on simple wisdom and learning new ways to apply it to your complex life. It enjoys more than 2 million monthly readers and is a great resource for peace and happiness. Readers can subscribe to receive one email each weekday which includes two blog posts, or you can opt for one weekly digest on Fridays. Despite the title, this site is about more than Buddhism as it is a little bit Buddhism and a lot of wisdom from all religions, traditions and cultures. The site includes quotes, blogs, forums, activities and interaction with other members. When you first sign up, you will receive 92 Life Lessons for free. The articles on this website are amazing and deal with so many real life situations and how to relate to the world, that it will be a favourite go-to site.
7. The Positivity Blog: http://www.positivityblog.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 57,930
This website is devoted to helping people live a happier life, increase their self-esteem and confidence, reduce procrastination and become more productive, simply their life and improve relationship and social skills. It includes practical advice and step-by-step strategies. This blog has been online since September of 2006 and has more than 500,000 visitors each month. It also enjoys nearly 60,000 subscribers who receive a new and practical newsletter for free each week. The site has over 500 popular articles full of tips and information. There are also six premium products – courses and eBook – that go into depth and include audio guides and workbooks. The courses are: The Invincible Summer-A Course in Optimism (8 week course for $29), The Smart Social Skills Course (12 week course for $37 Basic or $47 Deluxe), Self-Esteem Course (12 week course for $37), Simplicity Course (Basic is $37, Deluxe is $47), Art of Relaxed Productivity eBook (Basic is $17, Complete is $27), and 31 Days to a Simpler Life Course ($19.97).
4. Steve Aitchison Blog: http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/
Global Alexa Rating: 105,475
This site has blogs archived back to August of 2006 full of topics – over 500 articles and counting. Steven Aitchison has also written books which can be found on Amazon. Besides the helpful blogs, he also has a number of personal development products available to purchase that will help grow your mind, fuel your brain and nourish your spirit. A unique aspect of this site is the Make a Wish section where Steve encourages readers to post their goals, wishes and dreams. It is his belief that we don’t act on our hopes, dreams and wishes if they are locked inside our heads so post it and see what happens. It is interesting and humbling to read what others have posted, as well as the uplifting comments made. Another helpful aspect of this blog site is the ability to pull up articles based on their category. Be sure to check out the FVOTW – The Friday Video of the Week.
5. Words of Wisdom: http://wow4u.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 20,383
It never hurts to have a place to go to for some inspirational words of wisdom, and this website does not disappoint in that regard. You’ll find quotes and sayings, thoughts, stories, poems, prayers, proverbs, words of faith, words to make you smile, words of appreciation and encouragement, wall art and more. Probably the best use of this site is to give that little boost when you feel your resolve to be optimistic fading. It is also a valuable resource for finding the right words to say what you mean to others such as words of appreciation. Catherine Pulsifer, who began the site, has 4 motivational books, including some available on Kindle with links given on the website. Additionally, you can purchase wall art through her website. If you are looking for inspiration, you’ll find it here.
6. Success Consciousness: http://www.successconsciousness.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 248,001
Success Consciousness was founded by Remez Sasson who writes articles and books about positive thinking and self-improvement, along with the mental tools and skills which contribute to success and well-being. He also writes about spiritual growth, meditation and inner peace. He started a website in December of 2001. He has two other websites as well including www.RemezSasson.com which is dedicated to his books and www.LookWithinYou.com which focuses on meditation, inner peace and spirituality. This is a nice website to turn to for getting guidance to help live a better, richer and happier life. The site is organized into success skills, positive habits, quotes & stores and tips for life. Success skills include willpower & self-discipline, power of concentration, mind power, achieving goals, motivation, affirmations and visualization & law of attractions. Positive habits include positive thinking, self-improvement, happiness and peach of mind. Quotes & stories includes inspiring quotes, a Buddha quotes eBook, Lao Tzu quotes eBook, inspiring stories and an inner peace meditation video.
7. The Optimist: http://optimistworld.com/
Global Alexa Rating: 392,312
The Optimist is the place both for those that are an optimist and those that aspire to be one. This site is dedicated to having a place where you can go to find out about things of importance that are inspiring, positive and optimistic. It allows you to get away from all those drama-ridden, sensationalized, hyped up and depressing news sites. Here you will find good news headlines, inspiring stores about charities, positive corporate social responsibility activities, sustainable travel, optimistic stories from the world of sports, and much more. The site is organized into 6 categories: news, charities, companies, travel, sports, stories and TV. Readers can join the site in order to comment, vote and receive their newsletter. While this site might not teach you how to be optimistic, it certainly helps you avoid those things that can make staying optimistic very difficult. Seeing the good in the world does wonders for your day!
8. The Pursuit of Happiness: http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/
Global Alexa Rating: 651,514
The goal of this website is to provide educators, students, and the general public with free access to clear, concise, information on the history and scientific study of human happiness, positive psychology and mental well-being in general. The site includes resources for individuals as well as educators. In the Individuals Resources section you will find the 7 habits of happy people: relationships, caring, exercise, flow, spiritual engagement and meaning, strengths and virtues and positive thinking (optimism and gratitude). There are a number of courses offered on the site for those that want to really delve into the science behind the pursuit of happiness. One aspect of the site you might find useful is the Happiness Quiz offered. The blog articles are also useful and are well written. Also interesting are the articles about the history of such people as Buddha, Socrates, Confucius, Aristotle, Epicurus, Mencius and more.
9. Optimist International: http://www.optimist.org/
Global Alexa Rating: 965,420
Perhaps the reason there are so many unhappy adults is because far too many spent a childhood without the foundation being laid for being optimistic and confident. Thanks to Optimist International, this just might be able to be changed. They are an association of more than 2,600 Optimist Clubs around the world dedicated to bringing out the best in kids. By empowering young people to be the best that they can be, they can be given hope and positive vision. By becoming a part of this organization and giving of yourself to your community’s children, you just might find that giving does good for you as well as for the kids. Take to heart the Optimist Creed outlined on the website:
Promise Yourself …
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
10. Mental Health America: http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/go/live-your-life-well/positive
Global Alexa Rating: 1,442,599
Mental Health America is a non-profit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives. The website is full of advice and information, with one page that really fits the bill for this list – the 10 tools to live your life well. Each of the tools goes into depth and the section on staying positive is especially helpful. The website also includes the ability to sign up for updates and find help near you should you decide that professional help might be the way to go. There is a lot of information on the site about many aspects of mental health including anxiety and depression which can both make it difficult to be happy and optimistic. With help they believe anyone can feel better and stronger, and thus live their life well.
Whether these sites help you have a happier home life, better social life, improved marriage or more success in business is up to how you apply what you learn. As you develop your inner strength and gain inner peace, there is no limit to what you can accomplish. What you visualize is what you create, so move toward visualizing happiness and optimism so that you can obtain these in your life.
