I used to write a list of between 3 and 10 things I was thankful for each morning, and it really made a difference in my day (sidenote: it seems like we all develop these really great habits and then abandon them at one point or another- why do we always do this when it’s…
As life moves forward and we all strive for simplicity and satisfaction with the day-to-day, I think it’s natural (and necessary) that we also start considering who we spend our time with, and who brings out the best, happiest version of ourselves. The other day I was thinking about the most meaningful friends or family…
I don’t do this regularly (although I used to), but if you find yourself in a less than fantastic mood, I highly recommend this 10-15 minute exercise to get you out of your funk. Not to mention, it also helps you get more accomplished during your day (according to podcasters, authors, and famous entrepreneurs who…
Once in a while I like to include some simple quotes here on the Happy Professor blog. From past experience, I know that at some point throughout the next few years my once favorite quotes might be sadly forgotten (they tend to pile up on Post-Its, in notebooks that get discarded, and in various lists…
I had an epiphany last week (ask anyone who knows me well, many of my sentences start with the phrase, “You know, I have this theory..”). So let me rephrase that, I have this theory that there are certain things that help us or hinder us when trying to get into ‘flow’ as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi…
As I was reading Shonda Rhimes’ book The Year of Yes the other day, I started feeling like I wasn’t quite measuring up. In my mind, I had been living the ‘year of yes’ since I was a college freshman, deliberately grabbing every opportunity that came my way, and I had decided that 2016 would…
I love that something as short and fleeting as a quote can pack so much punch. I have a list of quotes in my phone that I’ve kept and added to for years, and I know I’m not the only person who does this. There’s one quote in particular that I read at the beginning…
Since the beginning of the year I’ve been purposeful keeping myself from getting too wrapped up in any one hobby. I can easily get swept up in projects, so I’ve focused on just ‘being’ for the past 3 months to see what it would be like (basically, it requires a lot of reflection and questions…
I purposefully quit one of my biggest teaching jobs and moved to a new side of town into a much bigger place all at the same time. It was incredibly deliberate, and I did it for important reasons. Essentially, my brain was burned out. I don’t necessarily know how to completely stop my wheels from…
When I decide to do something, I do it. I assume it’s a symptom of my Type A personality, my need to feel in control, and/or my fear of having regrets, but it’s a drive that I’m grateful for. It’s the reason I started teaching, sang at open mic nights for years, and wrote two…