People were forever asking me how I got to be so darned happy. So I started speaking
to school groups and blogging about choosing to view life more optimistically.
Smile. Be happy!
Ruth Kaiser
On my first visit to Chicago, I said to myself: OK, I’m in Chicago. Gotta figure I’ll bump onto Oprah and Ira. Yep, I really am that naively optimistic. So I head to the Goodman Theatre to see Candide (Directed by Mary Zimmerman–talent extraordinaire and long ago love interest of Ira Glass. My cute son […]
Instead of resolutions based on the premise that you are bad and need to fix yourself, I suggest resolutions to bring more joy into your life. 1) I resolve to luxuriate in bed every morning for at least 5 minutes after my alarm goes off. Nothing is quite so cozy as my warm bed. 2) […]
Remember doing science experiments in school? Remember how the teacher cheered you on regardless of the outcome? You know, the pep talk about how what failed this time is simply data to help you design the next experiment. What if life was one experiment after another? Wouldn’t it be great to allow yourself to accept […]
Photo with Oprah has arrived! YIPPEE! At the luncheon with Oprah, Gayle King and Iyanla Vanznat held to thank the founding members of OWN Ambassadors (of which I am one), we each got our picture taken with Oprah. I asked her to jump with me. She said, “In these heels?!” And I replied, “Sure. You’re […]
Today I had to visit the D.M.V. p.d.q. (Don’t know what p.d.q. means? Ask an old person. Back when I was a kid, the stores we now call 7/11’s were called p.d.q.’s).Since I hadn’t made an appointment I knew it could be a long wait (would that be p.d.s., for pretty darn slow?). Friends warned […]
Did a little dreaming and a little noodling around on the computer today . . . aren’t 3 day weekend the best?! Imagine if we always got to work a 4 day week. Think of how the quality of life would go up. Think about all the jobs that would be created; if we each […]
A character in an Amy Tan novel described looking back on your life like looking back on an All-You-Can-Eat banquet. Ooo, I ate that so fast I didn’t take time to enjoy it. Ooo, why didn’t I take a taste of that or that or that? Ooo, I should have had more of that when […]
Here’s a clip my buddy Nicole, author of 2 Minute Yoga, took of me talking about why I love yoga! If you didn’t already know I was a goofball, this will confirm it! Nicole and I met via Twitter as part of the Friends of Ricki community (#FriendsofRicki). It’s a group of fun loving, silly, talented […]
The Spontaneous Smiley Project is really about deciding to notice the world around you. For me it’s almost like a ritual; with intent I look all around me. It is something I practice. I am a big believer in rituals. I could almost spell that richuals since they make life more rich. I hold my […]
I’m aware that as I spout my Smiley philosophy some people roll their eyes and think I’m nuts. Well, I’m not really crazy, just optimistic. Sure, many people think crazy and optimistic go hand in hand, but they’re probably all pessimists who think that, which I know is a really lot of people, but […]