SelfGrowth.com: Memorial Day Appreciation & the Happiness Formula

 [SelfGrowth.com]  Self Improvement Newsletter Improve Your Life Today!  5/30/16 issue:  Memorial Day Appreciation & the Happiness Formula Email for: {EMAIL} * Self Improvement and Personal Growth Weekly Newsletter * Issue #924, Week of May 30-31, 2016 Publisher: David Riklan - [] In this issue: -- Quotes of the Week -- Article: My Top 5 Ways to Appreciate Memorial Day - By Sara Gray -- Article: The 5 Part Happiness Formula - By Kimberly Englot -- Book Review: 14,000 Things to Be Happy About.: Newly Revised and Updated - By Barbara Ann Kipfer -- How to Advertise in the Self Improvement Newsletter -- How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe from this Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------ *** Quotes of the Week *** ------------------------------------------------------------ “Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.” - Louisa May Alcott, 1832-1888 “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” - Harriet Tubman, 1820-1913 “It requires less character to discover the faults of others than to tolerate them.” - J. Petit-Senn, 1792-1870 ------------------------------------------------------------ *** ARTICLE: My Top 5 Ways to Appreciate Memorial Day - By Sara Gray *** ------------------------------------------------------------ Memorial Day signifies the beginning of summer. School is almost out, and the weather has turned warm. People take the long weekend to travel, have bbq parties, swim, bike, and spend it with friends and family. But there's a deeper meaning to Memorial Day that we often times forget. Yes, it is a legal holiday but the original intent was to set aside a day in which we commemorate the members of the United States armed forces who were killed in war. In this day and age, you would be hard pressed to find someone who hadn't had a family member killed or at least know someone who did in one of the wars our country has been involved in. Even if you, personally, don't have a family member who died while protecting our country, there are thousands who have. My uncle served in the Korean war. My father was in the Air force. My father-in-law is a Marine. I have not served in any capacity as a member of the armed forces, but I feel a great appreciation for those that have. Without their dedication and loyalty to our country, we might not have a country today as we know it. Someone once told me that those who died and were buried in service to our country are there underground now so that we may stay proud and free on the ground above. Therefore, I want this Memorial Day to be filled with thanksgiving and loving remembrance toward all those that have given their lives to protect ours. It is a selfless act of duty, courage, and love. So, what are the best ways to appreciate Memorial Day? ** To read the full article, [go here.] ------------------------------------------------------------ *** ARTICLE: The 5 Part Happiness Formula - By Kimberly Englot *** ------------------------------------------------------------ I am a fan of happiness. I like to read about it, write about it, teach it and live it! Happiness comes easily to me but I understand that that isn't the case for everyone. I've come up with what I think is the exact formula needed. Excitement + Freedom + Joy + Inspiration + Love = Happiness It might look a little complicated, but it really isn't. You can start small and look for small ways to incorporate more of those states into your life. Excitement By excitement, I don't necessarily mean jumping up and down, or heart-pounding situations. It could be what comes with thinking about something you are really passionate about, or planning a party, or a trip. It could be a ride at an amusement park, or just rolling down the windows in your car. Anything that adds that shiver of fun to your life will instantly lift your mood. Freedom The ability to make your own decisions goes a long way in happiness. When you base your decisions on what other people might think or say, or when you feel obligated to do things that independence disappears, and your happiness goes right along with it. Start small, or start to appreciate the things in your life that you do have complete control over, like what kind of socks you can wear or the route you take to get to work. ** To read the full article, [go here.] ------------------------------------------------------------ *** BOOK REVIEW: 14,000 Things to Be Happy About.: Newly Revised and Updated - By Barbara Ann Kipfer *** ------------------------------------------------------------ Something to be happy about: This mesmerizing bestseller is revised and updated. Originally published 25 years ago (happy anniversary!) from a list that Barbara Ann Kipfer started making as a child, it’s the book that marries obsession with happiness. And it now has 4,000 fresh and more current reasons to be happy: Rabbit tracks in the snow. Kiteboarding and kitesurfing. Caramel gelato. Scoring super-high on a Scrabble turn. Babies burping. Summer storms. White cupcakes with multicolored sprinkles. Big red barns. 20 minutes all to yourself. No opinions, no explanations, no asides, no footnotes, editorializing, or proselytizing. Just the simple premise of a list of things that make us smile. With its chunky shape, striking black-and-white cover, and 100 whimsical illustrations by Pierre Le-Tan, the new 14,000 Things is an irresistible catalog of good thoughts completely updated to reflect today’s world—and an uplifting gift for people of all moods and all ages. ***** The list Price of this book is $9.95. To purchase this book for $8.80 from Amazon.com, a 12% discount, [go here.]  ============================================= *** How to Advertise in the Self Improvement Newsletter *** To advertise your website or product to our Self Improvement Newsletter audience, go to [ To submit articles or other information, please send us an email at [editors@selfgrowth.com], or visit our Article Submission form at [    --------------------------------------------------- *** How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe from this Newsletter*** --------------------------------------------------- To subscribe to our newsletter, please go to our Subscriptions Page at [ To unsubscribe or update your information, go here: [Manage Preferences] Copyright (C) 2015 by Self Improvement Online, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce or distribute this newsletter only in its entirety and provided copyright is acknowledged. 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