Act As If You Are Happy

Hello Friends,

The following is an article that I shared a while ago on my Bacon & Kids blog ( a blog for working parents). I thought you all might appreciate it as well…

Act as if it is the happiest day of your life.  Easier said than done, right?  Especially if you’re having a bad morning, day, week,  month, or year.

Why pretend? Why act as if? Why put a smile on your face, even though you don’t feel at all happy?

I’m not having a good day!

Research shows that even a forced smile can help to boost your mood and spirit. Did you know that if you’re smiling, other people will consider you as being friendlier and more approachable?

Along with a smile on your face, your appearance contributes to your happiness.

Clothing ~  Look the part.  If you’re wearing clothes/or uniforms that are dirty, wrinkled, too big, too tight and or damaged it will only add to your bad mood.  Wearing clothes/uniforms that make you feel good will help

Hair ~  CLEAN hair shouldn’t be a luxury.  You may not have much time to style it but make sure your hair is clean.  Although, taking a few minutes to style your hair will make you feel & look  more confident  and “put together.”

Nails ~ I’m not talking about your hands, we all know that the nails on our hands should be  clean and polish free or clean with a fresh coat of nail polish.  I’m talking about toenails.  A silly, non-important thing right?  Wrong. Have you ever been embarrassed when you caught someone staring at your feet,  particularly your toes? And not just staring, but staring in disgust?  Then you know what I’m talking about.   Clean, trimmed, moisturized toenails is a really good thing. (Ladies, painting your toes may be the last thing on your already too full to-do-list, however, having a pretty colored, chip- free polish on your toes gives the appearance that you have it together and well, sometimes it’s all about appearance 😉 )

So now that you have a smile on your face, and are looking pretty good too, what else can you do to help make you feel happier?

Do a good deed ~ It’s a scientific fact, it makes you healthier & happier. Must be why the scriptures tell us “there is more happiness in giving than in receiving.”  But, you might be thinking: “I don’t have any time to do a good deed.”   Not so, here are some things that you can do that take just a few minutes.

  • Be friendly.   When running errands think about the people who serve our daily needs, say hello, thank you,  have a nice day.  You just might make their day a little happier.
  • Send a text to a friend (or friends) telling them you are thinking of them and hope they have a great day.
  • Be spontaneous, hold the door for someone, pay for their coffee, help with the groceries, bring your neighbor’s  garbage can up from the curb, etc.
  • Clear the clutter –

– Do you have any books you are no longer reading?  Drop them off  at your local library.

– Clothes or household items you no longer need or want?  Drop them in a donation box or to a charity of your choice.

– Any extra non-perishable food items in the pantry?  Take them to a local food bank or shelter.

– Recycle – Do your part no matter how small, to prevent waste, and help keep our world clean.

Instead of focusing on and being consumed by the negative things in life and our own personal problems, focus on what you can do for others, and do good deeds as often as possible without asking for anything in return.

So you might need to start off by “acting” to create your own happiness but when you do before you know it, you’re no longer acting, you truly are happy.

A happy day!

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Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty

Shake it Up Baby! How to Love Mondays

I love Mondays. I really do enjoy the fresh start to a new week. However, if you are miserable Sunday night because you just totally dread Monday morning, maybe feeling like my daughter in this short video clip:

If you feel like you just can’t do it! This might help:

Shake it up Baby!

betty hayden dental consultant

That’s how you can start loving Mondays.  Yes, I said it – Love Monday and Tuesday, and Wednesday and Thursday!  You already love Friday, right?  Well, get ready to love the others by Shaking up Monday.

How do you Shake it Up?  First, you need to prepare for Monday on Sunday.  Try this:

  • What will you wear?-  Lay out your work clothes. (Make sure they are clean & wrinkle-free.)
  • What will you eat?-  Prepare your lunch & healthy snacks.
  • What to do? – Make your to-do-list. (Purging your brain of everything you need to accomplish will help you sleep better.)
  • Where is it? –  Put your keys, purse/wallet, coat/shoes, etc. near the door.
  • Go to bed early – .  (Staying up too late will only make you crabby in the morning. Avoid using/watching electronics in bed.)

Okay, so there are some of your Sunday responsibilities.  Here’s what you do Monday Morning:

  • Wake Up – Tell yourself this: “I’m going to make this a GREAT day!”
  • Eat a healthy Breakfast!  Do not skip this important meal.
  • Dress the part, if you want it to be a great day, start by looking great. (Brush & style your hair,  if you’re a woman put on some make-up, wear a special piece of jewelry, etc.)
  • Leave early enough to allow yourself plenty of time to arrive at work without feeling rushed.

So now, you’re getting ready to walk in to work –  put a smile on your face and remind yourself that “you” are going to make it a great day.  And here are some “Shake it Up” tips:

  • Act like it’s the happiest day of your life.
  • Greet your fellow co-workers. (If you are the only one there, look in the mirror and say hello beautiful….  kidding not kidding 😉 )
  • Start the work day with a morning huddle –  this will keep everyone on the same page, and gives you the opportunity to set “the tone” for the day.  Encourage everyone to share their ideas for marketing, better customer service and increased productivity. (See Morning Huddle/Meeting Tips Here)
  • Learn something new –  Look to learn better & fresh ways of doing things by reading books, magazines, listening to podcasts, watching a webinar, attending seminars and learning from those around you.  Remember this, you can learn a lot by getting feed back from your customers/patients (good & bad).  
  • Get some fresh air –  if possible, eat your lunch outside the office or take a short walk during your break.  A breath of fresh air and change in scenery will  help clear your mind and reinvigorate you.
  • Drink plenty of water and eat foods that refresh, not ones that make you feel tired & sluggish.
  • Work from a to-do-list.  If there’s something that must be done, go ahead and get it finished. Get busy, get it done, and feel the freedom of no longer having it hanging over your head. 

I really like this quote from Brian Tracy:  “Your ability to discipline yourself  to do what you should, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not,is the key to becoming a great person and living a great life.”    

Great advice!

These are just some of the many suggestions and helpful tips out there to help you “Love Monday” – and if with all of these suggestions you still “hate Monday” well then, try this:

Turn the volume up on your computer, Play this video by the Beatles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVlr4g5-r18  and “Shake it Up baby!”

If you do not already subscribe to receive our free dental marketing and practice management ideas right to your email inbox each month, please do so today. Feel free to tell your dental friends about Hayden Consulting. ~Thank you!

We welcome your comments, questions and likes.

Make it a GREAT Day!

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty

P.S. If you have children, I understand that your evening and morning routines can be quite challenging… I shared some tips over at my Bacon & Kids blog that might be helpful to you! It was written to help with the Back to School routine but the idea’s are helpful for any time during the school year. Here it is: Organization Tips

“Every moment is your opportunity to build a life that’s rich and full, so take a deep breath, aim for the stars, and make it happen.” — Ralph Marston

Betty’s Reading List for 2013

Hello Friends,

Today on my Bacon & Kids blog, I shared the books that I have read so far this year. I wanted to share the post with you all because I read some really great Business & Dental Marketing books. Please feel free to share with me your favorites. I’m always looking to add new books to my reading list.

Enjoy!

“Hello,

December already! The year is almost over and I failed to update my reading list each month, until now…

This is what I have read for 2013 so far and as always this is in addition to my daily Bible reading, Bible study publications and the many, many books that are read to our sweet children 😀

bettys book corner bacon and kids hayden consulting

There are some really great books in this list!

Business & Marketing

Always Know What To Say – Easy Ways To Approach And Talk To Anyone ~ Murphy, Peter W.

 Smart Talk: ~ Lisa B. Marshall

 Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization

~ Leonardo Inghilleri

Endless Referrals ~Burg, Bob

Be A People Person: Effective Leadership Through Effective Relationships

~John C. Maxwell

 Employee Engagement 2.0: How to Motivate Your Team for High Performance (A Real-World Guide for Busy Managers)

~Kevin Kruse

 Eat That Frog ~Brian Tracy

Raving Fans ~Ken Blanchard

 Building Better Relationships: Proven Strategies to Make the Most of Your Personal Connections (Collection) ~Richard Templar, Linda Elder, Richard Paul, Mark Woods, Trapper Woods, Merrick Rosenberg, Daniel Silvert

 Dental Marketing Fusion ~Mike Saunders MBA

 Word of Mouth: 2013 Marketing Calendar for Dental Practices ~Elizabeth Kraus

 How to Work for Yourself: 100 Ways to Make the Time, Energy and Priorities to Start a Business, Book or Blog ~Bryan Cohen

Say YES! to Change: 27 Secrets to Motivating Yourself and Your Team ~Lawrence Polsky

 Family & Self Improvement

 The Stress Free You: How to Live Stress Free and Feel Great Everyday, Starting Today  ~O’Brien, Elizabeth

 Declutter your life ~Ideas, Infinite

 Parenting With Love And Logic ~Foster Cline, Jim Fay

 Become the Confident Mom You’ve Always Wanted to Be ~Susan Heid

 Choose Yourself ~James Altucher

 Dad is Fat ~Jim Gaffigan

 How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk  ~Adele Faber

 The Complete Life’s Little Instruction Book ~H. Jackson Brown Jr.

 The Positive Thinking Secret ~Aaron Kennard

 Book Love: Help Your Child Grow from Reluctant to Enthusiastic Reader 1st Edition ~Melissa Taylor

 Fiction – Just for Fun

 Simply Amazing ~Shaw, Candace

 Waking Up Married ~Kelly, Mira Lyn

 The Mother Load ~Bates, Keeley

 What Alice Forgot ~Liane Moriarty

 In Need of Therapy ~Tracie Banister, Jeff Okerstrom

 Worth The Drive ~Mara Jacobs

 Worth The Fall ~Mara Jacobs

 Worth The Weight ~Mara Jacobs

 With a View ~Alanna Coca

 Next Year I’ll be Perfect ~Laura Kilmartin

 Waiting for You ~Abigail Strom

 Chocolate for Two ~Maria Murnane

 Cross My Heart ~Abigail Strom

 Tea For Two~ Diane Moody

 Into Your Arms ~Abigail Strom

 Double Dare ~Rhonda Nelson

 Honeymoon For One ~Chris Keniston

 Hand-Me-Down Love ~Jennifer Ransom

 Paper Roses ~Amanda Cabot

 Will you be adding any of these books to your 2014 reading list? Please feel free to share your book suggestions for my 2014 reading list. I love adding new books to my bookshelves!

 Happy Reading to you!

 ~Betty”