I just finished a very engaging book, Richard Stengel's You're Too Kind: A Brief History of Flattery. I wish I'd had this book as a...

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump...

Nothing can drain the happiness from you faster than a long, unproductive meeting. You're bored; you're not getting anything done; emails are piling up while you sit, trapped.

On the other hand, a productive meeting is exhilarating. A long time ago, when I was working in Washington, D.C., I remember...

Two of my happiness-project resolutions are Enjoy the fun of failure and Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

I'm a perfectionist. I hate to be criticized. I'm defensive. I'm thin-skinned. As a result, I really, really, hate to make a mistake or to...

This is an exciting week for me! First, my book became available for pre-order. For the first time, the book feels real.

Second, and even more thrilling, the Happiness Project Toolbox is finally ready for prime time. Yes,...

One of the main twelve themes of my happiness project is marriage. For me, as with many people, my marriage is one of the most central elements in my life and my happiness.

When I started my happiness project, and I reflected about the changes I wanted to make --...

A while back, I posted about Happiness Myth #7: Doing "random acts of kindness" brings happiness. I wasn't arguing that acts of kindness wouldn't make you happy, but only that those acts shouldn't be random. Random, unpredictable kindness makes people puzzled and suspicious, but purposeful kindness is exhilarating. Non-random...

Last week's tips offered sixteen suggestions for feeling happier at work by tackling aspects of your work space and your day. But actually, your relationships with your co-workers has more influence on your happiness.

Maybe you have lots of co-workers -- or maybe, like me, you work by...

Being happy at work is, of course, quite related to how much you like your job, but there are small steps you can take to boost your mood.

Maintaining the comfort of your body, sprinkling a few small pleasures throughout your day, using your time wisely -- a little thought...

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Sunday's post will help you think about your own happiness...

One of the challenges of writing is...writing. Here are some tips that I've found most useful for myself, for actually getting words onto the page:

1. Write something every work-day, and preferably, every day; don't wait...

This weekend, when I was home in Kansas City to go to my high-school reunion, I ran into an old family friend. "Let me tell you one of my personal secrets for happiness," he said. "Control your...

I posted before about tips for knowing if you're boring someone and tips to avoid being a bore. But while it might be fairly easy to avoid topics that are likely to bore someone, it's much...

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Sunday's post will help you think about your own happiness...

As put forth by the Second Splendid Truth:
One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy;

One of the best ways to make other people is to be happy yourself.

Everyone accepts the Second Splendid Truth, Part A;...

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday's post will help you think about your own happiness...

How well do you know yourself? It's surprisingly difficult.

In doing my happiness project, I've been repeatedly struck by how hard it is to follow the first of my Personal Commandments, to "Be Gretchen." Why is it so difficult just to accept my own nature?

Two of my...

Hah. It's really quite preposterous for me to offer up a tips list on this subject. A tendency to fly off the handle is one of my most disagreeable and persistent traits, and something I battle with - largely unsuccessfully - every day. For me, anger is the most tempting...

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday's post will help you think about your own happiness...