#25 - Celebrate birthdays

Don't just let your birthday pass by quietly. Celebrate it with friends and loved ones, celebrate life!

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

#24- Give yourself a treat

When you've accomplished something, celebrate and reward yourself. Giving yourself a treat is a good trick to help you stay motivated. But be careful not to over-indulge!

Photo - Shot in Paris, France, 2007.

#23 - Breathe correctly

Breathing can deeply influence our health and happiness. Deep breathing raises levels of blood oxygen, promoting health in many ways — from stimulating the digestive process to improving fitness and mental performance. Learn how to breathe correctly and you can melt away tension and stress and improve your energy.

#22 - Do something exhilarating

Exhilarating activities like white water rafting, sky diving or bungee jumping give an incredible adrenalin rush, leaving one feeling thrilled and happy.

Photo - Shot in Chiangmai, Thailand 2008

#21 - Flower power

Flowers are the perfect pick-me-up to boost our moods. Place some flowers in the house or office. If you start the day in a positive mood, you'll transfer happy feelings to others around you too.

In the hope of reaching the moon, men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet. - Albert Schweitzer

Photo - Shot in Paris, France 2007

#20- Upgrade your knowledge

Read, upgrade your knowledge and learn new things.

"You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth." - Shira Tehrani

#19 - Visit a farmers market

Happiness is seeing the pride farmers take in their produce as I walk through a farmers market.

Photo - Shot in Loire, France, 2007.

#18 - Go hiking

Hiking gives a good workout and opens your senses to the natural environment around you. It's great for you physically and spiritually.

I always glow with happiness after a good hike.

#17 - Look around you

Pay more attention to what's around you, and be surprised at what you may find.

Take a look at the ordinary
Don't need to look for Paradise
You could be next to
an angel in disguise
-Corrinne May, Angel in Disguise

#16 - Record happy memories

Our memory fades over time but photographs will bring back happy recollections of events, celebrations and vacations.

Life is a rough biography. Memories smooth out the edges. ~Dante G. Roque

Photo - Shot in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, 2007

#15 - Go off the beaten path

Happiness is trying something new and different every now and then. Avoid the same old crowded places, get off the beaten track and thrill yourself with new discoveries.

“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure” - William Feather

Photo - Shot in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2007

#14 - You're in charge

When you wake up, tell yourself you want to be happy today. And chances are, you will be. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

Photo - Shot in Chiangmai, Thailand 2007

#13 - Travel with an open mind

Travel to new places with an open mind. Embrace the differences in a new culture, learn new customs and appreciate different ways of looking at life. You'll return home, a better and happier person.

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” - Seneca

Photo - Shot in Sri Lanka, 2005

#12 - Seek solitude

I like to escape from the madding crowd sometimes. Putting a bit of solitude into your life is essential to your well being and happiness.

I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind. - Albert Einstein

Photo - Shot in Bath, UK, 2008.

#11 - Get enough sleep

Sleep deprivation makes one moody, irritable, impatient and too tired to do the things you like to do. Sleep impacts many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with a deficiency in serotonin are more likely to suffer from depression.

Get enough sleep. It's more important that you think.

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
--Benjamin Franklin

#10 - Hug a tree

Be one with nature. As you walk through the forest, take a closer look at how the branches spread out to form a beautiful shape. Look at the different textures and hues of the leaves. Or simply hug a tree! Mother nature creates beautiful things.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. ~Lao Tzu

Photo - shot in Hortpark, Singapore on 17 July 2009

#9 - Surround yourself with happy colours

Colours can have a profound impact on your mood. Citrus hues and sunny yellows never fail to cheer me up. Pink is warm, welcoming and an instant pick-me-up. Turquoise is energising and inspiring. Blue brings on a feeling of calm and serenity, related to the sky and happy days.

The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color. ~ Hans Hofmann

#8 - Get out of a rut

Get away from your normal routine. Do something different. Take a different route or try new things.

Know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change, but pretty soon... everything's different. - Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes

Photo - Shot in Singapore, Arab Street, 2008.

#7 - Get creative

I find lots of happiness working on creative projects. Since I am not gifted in drawing, I make picture collage using postcards and photos. Last weekend, I created two 'cheery Blurt boards' in my bedroom. They're for me and the kids to stick photos and quotes.

I also found a steel frame at a steal in Ikea, so I made a collage using Lavender postcards. They remind me of lavender fields I had seen in Melbourne and Provence.

Creative activities like this give me immense pleasure. Looking at the finished work hanging on the wall makes me happy.

Photos - Shot in 2009.

#6 - Look to nature

Find beauty in the wonders of nature. Even though you maybe under a tree, always look for the light shining through the branches.

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

Photo - Shot in Bend, Oregon, 2006.

#5 - Try a little kindness

Many times the best way to get out of the blues quickly is to turn our attention on others. We also end up feeling more connected to the people around us, as well as empowered by the experience of helping someone.

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Ghandi

Photo - Shot in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2008

#4 - Open your mind

Open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours
- Jason Mraz

Photo - Colosseum, shot in Rome, Italy, 2005

#3 - Making choices

Recognise that there are times in life when you cannot win every battle. Sometimes I choose to be happy than to be right.

Photo - Shot in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2008

#2 - Sense of wonder

We were happier and more creative when we were kids. Somewhere along the way, when we became responsible adults, we lose that childlike sense of wonder.

Wonder is closely connected to beauty, awe, mystery and imagination. Let's recapture that sense of wonder!

"Never lose the child like wonder. It's just too important. It's what drives us." - Randy Pausch

Photo - Singapore, 2007

#1 - Enjoy the journey

Are you so caught up in the day-to-day busyness of life that you forget to live? Don't just focus on achieving goals, appreciate the little things along the way.

Photo: Shot in Provence, France, 2007

Happiness