Article by Make The Days Contributor Chris Bennett

Happiness is fundamental root of all things that are good in your mind. Life is too short to be with out it, so how do you make the best of it every day?

The content of your own happiness should come from within, despite all external hindrances. How hard is it to be truly happy if you hate your job? Stuck in a dead in relationship? Or simply feel like you are mulling along in life and selling yourself short?  Genuine happiness is balance of responsibility and satisfaction.

Is happiness biological? Sure it is. Is it part metaphysical? Possibly. Is it psychological? Yes. The mentality of contentment is complex in nature yet simply beautiful.

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Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Judy Mosley

Life is full of challenges.  All of us have, at one point or another, decided how we are going to live our lives.  Itʼs the journey that everyone makes.  But, it can be difficult to do when there arenʼt many people around us to model our lives after.  

Still, we push forward.  We lose 50 lbs., learn to organize our home, develop healthy relationships, or we find our dream job.  Weʼve conquered the various mountains that have stood in our path.  Yet, after the fact, we might feel reaching our goal is anticlimactic or even feel at a loss.  

What now?  Whatʼs next, now that weʼve achieved what weʼve set out to do?  Wasnʼt mastering the challenge the point?  Or, is there life afterwards that we hadnʼt thought of? Read More »

Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Jennifer Snelling

You probably do it all year and don’t even think about it.  If you don’t, you’re starting to think about it now.  The holidays are that time of year when a magnifying glass is held over our lives, our financial status, and our generosity.  Often, it isn’t just the fact that we’re expected to give at this time of year – that many of us are shopping for gifts, being asked to help with fundraisers, or hearing those Salvation Army bells tolling on the corner – but also that we, for some reason, feel compelled to do something to participate in the general warmth of the season.  In fact, it can be very depressing when we feel apart from it.

There are all kinds of ways to give, and they don’t necessarily have to be monetary.  Here are seven simple and inexpensive ways to make you feel like you’ve helped someone or improved the world, without traveling to exotic places or spending a lot of money. Read More »

Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Tamara Belinc

Bill Morgan believes you should walk through life with a smile on your face, a prayer in your heart and outstretched hands to help those in need.  When Bill believes in something, he acts on it.

Growing upon a cotton farm in Anniston, Ala., Bill, 64, suffered from rheumatic fever and was paralyzed for a time. “I know what it’s like to be left out,” he said, “so I made it my goal to be sure that no boy is left out that I can help.”  With that goal in mind, he has been the Past Master of the Masonic Orders and also the past president of his local Shriner’s chapter. He also served as an ambassador. “I’ve taken kids and their parents to Nashville to catch a bus to go the Shriner’s hospital,” he said. Read More »

Article by Christian Nanz and Make The Days Count Contributor Judy Mosley

One of the things I am still learning is how to make my days better by allowing myself to do things that bring pleasure to others and to me.  I am also learning how simple little things like making my bed can help me feel productive all day long!  They don’t need to be major undertakings.  It’s interesting that small things bring large doses of happiness or satisfaction.

For example, when I get up on the morning, I like to take my dog for a walk around the neighborhood. He loves going for a walk (and he expects it!), and yet I believe I appreciate the walk a much as he does!  It is my time to relax, be thankful for another day and enjoy.

Of course this is not an exhaustive list.  There are many things that are simple, inexpensive, and easy to do that can add to your day in an incredibly satisfying way.  Perhaps this will spark you to try some of the things on our list or to add to it with ideas of your own. Read More »