Guide To Real Happiness

I love reading Psychology Today, a magazine and website http://psychologytoday.com
which contain articles ranging from happiness, relationships, the work bully, why women choose bad boys, mental rehearsal of pending tasks, and more.

It doesn't matter that the recent issue I picked up is dated January/February 2009. The issues with human physical and mental health remain the same.

Our nation has been in a stream of downsizing for a couple years now, probably a direct result of the current recession we're in. They tell us it began late 2007. Sounds about right. Most of the working class and less fortunate feel it has not ended, regardless of the manipulation of economic numbers.

Anyways, keeping up with the Joneses has been termed Status Anxiety. One solution to giving our collective selves a break is choosing who your peer group is. Makes sense. They say owning the smallest mansion in a gated community makes you feel worse than buying the biggest bungalow in a more moderate neighborhood.

Minimalism is the New Black. All sorts of magazines and websites are telling us how to declutter, clean up our stuff and value the human relationships in our lives.

http://zenhabits.net is a blog which Leo Babauta has been writing for several years. He says "most people have too much going on and not enough time for things that are truly important." He has over 70,000 followers, and the writing and information is fantastic.

I find that some human relationships can be part of that" too much going on" if I feel stressed after interacting with certain persons or spending too much time on social networks. "Too much going on" also referrs to  mountains of material stuff. Decluttering my life  involves setting boundaries which enhance my well being.

All the reading and goal setting will not help, however. Action is the life changing force.