Not maintaining a healthy weight.

Not exercising.

Not quitting smoking.

Doctors say these things do help.

But as amazing as it may seem, simply smiling adds years to our lives.

Researchers studied the smiles of 196 baseball players based on their pictures taken in 1952.  The non-smilers lived an average of 72.9 years.

But those who smiled lived to be 75 – almost three full years longer simply by smiling.

And those who were pictured with so-called Duchenne smiles which engage the muscles of both the mouth and the eyes lived an average of 79.9 years – almost 7 extra years by lightening up.

Being a sour puss robs us of valuable years.

Here’s the study – fascinating reading.

Since, as the song “Smiling Faces” reminds us, a smile is just a frown turned upside down, we now have the best motivation ever to permanently put a grin on our faces.

It’s not the amount of time, but the amount of you in that time.

A one-hour dinner with the family if you’ve had to text or talk to someone else in the middle of the meal is not as good as fewer minutes face-to-face with no distractions.

A day with your children is not necessarily better than just the two of you telling stories and sharing experiences for an hour at the end of the day.

A long meeting with associates is not more effective than a short meeting where everyone stands (not sits) and focuses 100% of attention on solving a specific problem then coming up with a plan of action.

Guilt about being busy is lessened to the extent that we can focus 100% of our attention on the people who are important in our lives.

It’s about quality not quantity.

Our lifelong search for how to become more efficient and reclaim lost hours is a vicious cycle.

We actually have all the time we need.

What is missing is putting more you into the time you have.

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Live each day like it is your last.

Or as Steve Jobs said in a commencement address to Stanford graduates in 2008:

“…For the past 33 years, I’ve looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, if today were the last day of my life would I want to do what I am about to do today.  And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

Jobs says remembering that we will be dead soon was the most important tool he could use to have the courage to make the big choices in life.

Fear of failure dissipates in the face of death.

It’s why a person who has conquered cancer lives the next portion of their lives so differently — as bravely as they fought the cancer itself.

As Jobs said, “Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life”.

Do the thing you fear to do and the fear will go away from you.

Feel with your heart.

Think with your mind.

Never stop dreaming.

For the fear of something to lose is an illusion.

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In 2012, 3,328 people died and another 421,000 people were injured in accidents involving distracted drivers.

I once asked for a show of hands among my USC college students for those who texted while they drove.  The laughter was loud and long.  Almost everyone does it.

Stupid question.

To take the cure, play this very short video from Volkswagen.

In it, a group of Hong Kong moviegoers are looking at a screen that puts them in the driver’s seat of a moving car.

Then, a mass text is sent to the audience simultaneously.

They reach for their phones, look down and … well, see for yourself.

I don’t think anyone could text and drive after seeing this.

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Yelling is as hurtful as hitting.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Michigan say that parents who yell at their adolescent children for doing something wrong cause the same problems as hitting them would.  The study included 976 two-parent families with children ages 13-14.

The recipients of this kind of verbal abuse tend to become more depressed and more aggressive as a result.

“Lazy” and “stupid” and other hurtful words even resonate if the parents have a warm loving relationship with their children otherwise.

The study also showed that yelling makes a person do the opposite of what they want.

45% of the participating mothers and 42% of the fathers said they had used harsh verbal discipline within the past year.  Almost everyone does it and few are proud of it.

Beyond teens, yelling has the same effect.

It’s abuse.

Better option:  take away privileges without the corresponding harsh language.

When you yell, it hurts the self-image of those you love, know or work with.

Making someone feel worthwhile instead of worthless is the more productive alternative.

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“I wish you well”.

Realize that everyone is struggling with something and silently wish them well when they say something mean, hurtful or devious.

You don’t have to like what they say or do, but you don’t have to let them bring out the bad side of you.

You get uplifted when you wish people well.

You get the benefit.

Doctors have mapped positive changes in the brain when you accentuate the positive side of your personality.

Do it often every day – to people you know, don’t know or live with.

It helps keep your energy up.

As you practice it becomes easier.

Stress Free Living author Amit Sood reminds us that there was a time in prehistoric days when the focus had to constantly be on outside threats (animals, being attacked). 

The world has changed.  We are no longer on threat-watch.

Our brains need to be rewired.

The simple phrase “I wish you well” said silently many times a day is how you rewire your brain for happiness.

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More research reinforces what we have come to know – that Jon Stewart’s Comedy Central news show is more credible than traditional news channels and journalists.

Is it a stretch to say Stewart is to this generation what Walter Cronkite was during the Kennedy assassination and Vietnam War days?

Why is this?

Fast-moving communications, an infinite number of news sources available to consumers and a fear of telling the truth because journalists and news organizations might be sued. 

Stewart does parody which insulates him against such lawsuits and yet in his comedic presentation of the day’s big stories, he manages to do something that has gotten lost lately.

He is credible because he is authentic.

And authenticity is the characteristic that younger people crave today.

Being the real deal is not hard to do.  It involves not being perfect, not always being right, but being human and having a sense of humor about yourself.

These qualities are the secret to success in news and important ways for all of us to gain the trust of those with whom we come in contact.

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That’s what happened to Mike and Lori Knar.

Their 11-year old son, Aden, was finally losing his long battle against leukemia.

He lived in hospitals, got sick on chemotherapy only to face the ultimate failure – no bone marrow donor.  Not even in his immediate family where most donors are found.

The last hope – last chance – was to create a Savior Child using in vitro to bring yet another child to the Knar family while using the placenta at birth to save Aden’s life.

But it cost money – lots of money for doctors, a surrogate, legal fees.  And it has to be raised in advance.

Then Sean Hannity came to the rescue and made a $10,000 donation.

Soon others came forward and raised over $20,000 toward the $75,000 needed to save their son’s life.  Ex-employers, employees, friends and people who have never met the Knar family made donations online and by check.

They were parents and that was enough.

This week, the Knar’s have received an appointment with doctors to proceed.

And Aden remains in the hospital watching his new buddy Sean Hannity on Fox News Channel – amazing how an 11-year old can be so mature.

The goodness of people should never be discounted even in a world of greed and self-absorption.

In times of need, good people step up and make things happen.  It’s never too late to donate online here or contact dad and mom here.

It’s hard to fire or ignore a person who lives these qualities.  They are the people who get raises and promotions.

Exceed expectations — If you do nothing else, always deliver more than you promise.  And delivery it early before it is expected.  This is easy with a little forethought.

Get along well with others — Today’s businesses seek disruption of the marketplace not disruption within their company.  They put a premium on people who “play well” with others.  Become an expert at human and interpersonal relationships.  This is the currency that translates into financial success.

Be a force for positivity — This does not mean saying yes when you mean no.  It means being conciliatory about disagreements, welcoming the ideas of others and illustrating to others how goals can be achieved.  Avoid nay saying at the office.

Never take sides — Or say anything even privately against another person.  Good teams work together.  They do not harbor animosity toward teammates.

Show humility—Don’t just sound humble, be humble.  The quality that no one can resist is humility as rarely as it is seen these days.

Share your success by publicly crediting others – Associates like working with people who can give public credit to their contributions.  The only thing holding you back is jealousy.

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The Los Angeles Kings hockey team won its second Stanley Cup in three years by cashing in on momentum.

Adversity is usually the tipping point for changing momentum.

The Kings had some key injuries a few months ago and seemed like a long shot to win another championship but they played through them gaining confidence.

Adversity presented another chance for the Kings to excel when they fell behind three games on the brink of elimination in a four game series only to comeback and win four straight to take it.

But then it always seemed they were coming from behind to pull off last minute victories on the way to the Cup.

Momentum is another word for unshakeable confidence. 

When we have it, we have it. 

When adversity strikes and we begin to doubt ourselves, then momentum turns into fear of failure.

You see it all the time in sports and everything else.  Lady Gaga was riding high until she wasn’t and that’s because her most recent album was not as good as previous material.

To get momentum on your side, welcome adversity because it is the chief catalyst to building confidence that seems to be unstoppable. 

And when you take a step back or get off your game, use a verbal IOU to get the feeling back.

Here is the key phrase.

I’ve done it before, I can do it again.

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