11 tips for feeling happier right now

I subscribe to some great websites and this morning I got an update from Life Remix that was just what I needed: a scant dozen happiness boosters with a challenge to use as many of these ideas as possible in an hour. Considering I'm driving in the slow lane right now, I decided to see how many of these mile markers I could pass today and call that good progress. Here's my report:

Listen to a great song. I dug up one of the very best and reminisced. I'll never forget the precious friend who dedicated this to me with her melancholy love, years ago.

The Whole of the Moon

I pictured a rainbow
You held it in your hand
I had flashes
You saw the plan
I wandered out in the world for years
While you just stayed in your room
I saw the crescent
You saw the whole of the moon
The whole of the moon

You were there in the turnstiles
With the wind at your heels
You stretched for the stars
And you know how it feels
To reach too high
Too far
Too soon
You saw the whole of the moon

I was grounded
While you filled the skies
I was dumbfounded by truth
You cut through lies
I saw the rain dirty valley
You saw Brigadoon
I saw the crescent
You saw the whole of the moon

I spoke about wings
You just flew
I wondered, I guessed and I tried
You just knew
I sighed
And you swooned
I saw the crescent
You saw the whole of the moon
The whole of the moon
The whole of the moon

The torch in your pocket
And the wind at your heels
You climbed on a ladder
And you know how it feels
To get too high
Too far
Too soon
You saw the whole of the moon
The whole of the moon

Unicorns and cannonballs
Palaces and piers
Trumpets, towers, and tenements
Wide oceans full of tears
Flags, rags, ferryboats
Scimitars and scarves
Every precious dream and vision
Underneath the stars
Yes, you climbed on a ladder
With the wind in your sails
You came like a comet
Blazing your trail
Too high
Too far
Too soon
You saw the whole of the moon

Fake it: put a smile on your face right now, and keep smiling. Since nobody's home, I pasted my broadest grin on my face, took it upstairs, and showed it to my dog. That wound him up—he, even more than most humans I know, is very susceptible to catching moods. After that, I wore a less tiring but steady smile as I made myself some lunch. Luckily, it was a quick and easy lunch; I feel a mite stupid just smiling at a sandwich. I'll admit though that the mere act of smiling positively alters one's mindset, with startling consistency. Strange but true.

Go outside. So my sandwich and I spent our lunch together outside, on the steps, enjoying the sky's threat of rain and the cars going by. I love to be outside. I imagined to myself God urging me to shed today's claustrophobia of walls and ceiling by saying, "Honey, why don't you come outside where I can see you better?" The thing is, he can see me just as well anywhere, but I am the one who seems to gain a clearer view when I step out of the manmade, and into the natural.

Create a calm environment. It's not like the game's ever over, but I scored some order points by getting my kitchen mostly straightened out after a couple days of pile-up. In the spirit of Mary Poppins, I found a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down; as I worked I listened to several episodes of a favorite podcast. Podcasts = happy. Things clean and in their places = happy.

Do a good deed. Also while listening to podcasts, I threw in two loads of laundry . . . for a friend. This friend has only one roommate, a neurotic little cat, and has no easy access to laundry facilities. She has a once-a-week deal worked out with someone else she knows who owns a washer/dryer, but recently this pal of mine showed up on my doorstep looking pathetic and begging a favor. "My cat threw up on my bed, and couldjacouldjacouldja-please-sorry-for-asking-let-me-wash-my-stuff-here? I've already prewashed in the sink!" It was no problem. Except that I was on my way out the door, so I told her to leave her cat-hack blankeys and I'd take care of them later while I was doing my own washing. Heck, I even had a dog-hack mat to throw in with her two loads. My friend is coming back for her things after work today, so this is what I'm calling my good deed for the day.

Rid yourself of a nagging task. That's easy. Today's my last day to pay mortgage without a late charge. Here I go. (This hasn't been my most put-together month.) The other thing I did was write my uncle who (a) is very sick, and (b) has been worried about me. I should have emailed him as soon as we got back from Oregon, but . . . well, there's just no explaining some things. Like waiting till the last day to pay your mortgage when you've got the money. Same deal. Anyway, I've already received a very loving email back from my uncle. I'm not expecting the same kind of warm fuzzy from the mortgage company.

Save the life of a stranger. I wanted to go to the Red Cross and donate blood today, but I haven't got enough time between now and when I have to leave for an early YW activity. I share my blood fairly regularly. If there was such a thing as Donor Olympics, my dad would have been the USA team captain and gold medalist, and I like to give blood partly to honor him and show him that I do follow in his footsteps in at least this one way. Did I just say I like to give blood? Let me amend that; I'm committed to the cause. That doesn't mean I like getting stabbed and having my blood sucked and going faint about every other time I submit to the needle. I do like the fig newtons and trail mix and o.j. the Red Cross so nicely provides to make it up to me.

But I can't give blood today. So, to put the life-saving happiness tip to work, I decided to make a little donation to the Pennies by the Inch campaign. Let's see, I'm 5' 7", so that's at least 67¢ I owe, right?

And rats, it looks like I'm out of time for the rest of the report. I've got to get on my way to a Young Women Halloween pizza and movie night. If it isn't too late when I get home, I'll yammer about the other tips, which I will be working on with what's left of the day. Here's the preview:

Boost your energy.
Reach out to friends.
Lay the groundwork for some fun.
Spend time with an energetic friend.