8 Great Ways to Spread Cheer

Owl’s smile by merec0

I admit it, I’m selfish. One of the biggest reasons I love to cheer someone else up is that it also makes me feel better. There’s just something so attractive about the idea of making someone smile. I love that the joy is two-fold, both receiver and giver reap the benefits. A wonderful win-win situation.

So here are a few ideas I rounded up to help make the day of someone you know. Or even someone you don’t. The important thing is to have fun and enjoy the experience. Life’s too short not to play in the puddles!

1. Share a Sweet Treat. One of my all-time favorites is food. Whether it’s sweet succulent strawberries or the crunchy goodness of a chocolate chip cookie, everyone has a delicacy they love. Surprise your coworkers with a bag of bagels or a pizza lunch. Food feeds more than our bodies; it brings to mind emotional connections to happy memories. Spread some goodwill today.
2. Go to the Park With a Friend. You’re never too old to have some fun. Take an hour at lunch or just before going home and visit your favorite playground. Whether you swing on the swing set, feed the baby ducks or take a walk by the water, the fresh air and serenity will invigorate you. Take your tennis shoes so you can skip along the path as you go.
3. Play Some Music Together. Whether you buy a new CD or compile some tunes of your own, invite your sister or niece to sing-along. One of my own favorite activities is to play children’s music for my nieces and nephews that they haven’t heard before. It’s so fun when we all learn the words and sing together. Music helps you forget your troubles.
4. Visit The Puppy Store. Take my advice; if you visit a pet shop with all those fuzzy, wiggling balls of love, you won’t leave in a bad mood. Ooohhh and Aaahhh over the shortest or tallest, the fuzziest and the one with the biggest ears. There’s nothing like playful pooches to tickle your laugh box back into shape.
5. See a Movie Together. Stay at home and snuggle up with a comfy pillow, blanket and your favorite snack or head for the buttery popcorn action of the big-screen. Either way, you’re in for a few hours of excitement and laughter. Movies are more fun when shared, so take your mom out this Mother’s Day.
6. Write a Gratitude Letter. Many of us already write gratitude journals for ourselves to remind us of the many joys we experience each week and then forget. Do the same for someone you love. Write them a letter and give them specific experiences you remember with them that made you happy. It’s guaranteed to delight.
7. Buy Some Humorous Books. This is an easy, often overlooked idea. Even those who don’t read often will enjoy cartoon books like Peanuts, Garfield, Calvin & Hobbes or the Far Side. You can also buy books with redneck humor, blonde jokes, riddles, office jokes and more. Whatever the style theirs a book that fits it.
8. Try a Novelty Gift. We all have favorite characters, themes and styles. Buy your mother an owl for her collection, your buddy a Dwight Schrute bobble head, or your Uncle a Darth Vader t-shirt. Surprise gifts like these can make people smile for days, and they’re really fun to give.

Let out your inner peacock.

El Macho Uploaded on March 12, 2007 by ellhoisa

When I look around at nature, I see so many beautiful sights. The silver drops of rain glistening like diamonds in the sun, the emerald green grass, and the elegant white swan. I’m captivated by the songbirds who sing such beautiful songs, enchanted by the bumbling flight of the butterfly amazed at the magnificent colors of the Peacock.

Nature abounds with beauty, grace and wonder. I think all of us have the same qualities within all of us. We only need to look inside and find what makes us light up with excitement. Can we cook? Do we sing? Are we skilled with a saw and hammer? You don’t even need to quit your day job (though many of us would like to,) in order to share your happiness with others.

Print and frame family photos for a family member who doesn’t have the skill. Use your computer to make personalized greeting cards. Install a light and paint the living room for your mother. Find the skills and abilities you enjoy and use them to make memories with families or friends.

Or volunteer and share your talents with those who need it. Be a mentor for a child, read to the elderly or cook at a soup kitchen. Teach the local shelter dogs some manners, or offer to spice up the web site of your favorite charity. We all have gifts that make us smile and strut, that leave us full of happiness and satisfaction. Find that gift or ability that makes your heart happy and bring a smile to your face.

Though we sometimes forget, we are as much a part of nature as the glamorous orange and black tiger. Some of us shine brightly like a brilliant yellow rose; others are sturdy and strong as a majestic mountain. All the variety and splendor of nature resides in each and every human being.

Look inside and find the deepest and best expression of yourself and share it with everyone around you. Not only will you find joy and fulfillment in connecting to your inner self, your happiness will flow and touch others, expanding the bliss to even more people. What could be better? And to think this entire subject started with a glance at a beautiful little peacock.

In honor of World Kindness Week.

Condesa Sastago PSE Uploaded on March 22, 2007 by KaCey97007

Ever since the first time I found out there where entire web sites dedicated entirely to kindness, I’ve been entranced by them. For myself, even though I want to live a more generous, giving and kind-hearted lifestyle I often find myself lost as to where to start. Usually I start at home, giving an extra long hug, doing a chore someone else dislikes, or just sharing a smile and a compliment.

But when you want to take your kindness a step further where do you look for ideas? Time after time I turn back to the same web sites again and again. There are kindness newsletters, kindness calendars, kindness bookmarks and more. The best part is the stories that are shared. Some are everyday, ordinary kindness like holding a door open or baking cookies for work. Others are big, broad-minded, school-wide, city-wide, state-wide and even world-wide projects.

These ideas inspire me and help me think beyond my usual limits. It reminds me of the basic goodness inside each person and focuses my attention on the good deeds being down around the world by wonderful people. Kindness makes me feel good and connected to a community of people taking small steps to make the world a more beautiful place.

Here are just a few tips I’ve picked up from various sites. Try a few today and feel the joy a good deed gives you. Don’t be surprised if you become addicted to being a do-gooder.

1. Buy a cup of coffee for the person behind you.
2. Donate unwanted items to a nearby shelter.
3. Take a friend to the movies.
4. Leave a book at a café, bus stop or airport lounge.
5. Buy flowers for your mom.
6. Give your seat to an elderly person.
7. Say hello to someone new today.
8. Tell a friend what makes them great.
9. Say I love you to a family member.
10. Be a “secret Santa” for a needy family.
11. Clip positive news stories and make an album to leave in your doctor’s office.
12. Do some fundraising to help cure juvenile diabetes.
13. Read to the elderly in a nursing home.
14. Clip your favorite cartoons and share them with a niece or nephew.
15. Give a free hug to anyone who wants one.

I’d like to give a hearty “THANK YOU!” to all my readers, old and new. I’ve truly enjoyed sharing my thoughts and ideas with you. It is truly a blessing to exchange ideas, share good news, positive thoughts and fun and laughter with all of you. Thanks for taking the time to visit. I hope you’ll come back again!

Every day perks not to be missed.

Sunshine, lollypops Uploaded on November 7, 2007 by pinkazalea09

As you go through your day, take notice of what is happening. Don’t let opportunities for enjoyment, fun and pleasure pass you by. Be alert and aware of the short-lived joys as they happen. As you add them up you’ll feel happier and find more joy in the little things each day. (This is a great reminder for me as well).

1. The fresh smell of clean clothes.
2. A front-row parking space.
3. A steaming hot shower on a cold morning.
4. A clean kitchen.
5. Savoring your favorite meal.
6. The freedom owning your own car brings.
7. Learning a new skill.
8. Laughing so hard your stomach hurts.
9. A message from a friend.
10. Good music.
11. A comfortable pair of tennis shoes.
12. The smell of fresh-baked cookies.
13. Making someone smile.
14. Giving or getting a hug.
15. The smell of your favorite perfume.
16. The quiet of the neighborhood early in the morning.
17. Green lights all the way home from work.
18. Sunflowers and yellow daisies.
19. A soft cuddly blanket to snuggle in.
20. Fuzzy warm socks for your feet.

Be more generous without spending a dime.

Loose change Uploaded on October 30, 2007 by asilva

I have to admit, I don’t think of myself as a generous person. I tend to horde things I love; books, toys, pens, quotes and most of all money. One of my goals is to be more generous and giving. To stop keeping all the cookies and chocolate to myself, but rather to share it with friends and coworkers. To give away books I’m done reading to others who might enjoy them. To return to those kindergarten lessons we learned so long ago: share, be nice, and treat others are you would want to be treated.

While I may not be as generous as I'd like, I try to share my time and skills with others whenever I can. If I can fix a computer problem for someone who is new, or do an errand to help a busy friend, I’m glad to do it. I love to point someone in the direction of a good restaurant, mechanic or store sale whenever I get the chance. Finding that hard-to-get toy for a niece or nephew is an adventure and long lines and busy stores do not deter my determination.

So why do I feel uncharitable and stingy? One reason is reading kindness web sites, biographies of great people, and self-help books. These stories of people who literally give away their last dollar and the shirt off their back fill me with inspiration and hope, but also a vague sense of guilt.

I resolve to make a plan to share my own type of generosity. As I’ve received kindness newsletters and surfed the Internet for ideas, I’ve come across many easy-to-do and cheap projects. One of my favorites was to put all your extra loose change into the candy, toy and gumball machines in a busy Wal-Mart for children to find and use. I remember as a child wanting one of those trinkets with great longing. This is an example of something that is easy to do, fun, and that will make me smile even if I’m not there to see the results.

Start today making your plan to be more generous. Don’t stick to only the conventional examples of giving gifts or money. Generously give the prime front parking space to the elderly person across from you. Donate your time to baby-sit for a busy family, offer to carpool with a coworker who doesn’t like to drive. Let the mother with three children plus a crying baby ahead of you at the checkout line. Join me in redefining what generosity is. Share kindness, share joy. Share a smile and make the world a better place without spending a dime.

Heroes is back this fall. Why it is got-to-see TV.

Summer super smile by Marcus Vegas.

The hit TV show Heroes is back next Monday September 24^th. I was a huge fan last year, and am eagerly anticipating the new season. Being married to a life-long comic book collector may have something to do with it, but then again superpowers are always cool. So here are just a few reasons to watch.

1. Super villains. Will they be happy with mere world domination or are they set to exterminate the entire human race?
2. In case the characters start wearing spandex and capes.
3. For the chance to argue over whose powers are better. Self-healing or flying? Stopping time or invisibility?
4. To see what funny new faces Hiro will have this year. (Love that scrunched-up face of intense concentration).
5. Suspense. Who will replace Mr. Linderman? Who will turn to evil and who will become good?
6. Awesome special effects.
7. To see some serious samurai swordplay. (Hopefully)
8. More secret organizations, hidden conspiracies and other outrageous fun.
9. To hear this year’s new catchphrase.
10. Because it’s one of the coolest action shows on TV!

If you can’t wait for the show to start, here’s a link or two with up-to-date news, spoilers and more. Long live Heroes!

Hip-hip-hooray, it’s raining today!

When does the rainbows get here? By Todd Baker .
Creative commons

Yes, it’s true; it’s raining ponds and puddles right now. Since we’ve been in quite a drought for a while, this is making me very happy. Just to prove that it’s not only the end of the drought that is making the rain fun, here are my top 10 reasons why it’s great:

1. There are now puddles to splash in.
2. Frogs, turtles and ducks are really enjoying themselves right now.
3. Mud baths are great for softer skin.
4. Rain is a great excuse to read a book or watch a movie.
5. Ponds and rivers are filling up; the waterfalls are bigger than usual.
6. Pests like flies, bees, and mosquitoes are nowhere to be seen.
7. You get a chance to find leaks and holes in your roof before winter comes.
8. It’s a good reason to put off chores like cutting the grass and washing the car.
9. If it rains for a week you get your own personal pool.
10. The chance to look for rainbows when the rain stops.

Smile File - make a point.

Owl with a very silly face by BrianScott


Humor is a rubber sword - it allows you to make a point without drawing blood. - Mary Hirsch

Kindness is a gift to yourself.

Wheeeeeee! by lou & magoo

Recently I’ve been pleased to see so many web sites dedicated to kindness on the Internet. Two great examples are Help Other.org and Gift of Kindness.com. Both of these wonderful sites share stories from people who have received kindness from others, and ideas on how you can be kind to someone else.

In this day and age of bad news, verbal attacks, and constant complaining, these groups are a breath of fresh air. By signing up for their free newsletters you will get weekly reminders that people are mostly good and that being kind has a ripple effect that spreads to others.

Some of the ideas are so simple; smile, give someone a compliment, lend a hand, help a neighbor. Wonderful ideas that are easy to do. Give what you have; time, money, advice, or skill. Maybe you can paint a fence, take someone to dinner, or watch the kids for a busy couple. With a little thought you can make someone very happy – and the great part is their happiness will make you happy!

It’s an amazing phenomenon, when you help someone you receive a boost to your own self-esteem. What a joy to do an unexpected kindness for someone else. To see them smile and laugh and enjoy themselves. Let’s even assume you’re doing it selfishly; you want to be seen as a good person. So what? If someone lent me a hand or did me a favor, it will still benefit me – even if they get a big head from their efforts.

Want to do more? Check out the free kindness cards and totally cute free posters. Print them out and share them, hang the posters in your office. With luck you’ll get a smile or two, and maybe even inspire someone new to spread kindness in their world. For sure you can’t do any damage by spreading some smiles and good cheer. Check it out today!

A prescription for laughter.

Since I want to add more fun and humor to your day, what better way than to share what I use myself? I found the web site for Dr. Clifford Kuhn “The Laugh Doctor,” during one of my playful Internet searches. (Just type in a word like “laughter, joy, or fun,” and see what you find.)

Dr. Kuhn is a psychiatrist, comedian, and professional speaker and has lots of experience with humor medicine. Read his about page for more about his background. The amazing part about Dr. Kuhn’s humor medicine is that his patients taught him about humor, not the other way around. As he saw his patients smile and laugh while in the midst of illness and disease he realized you could have fun even while in pain.

Although his entire site is very good, I personally enjoy his free newsletter the best. Each bi-weekly issue contains a few stories about laughter, humor and healing as well as several jokes. It’s a great remedy for a rough day and well worth checking out. Don’t forget to check out his Humor Blog as well.

If you have a great fun site to recommend, share it with me in the comments section. Thanks for stopping by – and have a delightful day!

Keeping a Funny File or Cheer Box.

Uploaded on September 10, 2006
by allspice1 Time limitedOriginally uploaded by allspice1

We all have those days when we’re feeling lonely, bored or depressed. We just need a little pick-me-up, but perhaps our family or friends are busy or out of town. Maybe we just want to cherish memories of fun things we enjoy. Whatever the reason a Funny File will add some fun and laughter to your life.

This is simply a place to collect funny items that make you smile, chuckle or laugh out loud. Bumper stickers, newspaper cartoons, cute pictures, greeting cards or quotes about humor. Anything at all. A Cheer Box is the same thing, just for bigger and bulkier items. Funny buttons, character pens and pencils, cute post-it notes, collectible figures of your favorite character or animal and more. The idea is to have a box of amusing and playful items and to keep them all in one area. I’ve had a Funny File for over 3 years, and I refer to it quite often. It’s often a great way to break through writer’s block and it enhances creativity. Plus it’s just fun.

Here are just a few items I have on hand:

• A Spongebob Squarepants figure with a button that changes his eyes from small to large and then to hearts.
• About 10 Weird Al Yankovic CD's.
• Pictures of Redskin’s player Clinton Portis dressed up in crazy costumes for his interviews.
• Spongebob Squarepants pens and pencils.
• Bumper sticker quotes I found on the Internet.
• Mike Kerr’s article 130 ways to put humour to work.

An old issue of Time Magazine called The Science of Happiness.

Try it for yourself and let me know how it works. And feel free to submit additional ideas to add to the fun. Have a great day!

Smile File: People I can laugh at.

elf's first taste of spiked egg nog!
Originally uploaded by angela7dreams

"I will find humor in my everyday life by looking for people I can laugh at." - -Unknown

Smile File: Ethan child genius on Leno.

This is a great video I only came across today. It's a 6 year-old child prodigy Ethan Bortnick on the Jay Leno show. Not only is he an amazing pianist, he's really funny too! (P.S. Watch the volume when it opens - -it starts out loud.)