Happiness Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Healthy Gingerbread Cookie + Balancing Kapha Mind

I planted a healthy gingerbread cookie tree on this Silpat baking sheet. Recipe below ⤵️

Healthy gingerbread cookie trees are rare, and even this time of year when everyone is talking about lighting the Christmas trees.🌲

Easy Chai Oat Gingerbread Cookie

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour (with oats)
1 ¹⁄₂ tsp baking powder
³⁄₄ tsp teaspoon baking soda
¹⁄₄ tsp teaspoon salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 ³⁄₄ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground cloves (or 1/2 tsp of allspice if that's what you have on hand)
6 tbsp unsalted butter (or substitute with 1 TBSP coconut oil)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (reduce to 1/3 cup for less sugar and still have a delicious and nice cookie!)
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup oats

Instructions

In a large bowl, add dry and wet ingredients.
Melt coconut oil add to bowl.
Roll out cookie dough to about 1/8" to 1/4" cookies.
Bake on 350°F for about 10-12 minutes.

I share the traditional old-fashioned recipe (below) that I’ve been using FOR-ever and that I spiced up even more this year! XOXO

Every year is a ‘lil different, and as a creator, I like to challenge myself to make new creations and not stick with the same cookie cutter ones over and over again… haha. As a healthy recipe developer, that means evolving into even healthier bakes.

And this helps me so that I keep outta Kapha imbalances in the kitchen. Btw, the level of Kapha dosha is relative to each of our bodies, but eating healthy, balanced meals always helps to prevent trouble down the road…

Which is part of the natural order that this life is… it’s not a matter of if… it’s a matter of when. And you can stay on the healthy side starting with body-mind awareness.

One of the symptom intersections is your feelings that constantly shift. They help guide you, and other times steer you down a rabbit hole.

And if you want to stay feeling peaceful, joyful, and happy (and be productive) all the time (…like when I’m relaxed baking healthy gingerbread cookies), then keeping the Kapha mind balanced is important.

Some examples of what will make the difference are your steadfastness to boundaries. And your commitment to yourself and to others involved. And finally, plowing through and making it easy on yourself in everyday situations that come up.

And that all starts in the mind.

So… when negative thoughts enter, dismiss them by replacing them.

The problem for many people is they don’t even know when they’re getting pulled down by negative information and thoughts…well, because that’s their mind.

And we don’t naturally challenge our own thoughts. That’s not something we’re born knowing how to do.

What most of do learn is how to challenge other people’s thoughts and opinions. Sound familiar?

Especially this time of year when it’s easy for stress to settle in trying to get end-of-year goals accomplished and fit into holiday-hoopla 🎉 that can be overwhelming for the mind-body. And not always bring out the best in us.

Our mind-body is connected in such a way that if you have a Kapha mind where you’re stuck in negative strongholds, feeling lazy, or find yourself accumulating clutter, that can easily turn into a couch potato Kapha body imbalance.

One easier way to know if a Kapha imbalance is causing our negative moods is if we’re feeling depressed or withdrawing from certain activities we’re usually drawn to or have been in the past.

And as we know, the ego tries to fool us, so to outwit we have to be doubly smart, pausing before reacting and making wise choices that influence our day.

Those stubborn Kapha mind mood tendencies can linger. But if you know what to do, you can get out of excessive Kapha faster and into feeling good. And erase hovering dark clouds that can easily become your weekend. Or gradually settle in for a season if you’re not careful.

But we can change this pretty easily one choice at a time…

We can turn off the external negative messages and listen to more uplifting ones. And that includes shutting off the news after getting the accumulated hour-or-so daily scoop.

This subtle shift helps for subtle situations…

For example, you could be having a bad morning where everything seems to go wrong and deciding in your mind that it’s going to be a bad day since the start was rough.

But by allowing uplifting thoughts to enter in to influence the rest of your day or lean into gratitude for what you DO have, that will help brighten your perspective that becomes self-fulfilling.

I know that can sound pollyanna-ish, and is not always easy if you’re in a miserable situation like a job you hate, or a living situation or relationship that isn’t working out.

BUT, you can better program your mind to work for you. If we can walk and chew gum and think thoughts at the same time, then we can do this! We are capable.💪

One way we can help ourselves is having a consistent activity where we’re learning and improving. That takes the focus off of our thoughts. You may already do this.

In the activity that calls you, you don’t want to miss a moment in what you’re doing. This improves your skills and helps your head game. You then look forward to the activity in your day that helps your entire day.

And something else you can easily do…

Change your environment. Maybe you start doing your activity in a warm, sunny spot. That can be outside. These days, there are no limits to where you can work or catch a break as we’re a virtually remote society that can access anything anywhere.

As a Vata, I like to mix up where I work. I use a desk, a closet, outdoors… it just depends on my mood. And that’s how I get things done productively: I change my scenery options.

And maybe that’s you… or you like the same zone you always are in as that’s your designated spot. And if that’s you, then maybe having a photo or a reminder of something to look forward to in the future like some R&R or an adventurous trip, will also help.

And if holiday overwhelm is taking over these days, let the reason for the season keep you grounded. Let Scripture verses provide comfort and wisdom, and help guide you.

And stay cozy warm uplifted and listen to cheery Christmas music 🎼and jingles… and better yet find your creative outlet. Get into your groove.

For me, this last weekend was partially about creating healthy gingerbread cookie dough.

And a Chai Oat healthy gingerbread cookie was on tall order to provide more holiday baking inspiration that’s both healthy and happy.

I wasn’t the only one as the Cookie Wars marathon was all over the media networks. And gingerbread was one of the themes like every year… it’s nice to be able to count on some things!

healthy gingerbread cookie

And I’ve been using the same base recipe that’s more happy than healthy.

This original recipe has been with me since 2004 when I printed it out. It was adapted from a Joy of Cooking recipe.

And I’ve been tweaking it up every year.

And backing up, decades ago, it was common to use shortening for cookies and Southern sweets, so finding a butter recipe with 3 grams of fat per cookie was a big deal because that’s what people cared about (the fat in calories). These days, we know there are healthier fats we can use to bake with…

So, I’ve evolved this once-a-year December recipe using coconut oil to give a nice consistency and dough to work with.

Ahh… an early winter healthy gingerbread cookie tree!

I added my notes in ( ) and below to my enhancements to this collaborative recipe. 😊

Easy Chai Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour (add oats)

1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking powder

³⁄₄ teaspoon baking soda

¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 ³⁄₄ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup oats (optional)

¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground cloves (or 1/2 tsp of allspice if that’s what you have on hand)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (substitute with 1 TBSP coconut oil)

³⁄₄ cup dark brown sugar (reduce to 1/3 cup for less sugar and still have a delicious and nice cookie!)

1 large egg

¹⁄₂ cup molasses

You can mix this all in one bowl. I like to bake on 325°F because cookies bake quickly. This’ll be about 15 minutes but it’s good to watch the oven.

Mental Health Matters For Your Happiness

Mental health matters. We are learning this slowly when it has been there all along.

Gluten-free energy oatmeal raisin cookie bites are a sweet one-bowl bake: oats, raisins, applesauce, baking soda, and egg. Printable recipe below 🍪

We can see proof in our culture. A wake up call and mental health revolution is needed. Because those who need serious help, hide their depression and sadness.

They’re not likely to call a support helpline even if it’s just 3 numbers because their mind is not telling them to do so. It starts in the mind. And that’s why animals never have that issue, because they don’t have that mind feature.

Prayer is needed for these people, situations, and any disorders. 🙏 The less we make mental health a stigma opens up the conversations. We can be compassionate, allow vulnerability, and acknowledge depression within a safe space.

And it’s critical to get and keep our own sanity in check because we are not robot machinery. We have a built-in subconscious ego feature that is on 24×7 and influences our thoughts daily.

The feature can go awry if we don’t stay aware as a first step.

In #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek, this is a good time to do a mental health check to recognize regrets or sadness held onto from the past and into the present.

You don’t have to live in trauma. So many of us have undetected PTSD.

And you can bring that out by being less busy, finding more quiet time, journaling, shadow work, and praying.

Below, I share some of my lessons learned and how I applied them to life.

But first, let me set the big picture stage of what will make the biggest happiness shift and difference in your life…

It’s your fighting for your most healthy mental self because it drives the bus to everything you do and think to be the best version of you. That’s why mental health matters most.

Regularly checking in on your daily mental health habits and looking at reasons why you’re spending time doing something or taking proactive action matters.

Because often objects are closer than they appear. We don’t always see ourselves close up. And it’s much easier to make changes before they become our mindset and habits.

We want to find daily inspiration, enjoyment, and activities that light us up. That helps us keep our mental health in check.

So often we operate from insecurities and fears, instead of flipping the script to love and abundance.

It’s no one’s fault. We set off innocent as babies and then the world shows up that we need to protect ourselves from hurt, pain, and threats. So then our subconscious mind spins what we need to do to survive in the environment reality.

We aren’t chased by tigers but a triggering message is the modern equivalent to our brains. And to keep us “safe,” our brains replay the message over and over again until the mind threat disappears from brain view or is replaced.

Managing our minds is critical for our healthy lives and regularly replacing thoughts that don’t serve us. Think of a factory line where the items come down the line (and those are your thoughts) and your job is to evaluate and eliminate the faulty items (non-serving or negative thoughts), leaving the good items (healthy serving and loving thoughts) to pass through the line.

And those thoughts pass better results for your productivity, relationships, and daily health.

Those are just a few areas why mental health matters most. It starts with our thoughts.

Some changing thought benefits:

For one, you can stop yourself from making a knee-jerk reaction to something your ego feels is right to do at the moment, but isn’t the wisest move.

*Lean on lessons learned from your past is the best way for your present.

💡Did you get the results you wanted in situations that you wished turned out differently? If not, what part did you play in the outcome.

Learn from those and try not to repeat them. Life is forgiving. It will keep serving you situations and each time you have a chance to change your outcome.

The misalignment is often ego-led choices. We see this in disconnects in our world and in our own lives.

If we turn to loving sources and thoughts, we move closer to our abundant potential (and not further away).

Unhealthy ego pride (that goes hand in hand) can be a source that blinds any of us. Humility is the love call fix every time in those cases. It’s much easier when you have a simple protocol to follow and can re-direct the complex mind.

💡You can ask yourself: am I being humble in this situation?

We all call out what’s happening as observers of our thoughts. Because under the radar, our ego loves to remind us about remnants of the past that were take away from us.

It likes to hide and block out healthy information. When its unhealthy, it stronghold binds and show us unhealthy information that we can choose to walk away from and ignore.

By catching your ego self from taking action, you have the ability and the opportunity right then and there to practice changing the thought channel to a healthy one, and re-writing an unhealthy automatic thought pattern…

Mental health matters and check-ins help daily peace and joy.

An example is I had memories pop up about choices I made in the past that affect me today. And that’s pretty natural for most of us.

But instead of letting those thoughts go on and on like I used to, I chose to rewrite the ending to a good factual truth. And I voiced it aloud so it was louder than my ego.

Eventually it got the hint and left. That’s what’s needed.

Applying lessons learned wisdom from your past is a great start.

[This wiser than ego ability is in your wheelhouse. You were built with higher intellect. You go from ego to eagle 🦅 that soars higher than any other bird out there 😉].

You can also find a healthy motivation. Mine was I didn’t want the negative energy to spill over into the next week. And that’s a good one!

I know it sounds easier said than done especially when you have every right to be hurt, upset, or irritated.

But if you keep practicing finding ways to be aware of your thoughts and actions, and your why is to not create more strife in your life, it will also be palatable and simpler to do.

You won’t be debating with yourself so much with what to do. Your wise decisions become more clear and you are more aligned with yourself and your mind.

This creates better outcomes than protecting ego… that remember, likes to scream thoughts in your head.

Mental health matters as depicted in this scream painting by Edward Munch.

Using mantras help.

Finding catchy clichés that we can use as a positive trigger like ”two wrongs don’t make a right” or a loving Bible verse may be all that’s needed to find a better way… at least for the moment.

And each time you’re teaching yourself to do better.

And when you tune into the higher love channel, you can see past another’s offense and get their perspectives when they communicate… that translated is their lack or hurts that never got healed (and still show up today).

And if you don’t know why you can’t do the above steps or rise above a situation, then often it’s something in the past keeping you. So start there.

Otherwise, you can unknowingly stay in a victim mentality and not be a victor in your life. That was one of my lessons learned.

The game changer is getting to the other side.

That’s what healthy thoughts and mental health matters.

Take it easy and have a happy week! 😊 Enjoy a healthy bite and I’ll see you next week! 🧡

Easy One-Bowl Oatmeal Raisin Energy Cookie Bites

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup oats, dry
1/2 cup raisins
2 oz applesauce
1 tsp total baking soda and baking powder
1 egg

Instructions

Mix ingredients and scoop or roll into balls.
Bake on 350°F/180°C for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown edges.

Notes

oats, raisins, applesauce, baking soda, and egg

Embrace Change For Your Happy Life

On the first day of March, everywhere we turn, we see change and signs of a new world emerging. That depends on us. And seeking a happy life sounds pretty good now.

Sometimes we get good insight (about what to do and pursue) and make better decisions from our gut intuition than from what we see. And that’s our clearest point of view if we’re flying in the dark.

Living a happy life today means leaning into change. But years ago, that’s not how life was or how I started. I learned the adaptable ropes mostly in the job roles I held. I started out as a planner. I was more like a hard doll than a flexible Gumby as a toy visual.

I think doing corporate work is a good training ground for life, reality, and how to deal with tough situations that don’t require physical survival skills. But you do learn life skills. And they require patience and getting along.

These can make you resilient and adaptable to change as you’re never fully in control. No one in corporate really is the boss. Even the boss has a boss. They could be customers or a Board. And once you get the hang of what you’re doing, something changes.

So leaning into change is the best thing you can do. It starts with changing your perspective on change.

Just knowing that what you’re temporarily going through will not last, helps.

Some things you wish would, but then some you’re glad didn’t. So it usually comes out in the wash.

But, our brains want us to focus on the negative stuff. No matter how positive we’re wired, at the end of the day, we all have the same human construct.

If you let your mind just wander to where it wants to go and stay, that’s where the unhappiness comes from. It’s like when you want to leave an unhappy physical place and arrive at a better place (or the steps in between) to get to a better place.

The happiest place on earth is really inside you and your managed feelings that start from your thoughts. Not Disney Land or a favorite place. If you’ve been around long enough or are a wise soul, you know those changing feelings never last.

If and when you become change-nimble, you don’t hold onto the past or what could have been. You let go and focus on today, but dream about tomorrow. And you use history and your past as good reminders, happy memories, and to recall your happy life.

And in your today situations, you learn what you can do. Sometimes it’s wait-and-see without active response, and sometimes it’s taking a step in a bold stance or in another direction. You’re wise to use healthy internal discernment as a guide and rational facts as checks and balances.

We all get thrown curve balls at some point. We also get varying opinions and smartly we can know that even those you honor or look up to don’t always have the best advice.

I have found the easiest way to take the best advice is to give the same advice. And to make a radical bold shift in the way that makes sense, can require a whole new attitude. That begins with a motivation to want to change even if you don’t know-how. You learn in the desire.

You start over like a kid wanting to learn how to take on a new challenge, adventuresome sport, or hobby. Learning to change your thoughts is not nearly as exciting. But if you manage your thoughts, you’ll get to the activities you’re really good at a lot sooner and not spend years on time-wasting ones.

Say, for example, you want to stop blaming or criticizing so much but that’s not the way it is or has been. So then you would find how to shift the situation so you become part of the solution. You seek change with peace and not tension as part of the goal. You do this by catching yourself and your thoughts.

This I believe is the truth to happiness and having a happy life.

When you learn how to jump straight to changing attitudes and perspectives, you bypass the messy middle… where even with best intentions, our brain design can get stuck there in the clouds.

And sometimes you may not even know your invisible perspectives. I had a victim mentality and lens I was operating from that I didn’t even know was there. Only until I was aware and observed my thoughts, could I change that.

With awareness in any area, you move towards a happy life.

If nothing else, believe that a better world and your better, happy life is in the process. Because your beliefs make up your perspectives and attitudes. With all three in alignment, you’re destined to be unstoppable.

That’s how I transformed a victim mentality into an abundant one. And you can too, or any other area you become aware of that you want to change and transform. From a caterpillar existence to your butterfly happy living. 🦋

Happy Luck Inspiration Thoughts For The Life You Want

I believe the way to happiness is in finding a daily purpose. And eventually, you’ll run into examples of happy luck there. That’s what this blog post today is about. So if you’ve been feeling unlucky, stuck, or wondering about how to get more good luck, grab a drink and keep reading.

One immediate additon you can make is to add a new joyful daily practice that’s different than the previous ones that aren’t “the one.” Finding that can create the outlet or space you need to drift into your best season.

Staying open to new possibilities is gonna help lead you there and out of disappointment from unmet expectations.

If you’re super busy, even finding 10 minutes a day will move you in a healthy way. You don’t have to produce anything. You just want to get the energy juices flowing inside you, and develop an interest in the process.

It matters to YOU what that is and what you do, but it doesn’t matter what it is. It’s your thoughts and feelings at the end of the day that carries you through.

You can start by simply pulling out a few (or all the) supplies needed. Say, your practice is something simple like yoga, then you’d roll out your yoga mat and pull out your stretchy clothes. Or if it’s as complex as lace making, you’d bring out your threads and materials.

My recommend is to start spending a ‘lil time (gathering supplies or working on your practice) in your spare time while you’re watching television. It doesn’t have to be either/or… when you get moving, juices flow easier.

When you can visually see what you need to work on as a practice or hobby, that can become top-of-mind consciousness instead of: “out of sight, out of mind.” You put your mind towards a purpose. It can feel like an anxious distraction or passion freedom.

You were born naturally to be active, just like horses and greyhounds are born to run. As kids, we knew we wanted to play. Go back to your natural instinct roots and wonder and play in the adult way. You may even find yourself in your calm Alpha waves state of mind.

That’s what I thought about scrapbooking years ago, but then I lost interest. So don’t be surprised if you go through different activities to find “the one.”

Our world today is like a lotus flower opening and evolving. We didn’t know the internet would turn out the way it is today, when it first came out, but we got involved. And look at it now!

I’ve never been able to watch the Australian Open live stream until this year—and with open access, I was more aware, interested, and curious in another part of the world than where I live. And used some of that time to bake. See how we can use the world around us to be more open (even if we can’t do it exactly the way we want)?

Your practice can become a daily passion. You can be multi-passionate, but you’ll find one passion or interest eventually dominates and becomes more your purpose. It’s the one giving life to others too that you can share or do life with.

In the beginning, the satisfied feeling for doing your passion can be there just to make you feel better about yourself (a good way to get self-care and not overspend!).

Your day will feel more joyful. You don’t need a deep reason as to why you’re doing it. When you feel happier, however that shows up for you, then you can show up more giving and creative. Our ego sourly wants us to believe that everything has to turn into some kind of accomplishment that others praise and has to turn into a high achievement (or else why do it?). Don’t fall for those lies. Tell your ego who’s boss at the moment.

The real gift or takeaway is in the process of showing up (you’ve probably heard a zillion times), improving your practice regularly, and loving what you’re doing more than the praise or the idea that you can succeed or fail. Do it to be productive, and make it a natural desire to your life, like as the hunting dog wants to chase.

When you’ve worked on your practice long enough (often years), that can form into your purpose and lead you to additional productive purposes from what you’ve already learned.

You pay your dues with low paid or free work and time, and once you’ve proven to yourself that you’ll do this practice even if you’re not paid, then you’re unstoppable in your niche. And you’ll be rewarded for taking a risk in being productive.

What you know is, you’re on the right track even if you see no immediate fruit. One sign is you would’ve given up on it for something else a long time ago. Sometimes people quit, get busy or distracted, and then come back, that’s almost a sure sign you’re on the right track no matter how it looks to others.

That’s why I believe you should go for what you really want to do with your life (and forget about what looks good on paper) because you only get this one life to do (and there’s not a do-over for anyone). And so, the importance of time can catch up with you where you crave a high quality of life, balance, health, and relationships… and possibly over money.

Maybe that’s where you are (or are headed in that direction)?

Figuring out what makes you needed to the world sooner will give you more time to do more of that. In growth, we try not to go backward and when we stumble on luck, we know it’s our time to run and build on that momentum.

So then, what is luck?

It’s a simple four-letter word, but leaning into luck is going to propel you to better things.

If you haven’t already, it may be useful to write out all the places where you felt you got lucky. Nothing is too small. Scoring a parking spot is luck. And the more you can find these examples in your life, the more luck takes healthy root in your life as you look for more.

It’s often understated and why one person works super hard and the door never opens, and one person who barely tried falls into luck. It isn’t earned. It’s you walking into and towards your destiny.

It’s what we sometimes refer to as “beginner’s luck.” When you pair that with persistence (never giving up) plus hard work, you’re virtually unstoppable.

Luck is invisible but always involved. It’s our ego that says, “it was our doing,” when it was a collaboration with those involved and the Universe all along.

Luck really is your alignment with your assignments and purpose. It’s lining you up for the right next opportunity at the perfect time. Luck isn’t random luck. And if you choose to believe that, then you can wonder how to use your luck in your favor.

You can use it to find your purpose and the reason why you’re here.

Nothing goes wasted. Remember, it’s our (ego) minds that mess with us and want us to believe we’re our ego. Outsmarting your ego is good advice.

And what you are productively doing now (even if it’s not exciting) will move you to the next thing. And you will end up using all of your experiences, on this seemingly chaotic planet. But when you dig deeper, you can see how organized it is, in every blade of grass and life’s full circle moments.

If you had a season you didn’t like, those lessons you learned can help make you aware to not do the same mistakes again. That can sometimes take two steps forward and one step backward. Staying patient with yourself but keep trying… and laughing at life once in a while helps!

And if this all seems new or foreign to you, don’t worry, that’s part of why you’re here, and when you’re ready, you’ll figure out what you need. And the sooner you do, the more you get to do what you want to do and get all the great gifts associated as long as you don’t quit working, dreaming, and wanting. Gifts can be new relationships, opportunities, money, praise, promotion, etc.

And if you don’t like your grueling day job or are dissatisfied with corporate life, then maybe you want to look at other avenues. Sure, some of your old communities and friends will drift away, but you’ll develop new ones just like when you finished school or when you moved to a new town.

One day, John Lennon just walked out of the room and that was the end of The Beatles band. In the peaceful flow, he didn’t cut off ties. He just pivoted. One day. Suddenly. It doesn’t have to be dramatic or have an announcement made (others can do that without you).

In my life, I took a sabbatical when it wasn’t the norm and I had to explain what that was as it sounds like a religious or college-related quest. And now people are rethinking and opting to do the same. Maybe that’s your next pivot move? Or trying something completely new. Just starting is the best advice I’ve ever heard.

Whatever that productive next step is for you, stay the course until something else takes over, and then you can expectantly watch as a new kind of luck emerges that you would’ve never seen had you not taken the first step. It’s as simple and complicated as that.

A Happy Place on Earth to Visit: My List of 7

A new year is a 365-day opportunity to make happy moments (and visit your happy place).

Here’s my metaphor in baking, and how I swiss roll decorated with sprinkles, plus vanilla-chai and chocolate-flavored for both tastes. I see the cocoa and Greek yogurt as both healthy and happy 🧡

This put me in the mood to share my happy places (and some are ranked happiest places and cities, so I know I’m not the only one 😊).

In America, for some, “the happiest place on earth” to visit is Disney World: a place where you can find the dressed-up celebrity mouse and his wife waltzing about their world adding to people’s fantasy land dreams.

I don’t really get it — but if it makes people, you and little ones giddy putting on mouse ears in the happy park, going to happy places helps health (mental and physical).

And that’s all that really matters.

It’s all synergistic in the grand scheme of life, and where Disney’s modern creators could be setup up to be on the verge of something bigger as our metaverse generation blends real and virtual fantasy.

Ahhh… and space travel tourism is on the table. So coming soon, you may find it easier to visit some of these places as sky monorails and special (Jetsons jets?) aircrafts mixed with planes, trains, and automobiles, as we know today.

A city like Copenhagen is ranked as the happiest city in the world for its cobblestone-street charm and cool vibes on the water, and one on my list. It’s the feeling you get.

It’s pretty magical and the culture embraces balance as a way of life. It’s in their calm and cool energy, taking time to slow down and not rush around.

This Little Mermaid is the most photographed woman (or fish) in the world

Then if you go north, into Bergen, Norway, you’re in troll central. It’s a different place where you may not be sure whether to put a smile on or give a puzzled look around the troll influence.

You know, the colorful ones like Poppy with her glitter-power, and friends from the movie, Trolls. The whole idea of trolls is wondrous and can make you curious about what other places are out there? Or it can just be fun to look at all the indigenous troll trinkets, like characters in Disney World.

Cute or not-so-cute is for you to decide

Bergen is just a hop from little Norwegian towns surrounded by lush foliage and waterfalls. Occasionally you can see a cute roof, and then I wonder who lives in those homes.

…And what do they eat? I’m into biodiverse eating, but in Norway, they have fresh fruits and similar protein categories that are also in our healthier Western diets. You may have heard of the Nordic Diet, one of the anti-inflammatory diets out there today.

One main difference is they use canola oil over a southern Mediterranean diet that uses EVOO (and is not a “diet”). Unlike fad or buzzy trending diets, these are based on the daily foods (what they eat) in an entire region in the world.

(I’m all for the anti-inflammatory biodiverse eating around the Universe).

Like most cities, they have organic markets and local farmer’s markets with the freshest seasonal goods.

Here I saw some fresh berries:

And plenty o’ wild salmon (where many restaurants source their catches.)

…The, moving on, if you visit a city like Paris, the City of Lights, it stays naturally lit until late evening in the early summer. That works out really well for visiting Americans experiencing travel jet lag, so they can sleep in and not miss “daylight” hours.

It’s a walking city. Probably why the Eiffel Tower seems to sparkle at night to outshine the city light. ✨

And for a big city, they know how to slow it down. You can decide which side of the Seine you prefer to be on.

If you’re a fan of “Emily in Paris,” then you know this is where Emily’s friend sings with her “garage band” in Season 2

Paris is a happy place to visit as there’s so much to see walking around and when you just wanna chill, you can stop at one of the well-balanced (symmetrical) parks, and park yourself on a chaise lounge waiting for you.

The outdoor city plan is designed for enjoyment (even if that’s just a few days) and there’s no need to get off the beaten walk paths (that the metro is around).

For a big city, they have a big culinary scene as you’d expect, or many street foods like ham, creamy cheeses, and bread–so you decide.

Most of the time, you can slow it down with your meal where the attendants won’t bother you or hurry you along.

Another happy place to visit is the U.K. where there’s so much to see and do. If you’re from the States, it’s even easier because they only speak English. Currency conversion is the only big difference (and learning words like gutted, brilliant, and rubbish – if you want to speak Brit 🇬🇧).

Other differences: the U.K. is filled with flowers in the winter.

Oddly, the flowers seemed like Shakespeare’s Garden fantasy at his birthplace, centuries after his birth.

It’s a happy place for flowers.

Mind you, this was pre-climate-warming natural disasters that undeniably disturbed 2021. If you’re a fan of The Great British Baking Show, you see how hot and cold weather flows in the white tent surrounded by a lush green lawn.

The bakers have more oven heat to sweat over. They get to deal with baking with chocolate (oh, and temperamental white chocolate) on a sweltering hot day. This makes my less-ideal humid east coast meringue climate seem like a piece of cake compared to their challenges.

And on that note, I think it’s time to get back in the city. London, that is.

And if you stop in the red telephone booth and Double Decker city, afternoon tea and scones can be unforgettable. Taking a cab is not like in any other city. It’s more like a classic royal experience and worth the fare from the airport as you can pepper your cab guide with questions, who really is a guide, as they have to pass a tour guide test and re-certify just like a licensed specialist.

You can also take the Underground or the big red bus. We have the same concepts in my city, Washington, D.C…

That I’d be completely remiss not to mention as a happy place to visit.

You may know Washington, D.C. for the power-hungry, political society. All that’s in the air, but more invisible if you’re just visiting. Like the other locations, there’s a famous waterway where you can take a cruise.

You can even take a leisurely kayak or canoe on the Potomac River or take a scenic drive along to see the monument skyline.

There’s plenty of American history to discover as it’s the place where Presidents temporarily live during office. And was permanent home to the first President, George Washington. Plus so much more.

Then when you’ve seen enough of the historical buildings, you can get away south (like birds migrate) to a slower pace without leaving the States and without a couple of plane rides.

Clearwater, Florida is another happy place and makes sense that’s it’s home to celeb star dolphins, Hope and Winter, from The Dolphin Tale movie. Dolphins are happy mammals, so that should tell you something 🐬

On vacay, you don’t feel the hustle and bustle from the city with slow driving cars, low on stress and tourists compared to other places. It has a tropical feel with Florida palm trees and the days end with beautiful sunsets.

In the daytime, you can see-thru the gulf light blue water where the pillow-foam soft waves. The warmer (but never hot) water temperature feels like a soothing cotton ball massaging you in case you’re looking for a natural spa.

I’m not an ocean water person (you won’t catch me in the Pacific or Atlantic), but I will go in these crystal clear waters. And the fine-sugary sand beaches are attractive (never crowded).

When you’ve had enough of R&R, you can go fresh food hunting (not literally, but you have your options). They’re known for fresh fish catches like fresh grouper, so a fishmonger will bring it to you cooked fresh from the boat.

And there’s lots to do nearby like visit the only Salvador Dali art museum in America. If you like antiques, fishing, or art, there’s plenty to do in nearby excursions while you’re soaking up palm trees and a slower-paced life that’s not usual in a state on the east coast.

Then when you want to go all out since we’re talking “not usuals,” a trip to Venice, Italy should make it on your bucket list –it’s worth its weight in gold as a happy place.

If want to see a beautiful and calm water city, you’ll never mistake Venice for any other place.

With no cars, all roads lead to the Square. If you prefer not to walk, then a Vaporetto or gondola can be a good idea. A recent tip I heard was to stay away from getting a ride at the Grand Canal if you want a smooth ride and glide into calm mode.

Each gondolier has a special craft (both skill and boat) responsibility. There are fewer gondoliers than knowledgeable London cab drivers and gondolas cost more than a luxury car as prized-vessels that the city is famous for.

So that’s the happy 7 I can drop a pin on📍(…it’s actually 8 if you count the cake😋)

…And maybe they’re happy places for you to consider. Make your 2022 and future dreams come true! 🌈