"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

Buddha (563?-483? BC) Indian mystic, founder of Buddhism

?Strange title?, you may be thinking. I?ll explain. Last week I managed to hear a fascinating talk by Dr David R Hamilton Ph.D* about how our thoughts really do seem to affect our lives and the lives of those around us. He spoke of the weird and wonderful, (including ice crystals which appeared to have been formed in response to a specific word or set of words) but backed up by scientific facts and figures and a real example of how thoughts can affect not only your body, but the body of someone who you direct those thoughts to. The lasting impression I came away with, however, was not all the fantastic things he told us (lots involving the vibration of water depending on your mood and also the Quantum Field) but the final thoughts he wanted to share with us concerning his own personal rules for life. These involved loving yourself, love for others and love for nature. He told us that as part of his philosophy of loving others he ?pings? happiness at anyone who he thinks may need it. This involves flicking your fingers at people, either covertly or otherwise. The idea is that you send them a happy thought as you ?ping? and somehow that thought will make a difference to your target.

I spent the whole journey home ?pinging? happiness at all the other drivers on the road home! I have no idea if they received the waves of happiness I was sending out, but it certainly made the journey much more pleasant! What is your philosophy with regards to other people? Do you try and be as pleasant as possible as you go through your daily routine or do you not even think about it as you?ve already got too much on your plate at the moment? Maybe this is a good week to bring some more happiness into your life and the lives of others ? even if it is only by ?pinging?!

What makes you happy? List anything that comes to mind, however trivial it may seem. What are you doing now that you enjoy? If you hate what you are doing, you will find that moving towards achieving your goals will become an uphill struggle. Discard the things that make you unhappy or find a way to have fun with them. Live a purposeful life, motivated towards your goals. Do things with enthusiasm, commitment, and humor.

If you?ve wanted to address your eating and drinking habits for a while, but haven?t quite got round to it, consider this: your diet can greatly affect your emotions and more. Eating regularly and well, with a balanced choice of food-stuffs can lift your mood, improve your fitness, give you more energy, feed muscles, improve circulation, prevent illness, strengthen your immune system and make you more able to cope with life?s stresses ? phew! Watch out for the things like salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine which are proven to affect mood.

Happiness is good for you! Being happy and laughing out loud has proven benefits: improved respiration, lowered blood pressure, tuned up heart muscles and a boosting of the immune system. Make yourself a priority. Decide to enjoy each moment. Allow yourself to express your feelings, one way or another. Paint, sing, speak, or write, even if no one else is ever going to see or hear it. Sing loudly! How can you remain miserable while singing at the top of your voice?

A good way to lift your mood is by taking up or increasing your level of physical activity. Those people who exercise or indulge in some form of regular physical activity have been found to be happier, more motivated and mentally alert. Even short bursts of moderate activity can enhance your attitude towards life.

Choose to spend time with people who make you laugh, rather than those who bring you down. It is important that you enjoy the people you spend time with. Acknowledge their input in your life and thank them regularly. ?Ping? happiness at them whenever you can! Who would you like to spend time with this week? How can you make it happen?

If you have no hobbies or interests to challenge and absorb you, you may have a tendency to get stressed, depressed, discouraged and bored. Why not try out something new this week and take a risk. You never know, you may even have some fun!

What are your surroundings like? Do they lift and inspire you, or do they make you feel low and drag you down? Do the colors around you stimulate and energize you, calm you and bring you joy, or are they dull and dreary? What can you do to make your surroundings more cheerful? Think about how certain colors affect your mood. Which ones make you feel good? How can you add more of them into your life?

Don?t waste time hanging onto old grudges etc. Free up that space for happier thoughts. Attitude is everything! Make your thoughts work for you!

*See his book ?It?s The Thought That Counts? at www.Amazon.co.uk

Kate Harper is based in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland. Check out her website http://www.harpercoaching.com/

She works with people who are fed up with moaning about their lives and have decided to do something about it. If that is you, please take a look at Kate's website. Her special interest is in promoting Wellbeing through coaching. She is happy to work with people from any part of the world.

"The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult." Madame Marie du Deffand