“It’s all in your head.” This isn’t usually a kind or positive statement. However, everyday stories and scientific research agree on one point. The human brain is capable of amazing things. In fact, your thoughts and attitudes may have a powerful impact on achieving success, finding good fortune, or even just being happy.

Think lucky.

Psychologist and author Richard Wiseman performed extensive studies on the nature of luck, and it’s true... Some people do have all the luck. They weren’t born under a lucky star, nor do they carry around a lucky charm. Instead, Dr. Wiseman found that “lucky” people tend to possess certain personality traits and attitudes. These attributes prompted the “lucky” people to be more aware of positive opportunities. He took his research a step further to show that good fortune could be taught in “luck school.” Wiseman coached some of the most unlucky participants from his initial studies in his principles of luckiness, and by the end of the second study, those participants too began to report “good luck” enhancing their lives.     

Focus on the positive.

In the 1950’s Donald Clifton initiated a new approach to psychological study. Rather than tackling weakness, he looked for ways to bolster strengths. Positive messages and interactions that revolve around a person’s strengths lead to achievement and happiness in life. Criticism and interactions that highlight flaws wear people down, increasing frustration and sadness while decreasing motivation. These relationships held true for someone on the giving end too. Offering positive feedback and genuine compliments made people happier, while delivering negative feedback or complaints decreased happiness. The application of this philosophy yielded amazing results for individuals and for organizations.

It takes practice and repetition, but you can train yourself in habits that will promote your personal happiness and success. Become aware of the circumstances you can control in your life, and choose to view your life in a positive light. You’ve got the right tool; “it’s all in your head.”

Does it feel like you are missing something in your life? Do you find yourself feeling listless or bored? It's important for each of us to feel like our lives mean something, that we were put on this planet for some sort of purpose.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said: "Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"  

In 1994, Congress designated the third Monday in January each year as Martin Luther King Jr Day, a national day of service. The MLK Day of Service is an excellent time to seek out a volunteer opportunity that could add purpose to your life.

How to get started? Visit mlkday.gov. Also check out their Serve Your Community link to find ways to safely help your community during COVID-19. There are such a wide variety of services needed, and you are bound to find something that will appeal to you. If you've ever had a desire to try a second career, like teaching or baking, volunteering is a good way to get that experience.  

Helping others can help you find your purpose, and you'll find a reason to get up each day, to be happy and fulfilled.

Walking is a great way to stay healthy and can help prevent or manage serious medical conditions. It's a modest aerobic exercise that can help you stay within a healthy weight range. It can help reduce your risk for heart disease and blood pressure problems. Studies show that active people lose less bone density and avoid osteoporosis. Walking may also reduce your risk for several types of cancer. On top of all these physical health benefits, walking just feels good. A walking routine can help manage stress levels and emotions.  

Physical activity recommendations encourage 30 minutes of daily moderate activity to reach a total of 150 minutes each week. That might seem like a lot, but you don’t have to log it all at once. You can break it down into as little as 10 minute spurts of activity that won’t even cause you to break a sweat. A walk around the block before each meal will help you reach your goal in no time.

You can walk almost anywhere, even in the comfort of your own home. Try walking from room to room, the length of a hallway, or even climb a flight of stairs for an extra challenge. Try to fit in some extra steps while you’re at work too. Substitute the stairs for the elevator. If you drive instead of teleworking, park your car to maximize your steps to the office. A walking break can be a great pick-me-up when energy fades at work or at school.

The best part is that walking is good for the whole family. Kids need to be active, and exercising together can make it a fun family time instead of drudgery. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Get the new year off to a good start, and take the first step toward wellness. 

If you could be assured of success and good fortune for the next twelve months, what would you be willing to do? There are many traditions and superstitions associated with celebrating New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in an effort to bring about prosperity and good luck. 

Here are a few easy ones that might make a difference, if you believe in that sort of thing!

Take Care of Business... Many believe that it's important to have debts paid off by New Year's Eve, in order to be debt-free for the coming year. Likewise, having your pantry filled with food at the start of the year will mean that you will not go hungry. 

…But maybe not the Laundry.  Having your house clean by New Year's Eve is considered lucky, but don't clean your home—sweep, take out garbage, wash clothes or dishes—on New Year's Day. Doing so risks bringing about bad luck.

Bring a Little Color into Your Life.Many cultures believe colors have special meanings, so it's no wonder many superstitions involve color. Some people believe decorating your home in bright colors for the New Year will bring luck; others believe wearing colorful clothing may do the same thing. When it comes to choosing colors, red is usually associated with prosperity or romance; green means good health; blue symbolizes peace; orange is for those seeking wisdom.

Regardless of your beliefs in superstitions, beginning the New Year with a fresh outlook and a willingness to allow positive experiences into your life will help bring you a year of good fortune.

Your friend knows every Christmas carol ever sung by heart. They have seen Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and the Charlie Brown Christmas special so many times they can recite every line. Santa doesn’t even bother to check his naughty and nice list when he receives their letters. 

Think they know everything about Christmas? Here's some trivia you might surprise them with:

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created by Robert L. May in 1939, as an assignment for Montgomery Ward department store, who wanted to create an original coloring book to sell. May wrote a poem, which his brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, then adapted into a song.
• The first movie to feature Mrs. Claus was Santa Claus Conquers the Martians(1964).
• A spider web found on Christmas morning is supposed to bring good luck.
• Animal Crackers in the circus style box were designed with a string handle so they could be hung on Christmas trees.
• The first tree put up at the Rockefeller Center was during its construction in 1931. Workers were celebrating the fact that they had a job during the Depression and decorated the tree with paper garlands, cranberries and tin cans. Two years later the first “official” Christmas tree was installed.
• “Jingle Bells” was the first song broadcast from space, by the Gemini 6 astronauts on December 16, 1965.
• Christmas trees—pines, spruces, and firs—are edible. The needles are a good source of vitamin C.
• Red apples were one of the very first Christmas tree decorations.
• The first artificial Christmas trees were made in Germany during the 19^th They were made using goose feathers which were dyed green.

So find your friend and see how much they really know about Christmas. Happy Holidays!

Have you ever watched a great movie or television show and been so wrapped up in it that you went to the Internet to find out more? Maybe you watched ‘Behind the Scenes’ videos or read about the personal lives of the cast. With that in mind, let’s take a behind the scenes look at some of Hollywood’s greatest holiday stories.

It’s a Wonderful Life might be a classic film, but it started out as an overgrown Christmas card. After trying unsuccessfully to sell his short story, The Greatest Gift, author Philip Van Doren Stern printed up copies of the story and sent them out as 21-page Christmas cards. 

Coca-Cola originally sponsored A Charlie Brown Christmas, so the original broadcast included several product placement scenes that had to be cut out of subsequent televised versions. Deleted scenes included Linus crashing into a Coca-Cola sign after being thrown by Snoopy. 

Is the Grinch too scary? When horror icon Boris Karloff was cast to voice the title character in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss initially disputed it, fearing that Karloff’s Grinch would be too terrifying for children.

A Christmas Story is supposed to take place in Cleveland, Ohio during the cold and snowy days leading up to Christmas. It was a warm winter in Cleveland that year so much of the ‘snow’ is actually a mixture of potato flakes, shredded vinyl and firefighters' foam.

May your holidays have the same sense of wonder as these timeless stories. We wish you a blessed season and many happy endings to your own holiday stories.