It does take effort to smile, to be engaged in your world, in your surroundings, but once you smile, the rewards are endless. Consider the first smile of your day your first and most important workout. Your heart and your mind will be the better for it.

Life doesn't always work out just as we'd like, but I believe it does happen according to "some plan," whether grand or otherwise. The one thing we can do is remind ourselves to consciously work toward making it the best we can -- and let go of the little things that don't actually matter.

Have you noticed that when you smile at someone, especially if you catch them off-guard, that they smile back? OK, not everyone smiles back! Or do they?

As we search for happiness, reach for serenity, and follow our bliss, perhaps we should be focused on what makes us smile. Discover that organic something that brings out our childlike joy and hold on to it, while it leads us with rhythm, in harmony.

Humanity has been on a perpetual search for the ideas and realities that help us navigate around anything blocking our progress. And no matter how long that takes to achieve, happiness is (and will always be) a non-stop journey.

Last time I visited the dentist, we were having one of those awkward, mouth-full-of-toothpaste conversations.

At the end of the day I believe that what we are all seeking is a deeper experience of both sides of love -- the giving of it and the receiving of it. And yet, at times we are our own worst enemies when it comes to the giving and receiving of love because we place too many conditions and qualifications on it.

This is a fun post about smiling. I say it's fun because, let's face it, smiling and laughing are generally seen as a positive thing.

The power of a smile has nothing to do with your mood. If you put a smile on your face right now, chances are it will shift whatever mood you are in, and even your energy level, in a positive way.

Smiling is a key strategy for getting free of a particularly heavy frame of mind and emotions. It amazes me how something so simple and doable could make such a profound difference in my ability to function effectively again.

I have been thinking lately about some of the people I have known in my life who always seem to make me smile, whether I am actually with them or simply thinking about them.

Who needs a vacation to feel happier? Simple things (like hugging your pup) can brighten your day. Here's our list of things to do to boost your mood ...