I was watching my dogs lay on their beds.  Both of them were relaxing and looking outside at the birds.  I wondered what they were thinking.  I don't believe they have cognitive or existential thoughts, but I do believe that my dogs can think.  Their thoughts run Primal, I'm sure.

One of the curious things that I have found is that most books, articles and research discusses happiness at face value and leaves it at that. Find your happiness, and simply be done with it. End of story. Nothing wrong with that.

But, I've decided to take the whole happiness thing to a next level by leveraging it to get more of what you want.

Today, NOW, we reserve the right -- and it is 100% our responsibility -- to choose to accept or deny that which we use as building blocks for our behavior. It is a constant and ongoing flow of choices. You'll find yourself in environments where positivity will naturally flow inward while negativity is no longer even in your perspective. What follows is greater clarity and room on our thoughts for more of that which life is truly about. Happiness, joy and positivity.

Consider you're standing right next to a competitor, and you share your talents of the trade equally.   However, your competitor excels in conveying far greater levels of authentic care and positivity.   Is it possible for you to lose business or market share to that person standing next to you?  If it is, you need The Fun Factor.

Let's talk some biology for a second. More specifically, let's talk about how the body and brain are affected by pleasurable experiences. There's this neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for allowing you to feel pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. When you feel good that you have achieved something, it's because you have a surge of dopamine in the brain. The sensation can be triggered by anything from drugs such as opiates and heroin to laughter. Clearly, I would prefer the latter.

I talk a great deal about the importance of paying attention to what we pay attention to.  It's because we've been trained to think in a particular way, leading us to less-then-happy or fun way of thinking.  I talk about why that happens and what we must do about it.

Time travel is stressful. Believe me, because I do it all the time. And you do, too. You're just not aware of it. After listening to this podcast, you'll know just what I'm talking about, and you'll think about what it does to you and your quest to find joy and happiness.

Have you ever had an idea that ended up changing your life? If you have I'm happy and sad for you, because I know what it's like.

5 years ago I embarked on a quest that started out as just a silly little idea. That Quest? How to use fun, joy and happiness more fundamentally and intentionally in my personal and professional life. It has been transforming.

In this podcast and in a series of blogs and journals, I express as best I can how you can create a life that is filled with joy comfort and contentment.

Follow me on this, because if I succeed even just a little bit, you'll find yourself smiling far more frequently.

Be fun!