Smile and be happy!

“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

This weekend is a happy weekend. The sun is out, spring is here and we are looking forward to a fantastic warm season. They say happiness the secret of success? I'm not sure I'd take it that far but I'm a firm believer that you can create your own happiness. You start by believing it. It sounds like a cliché, I know, but I do believe it works. Do you know how to smile? Then be grateful... because that's the first step to finding happiness!

Our daily decisions and habits have a huge impact upon both our levels of happiness and success. Scientifically, happiness is a choice. It is a choice about where your single processor brain will devote its finite resources as you process the world. If you scan for the negative first, your brain literally has no resources left over to see the things you are grateful for or the meaning embedded in your work. But if you scan the world for the positive, you start to reap an amazing advantage.

Training your brain to be positive at work is just like training your muscles at the gym. Sounds simple, right? Well, think about how easy it is to make yourself go to the gym. The key with any new resolution is to make it a habit. New research on neuroplasticity -- the ability of the brain to change even as an adult -- reveals that moderate actions can rewire the brain as you create "life habits."

So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try. Go out for a walk in the sunshine and start thinking positive. Think about three new things you are grateful for each day.