365 Ways to Live Happy (22 page)

You know why you should be promoted, but the timing for seeking the promotion could possibly impact the outcome. Is there a major project that needs to be pushed through first? Does someone have to leave before you can move up and into his or her position? Decide when you think the time would best serve you, your boss, and your company for you to seek a promotion. Circle a date on your desk calendar and look at it every day. Know that date is coming and you need to prepare. Get ready.

If your company follows a policy of putting profits ahead of ethical practices, possibly even at the expense of exploiting workers or customers, why not seek a review of current company policies with your boss or supervisor. Such a companywide review of ethical practices and standards of behavior would likely permit discussion of questionable policies. You might be able (even encouraged) to challenge practices that you think are unfair, exploitive, or unethical. For each questionable practice or policy, find and offer an ethical alternative. When acceptable ethical practices and moral conduct are clearly stated and followed, workplace morale can often improve as well.

If there is someone in the company or on your job site that you trust and who shares your level of integrity and ethics, aligning with him could benefit your professional goals, especially if that person is a supervisor or further along the career ladder than you are . Having someone as a workplace ally means you don't have to feel alone as you navigate through office politics, solve problems, or deal with difficult coworkers. A workplace ally can serve as your sounding board for new ideas, cheer you on when your day is filled with special challenges, and give you a pep talk to lift your heart and hopes when you need it. Cherish him and nurture that friendship.

Once you have resolved to live a healthier lifestyle, learn about good nutrition, introduce lots of fresh vegetables and fruits into your and your family's meals, and invite a friend to be your exercise buddy. Walk during your lunch hour. Ride bikes or roller blade around a local park. Take a swim aerobics class. Do yoga together. The point is to make exercise fun, a social event as much as a workout. When you are laughing and conversing, the time goes by much more quickly. Socializing stimulates the mind just as exercise increases blood flow. Both nourish you and should be part of a healthy lifestyle.

What you eat influences how you feel, and feeling happy is all about eating healthy. Learn to choose healthy fruits and vegetables by visiting your local organic grocery and farmer's market and then enlist a friend to help you discover interesting ways to prepare heart healthy entrées using whole grains, nuts, eggs, legumes, fish, and chicken. Try also to purchase beef, pork, and veal that are certified organic, range fed, and free of additives. Use extra-virgin olive oil if possible for recipes calling for oil. And as a general rule, stay away from packaged products in favor of fresh. Split the cost of a cookbook for healthy meals with your friend, and get ready to cook a little something sure to delight your senses.

Playing a game of tennis is a great way to get a workout. Warm up your muscles first and take care to use proper hitting and serving techniques to prevent injuries. Tennis pros say that a couple of days each week on the court should be enough for a good workout. Days off the court allow your overused muscles to rest and recover. Almost anyone, from eight- to ten-year-old children to seniors in their seventies or eighties, can play tennis. Lean how to play now and you can enjoy it for a lifetime. Plus, tennis is one of those games where you need another player. If you are playing doubles, you'll need three other players; it's a good way to meet new people, get a workout, and feel great.

Swimsuit shopping can lift your spirits, especially if you've gotten in shape prior to the summer swimsuit season. So go buy a suit and join family or friends for some water play. Skin cancer is a serious risk, so be sure to use adequate sunscreen to protect against the sun's harmful rays. Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face and neck. Also, avoid the hottest times of the day when the sun is directly overhead. Opt for playing in the water during the early morning and late afternoon hours when you can swim, snorkel, water-ski, deep-sea dive, surf, or row around in your kayak or canoe. Also, drink plenty of water to replenish what you lose through perspiration from all that exercise. Now go and have a blast.

If you've dreamed of exploring exotic European locales, sampling the cuisine, and shopping in local markets and antique stores, consider swapping your house with a foreign family. You will stay in the home of an Italian, French, Spanish, or German family and that family gets to come to America and stay in your house. Whether you want to swap for a week or a month or longer, home exchange organizations and property management companies that specialize in vacation house exchanges can answer your questions and facilitate the house swapping. Ask if the homeowner would allow you to ride the family bicycles, row the family boat, or ride the horses. The point is to not just laze around in the swapped house, but enjoy your new surroundings to the fullest and keep your exercise going.

The next time your family gets together for some good old-fashioned fun, suggest a game of Twister or musical chairs. Spread out the Twister mat and review the game rules. Spin the needle and prepare to twist yourself into knots. Or, try a few rounds of musical chairs. Before starting the music, make sure there is one less chair than the number of players. For every cycle of music, remove another chair so that there's always one less chair than there are players. These activities may not burn a lot of calories but do provide a little exercise with the emphasis on fun.

Release some of that aggression in a kickboxing class where you'll learn to combine martial arts kicks with boxing punches for a great workout. There are many different styles of kickboxing and variants to choose from, for example, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Burmese kickboxing, American kickboxing, Indian adithada, and French savate, to name a few. Many of the kickboxing forms and styles have evolved into national and international competitions. As a kickboxer, you typically “fight” in rounds of varying duration (these are usually agreed upon prior to the fight). You get a great cardio workout regardless of the form of kickboxing you choose, and when you study it with a spouse or a friend you can practice (and get in shape) together.

If your idea of exercise involves moving your body and doing something else productive that pays a big dividend, then consider taking a class on how to lay tile or renovate/remodel your bathroom. Laying tile involves many activities, including but not limited to carrying, cutting, and applying tile with special tile glue. But before you lay any tile, you may have to first remove old tile and/or cabinets, tub, toilet, and shower. You will be bending, lifting, walking, reaching, and stretching during the process. You most certainly will be tired at the end of the day. But as you stretch out the soreness in your muscles, imagine how happy you'll be to have a brand new bathroom and to know it will add dollars to the value of your home.

Just imagine bundling up in a sweater and scarf on a chilly spring or fall morning and riding horseback along a beach past crashing waves or through a leafy forest glade, replete with dew-laden spider webs and small critters scurrying out of your path. The world looks and feels different from the back of a horse. Horseback riding seems to heighten your senses of sight, smell, and touch. Riding at full gallop requires you to use those thigh muscles, and your feet and hands to stay in the saddle. Mounting and dismounting also can provide a little workout. But the joy you feel seated atop a horse and observing the world awakening is a bonus for exercising by riding horseback.