Happiness Booster


Has anyone ever suggested some ‘happiness’ on you?

Me?  Well someone (who I want to name to ‘out them’ but I won’t) suggested I read “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin.  I didn’t ask why. I settled with my own story, that perhaps it was an enlightening book and not necessarily about me being cranky!

I’m no expert on happiness and certainly haven’t undertaken a year long ‘happiness project’ (like the author did) but I do know reading about someone else’s pursuit of happiness raised some questions that I’d like to pose:

1.   Are you happy with your life?
If so, how do you know?

2.   Are you pretending to be happy with your life?
If so, how do you know?

3.   Are you unhappy with your life?
If so, read the book (teasing I just didn’t want to be predictable with my response).

Those are good happiness questions to consider when you think about your life. 

What are you doing to be happy? 

Gretchen (we’re on a first name basis) suggests several ideas for happiness throughout her book, some are good and others . . . well read the book and you’ll see.

Me?  I’m pretty happy with my life (most days but not all days) and I notice there are some differences between Gretchen’s happiness advice and my happiness advice.

For starters, Gretchen undertook the happiness project for 12 months and wrote a book about it; I . . . didn’t.  I’m undertaking happiness . . . day by day and someday I may write a book on it (or not – depends which brings me happiness).

Gretchen’s advice is $17.99 . . . plus tax.
My advice is free . . . taxes included.

If I haven’t won you over yet, here are 5 pieces of Gretchen’s and Barb’s happiness advice:

Gretchin Rubin’s Happiness Advice

1.    Clean your closet
2.    Read memoirs of catastrophe – seriously?
3.    Fight Right
4.    Sing in the morning
5.    Laugh out loud

Barb Langlois’ Happiness Advice

1.    Get you spouse or partner to clean your closet
2.    Read Calvin and Hobbes – if you want catastrophe, watch the news for 30 seconds
3.    Ok, yes, fight right!
4.    Sing when no-one’s home (because if you’re tone deaf and sing in the morning, the neighbours my call the police)
5.    ROFL (for non-texters, that means Roll-On-the-floor-Laughing which is way funnier than just Laughing-Out-Loud (LOL)!!

Did I boost your happiness marker?

I hope so!

Have a Happy Day

Learn, Laugh, Share

Barb

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WHAT CLIENTS SAY


  • Our workshop participants found Barb’s approach to teaching at the Centre for Professional Development to be dynamic and engaging.  Barb not only taught effective communication and presentation skills, but also role modelled techniques throughout the day. Participants were excited to be able to apply learning’s directly into their day to day roles

    Leasa Knechtel

    Associate Director at the Centre for Professional Development, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto.


  • Your plenary session was a real asset and a great contribution to the success of our National IPAC Conference. From beginning to end participants were energized and actively engaged.

     

    Gwyneth Meyers BSc, MSc, PhD

    Scientific Committee Chair


  • “The workshop was wonderful!! Barb walked the talk by continuously demonstrating the tips and skills she was teaching! It was amazing to see it all come together. I would recommend the workshop to anyone who has to present.”

    Bev Waite, Education Lead-Nursing,

    Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre


  • I told one of the nurse educators that it was the best 3 hours I have spent in a training session as the content was clear, relevant, exactly enough to be able to incorporate into presentations, and you demonstrated each point which was great. It was watching an expert at work.

    Aideen Carroll, Advanced Practice Nurse Educator

    Toronto General Hospital


  • Your workshop was also a big hit. It was interesting to hear people talk about it as not good, but great.

    Debbie Ross

    CMP Manager of Governance and Events CNA


  • After working with Barb, our team returned to work energized, enthused and inspired to utilize tools that increase our communication, clarity and relationship with not only each other, but also with the residents and families that we serve. I would highly recommend Barb if you want to bring out the best in your team.

    Dale Clements, Administrator

    Columbus Residence


  • Barb Langlois led a wonderful one day workshop for 45 Clinical Nurse Educators in Saskatoon Health Region. She worked with us in advance to really understand our learning needs, Six months later, I see CNEs using Barb’s techniques to engage learners and I use them myself in my own presentations. I strongly recommend Barb – she is a very skilled facilitator who connects with learners in a very meaningful and effective way.

    Margot Hawke RN, BSN, MCEd, Nursing Professional Practice Lead

    Saskatoon Health Region

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