Reasons To Be Happy #446-450

446. Meryl Streep in POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE
447. Meryl Streep in HEARTBURN
448. Meryl Streep in MANHATTAN
449. Meryl Streep in DEATH BECOMES HER
450. Meryl Streep in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

Reasons To Be Happy #441-445

441. fearlessness
442. turkey noodle casserole
443. resolutions
444. feelings
445. being an uncle

Reasons To Be Happy #436-440

436. going to bed at 730p
437. cookies for breakfast
438. NPR's World Cafe
439. mud masks
440. Breathe's "How Can I Fall"

Reasons To Be Happy #431-435

431. endings
432. beginnings
433. an excellent shampoo
434. letting go of grudges
435. finding a new path

Thought For The Day

The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it. [Marcus Aurelius]

Reasons To Be Happy #426-430

426. Erin Sprow
427. Connor Russell
428. Lindsey Hedberg
429. belting
430. engagements

Reasons To Be Happy #421-425

421. the Sprow Family Christmas Orchestra
422. mac & cheese
423. love
424. cute British accents
425. Andrew Lincoln's character in LOVE ACTUALLY

Reasons To Be Happy #416-420

416. The Carpenters' "Merry Christmas, Darling"
417. Joni Mitchell's "River"
418. Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)"
419. Tom Waits' "Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis"
420. Kat's adventures in London

Reasons To Be Happy #411-415

411. sci-fi movies
412. security
413. the smell of freshly laundered clothes
414. Natalie Merchant's OPHELIA
415. wearing sunglasses in December

Reasons To Be Happy #406-410

406. Van Morrison's "Into The Mystic"
407. photographs
408. "high fiving a million angels"
409. Earl Grey tea (with a little splash of milk)
410. spoiling yourself

Reasons To Be Happy #401-405

401. holiday cards
402. St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub
403. office potlucks
404. sequins
405. Amanda Ghost's "Silver Lining"

Thought For The Day

No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That's all. [Haruki Murakami, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman]

Reasons To Be Happy #396-400

396. remaining calm
397. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos
398. eggnog gelato
399. geeking out
400. moisturizer

Reasons To Be Happy #391-395

391. change
392. Satsumas
393. street scarves
394. a much needed night off
395. the wisdom of Ron Swanson

Reasons To Be Happy #386-390

386. fantasy
387. a helping hand
388. French jazz
389. keeping calm
390. carrying on

Reasons To Be Happy #381-385

381. sleep
382. sleep
383. sleep
384. sleep
385. oranges

Reasons To Be Happy #376-380

376. catnaps
377. rest
378. Amazon.com
379. brunch
380. ginger ale

Reasons To Be Happy #371-375

371. Miss Nancy Wilson

372. applause

373. shenanigans

374. frivolity

375. pot stickers and "crack chicken" from Wild Ginger

Reasons To Be Happy #366-370

366. successful opening nights

367. Nutella brioche

368. The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Songbooks

369. dedication

370. book recommendations

Reasons To Be Happy #361-365

361. street style blogs

362. Dave Brubeck's TIME OUT album

363. being prepared

364. laughably bad karaoke

365. Michael Adler

My Favorite Records of 2011

1. Bon Iver Bon Iver

2. James Blake

3. Florence + The Machine Ceremonials

4. Kurt Elling The Gate

5. Jay-Z & Kanye West Watch The Throne

6. Lady Gaga Born This Way

7. James Vincent McMorrow Early In The Morning

8. Adele 21

9. Washed Out Within & Without

10. M83 Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

Honorable Mention

THE BOOK OF MORMON [Original Broadway Cast Recording]

The Civil Wars Barton Hollow

Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues

Paul Simon So Beautiful or So What

Benjamin Francis Leftwich Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm

Thought For The Day

Don't wish me happiness. I don't expect to be happy all the time... it's gotten beyond that somehow. Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor. I will need them all. [Anne Morrow Lindbergh]

Reasons To Be Happy #356-360

356. bagels & cream cheese

357. eyeglasses

358. trust

359. a good moisturizer

360. longevity

Reasons To Be Happy #351-355

351. Frank Sinatra's phrasing

352. Frank Sinatra's personal style

353. Sinatra At The Sands with The Count Basie Orchestra

354. The Best of Frank Sinatra: The Capitol Years

355. the color orange (Sinatra's favorite color)

Reasons To Be Happy #346-350

346. Bill Hader's "Stefon" character from SNL

347. Christmas cookies

348. froyo

349. peppermint hot chocolate

350. the Bluth family chicken dance

Reasons To Be Happy #341-345

341. cold pizza

342. Bill Evans

343. rewatching LOST

344. marshmallows

345. Liz Lemon

Reasons To Be Happy #336-340

336. Mary J. Blige's MY LIFE

337. books that you want to stay up all night reading

338. the baristas at "my" Starbucks

339. guilty pleasures

340. ABC's REVENGE

Thought For The Day

I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. [Marilyn Monroe]

Reasons To Be Happy #331-335

331. humility

332. salt water taffy

333. coping mechanisms

334. learning opportunities

335. moving on

Reasons To Be Happy #326-330

326. "All You Need is Love" by The Beatles

327. "Downtown Lights" by Annie Lennox

328. "Everyday I Write the Book" by Elvis Costello

329. "Shake it Out" by Florence + The Machine

330. "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga

Reasons To Be Happy #321-325

321. Disney films

322. being funny

323. personal days

324. Carrie Fisher

325. TIME OUT NEW YORK magazine

Reasons To Be Happy #316-320

316. holiday baked goods

317. PBR

318. Chex Mix

319. video games

320. Motown

Reasons To Be Happy #311-315

311. holiday parties

312. YouTube videos of people falling down

313. having a day with no plans

314. Anita O'Day

315. joy

Reasons To Be Happy #306-310

306. date night with Sprow

307. bread pudding

308. fairy tales

309. insight

310. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Reasons To Be Happy #301-305

301. The Muppets

302. treating yourself to dinner and a movie

303. spy novels

304. hot cocoa

305. classic Christmas music

Reasons To Be Happy #296-300

296. jazz/pop standards

297. paninis

298. Honeycrisps

299. London

300. FOR THE BOYS

Reasons To Be Happy #291-295

291. phone dates

292. smiling

293. making plans for the future

294. Streisand

295. sandwiches

Reasons To Be Happy #286-290

286. honesty

287. forgiveness

288. closure

289. moving forward

290. India.Arie's cover of "The Heart of The Matter"

Thought For The Day

Reasons To Be Happy #281-285

281. "Many Rivers To Cross"

282. LOVE ACTUALLY

283. long weekends

284. keeping busy

285. determination

Reasons To Be Happy #276-280

276. Alka Seltzer Cold & Sinus

277. raising money for a good cause

278. "Bitchy Brunch"

279. making a dream come true

280. The Carpenters

Reasons To Be Happy #271-275

271. reconnecting

272. reminiscing

273. old-school Whitney Houston

274. gift guides

275. Sherlock Holmes mysteries

Reasons To Be Happy #266-270

266. trench coats

267. Fellini

268. hope

269. Dame Maggie Smith

270. leftovers

Reasons To Be Happy #261-265

261. traditions

262. going to the movies alone

263. turkey dinners

264. fluffy bathrobes

265. expressing gratitude

Thought For The Day

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down. [Mary Pickford]

Reasons To Be Happy #256-260

256. haircuts

257. watching terrible movies on Netflix

258. The Rolling Stones

259. imagination

260. Traditional Medicinal's Organic Throat Coat Tea

Thought For The Day

Reasons To be Happy #251-255

251. eschewing conformity

252. developing your own personal style

253. nachos

254. laying in bed and listening to the rain

255. Kurt Elling records

Reasons To Be Happy #246-250

246. uninterrupted library hour

247. the power of Mavis Staples' voice

248. WHITE CHRISTMAS

249. charity

250. belting showtunes at the top of your lungs

Reasons To Be Happy #241-245

241. compliments from complete strangers

242. pancakes

243. cute clothes

244. having options

245. being myself

Reasons To Be Happy #236-240

236. unusual and interesting dreams

237. fancy dinners

238. Rosie Thomas

239. soft tissues

240. silence

Reasons To Be Happy #231-235

231. peanut butter on saltines

232. spending an entire day reading back issues of VANITY FAIR

233. having awesome ladyfriends

234. Mary J. Blige

235. sharing

Reasons To Be Happy #226-230

226. STAR WARS

227. having a dad who will go out of his way to do a favor

228. good customer service

229. anticipation

230. new music from Kate Bush

Reasons To Be Happy #221-225

221. the purity of Karen Carpenter's voice

222. clarity

223. the success of loved ones

224. holiday music

225. karaoke

Thought For The Day

When I say “I love you,” its not because I want you or because I can’t have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, and how you try. I’ve seen your kindness and your strength. I’ve seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what and who you are. [Spike - BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER]

Reasons To Be Happy #216-220

216. James Blake

217. Bon Iver

218. silly ringtones

219. anonymous gifts

220. AMERICAN IDIOT

Reasons To Be Happy #211-215

211. new and exciting challenges

212. relaxation

213. texts from friends

214. believing in something

215. having someone believe in you

Reasons To Be Happy #206-210

206. breakfast in bed

207. watching movies in bed

208. reading in bed

209. playing video games in bed

210. spending the day in bed

Reasons To Be Happy #201-205

201. engagements

202. feeling good about yourself

203. mac & cheese

204. Jack Spade bags

205. being funny

Reasons To Be Happy #196-200

196. hard work

197. buying a gift for yourself

198. pancakes

199. happiness

200. Wish Lists

Inspiration

and it's hard to dance with the devil on your back

so shake him off

Florence + The Machine "Shake It Out" [live on THE X FACTOR]

Thought For The Day

Reasons To Be Happy #191-195

191. original ideas

192. PARKS & RECREATION

193. doing all of your holiday shopping online (and in 15 minutes)

194. The Muppets

195. going to the gym

Reasons To Be Happy #186-190

186. "best of..." lists

187. anthems

188. Fruit Roll-Ups

189. dressing well

190. DOWNTON ABBEY

Thought For The Day

Reasons To Be Happy #181-185

181. Mark Darcy

182. sugar cookies

183. booking a vacation

184. Celine Dion

185. a good night's sleep

Thought For The Day

There are things to confess that enrich the world, and things that need not be said. [Joni Mitchell]

Reasons To Be Happy #176-180

176. a child's drawings

177. Joni Mitchell's "Court & Spark"

178. projects

179. funny memoirs

180. comfortable shoes

Thought For The Day

We all have different reasons for forgetting to breathe. [Andrea Gibson]

Reasons To Be Happy #171-175

171. you

172. absurdly hilarious situations

173. quotes

174. pumpkin bread

175. THE COMEBACK

Inspiration

A Year in New York from Andrew Clancy on Vimeo.

Reasons To Be Happy #166-170

166. compliments

167. BEACHES

168. having friends who believe in you

169. bacon and eggs

170. sunshine

Reasons To Be Happy #161-165

161. apples

162. romantic comedies

163. Wynton Marsalis' "Standard Time" series

164. guitars

165. a good cry

Thought For The Day

In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed. [Khalil Gibran]

Reasons To Be Happy #156-160

156. sales

157. being needed

158. Annie Lennox's "Diva"

159. knowledge

160. employment

Reasons To Be Happy #151-155

151. heaters

152. Bacharach melodies

153. pasta carbonara

154. Joan Didion's essays

155. vanilla

Thought For The Day

Reasons To Be Happy #146-150

146. Disney songs

147. smiles from strangers

148. seeing happiness in others

149. novelty gifts

150. a favorite coffee mug

Reasons To Be Happy #141-145

141. warm blankets

142. The Weepies

143. making beautiful music

144. SIDE SHOW

145. photos of New York City

Inspiration

Brian Justin Crum and Kyle Dean Massey - "Who Will Love Me As I Am"In

Reasons To Be Happy #136-140

136. PRETTY IN PINK

137. pleasant surprises

138. impromptu lunch dates

139. well-crafted plays

140. being liked

Reasons To Be Happy #131-135

131. margaritas

132. the color blue

133. mimosas

134. innovators

135. talent

Thought For The Day

Reasons To Be Happy #126-130

126. GRACE OF MY HEART

127. Erin Sprow

128. mini cheesecakes from The Confectional

129. knowledge

130. good hair

Reasons To Be Happy #121-125

121. a favorite coffee mug

122. doggy snuggles

123. lending support to friends

124. Miles Davis

125. TheSartorialist.com

Thought For The Day

The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best parts of a person's life. [William Wordsworth]

Reasons To Be Happy #116-120

116. being healthy

117. art books

118. Fig Newtons

119. warm blankets

120. Las Vegas

Reasons To Be Happy #111-115

111. Tom Ford

112. tea

113. daydreams

114. Frank Sinatra

115. crossword puzzles

Thought For The Day

Reasons To Be Happy #106-110

106. "period balls"

107. glasses

108. researching songs

109. documentaries

110. flowers

Reasons To Be Happy #101-105

101. Lily Armani

102. "lifted casual" dress codes

103. bookshops

104. men's style blogs on Tumblr

105. Manilow

Reasons To Be Happy #96-100

96. suits

97. movies starring Bette Davis

98. black & white photography

99. hugs

100. making lists

Inspiration

We have so much to be thankful for. Gratitude, praise, and thanksgiving activate the divine laws of abundance. When the Universe can see we are conscious of and grateful for what we have, it is activated to shower us with more. [Iyanla Vanzant]

Thought For The Day

Reasons To Be Happy #91-95

91. comfy sweatshirts

92. art books

93. casseroles

94. mixtapes

95. scary movies

Thought For The Day

There is enough love in this world for everybody, if people will just look. [Kurt Vonnegut]

Reasons To Be Happy #86-90

86. positive feedback from your boss

87. having a crush

88. guilty pleasure novels

89. winter jackets

90. the gift of love

Inspiration

This guy.

wow. just....wow.

Reasons To Be Happy #81-85

81. kind words

82. french bread pizza

83. unsolicited encouragement

84. bubbles

85. Patti Smith

Inspiration

Thought For The Day

All my life, my heart has yearned for something I cannot name. [Andre Breton]

Reasons To Be Happy #76-80

76. pumpkin pie

77. Tom Waits' "Closing Time" album

78. books in bed

79. penguins

80. smart comedy

Inspiration

Patti Smith: Requiem Lass [NYTimes Magazine]

Today's Moment of Zen

These people.

Reasons To Be Happy #61-75

61. sunshine

62. airline snacks

63. Peter Gabriel's music videos

64. weddings

65. true love

66. dressing up

67. cocktail hour with fun people

68. zoos

69. parks

70. the beach

71. Otis Redding

72. meeting new, fun, and interesting people

73. boat rides

74. Christine & Jake Groshong

75. bowties

Inspiration

Reasons To Be Happy #56-60

56. libraries

57. TOMS shoes

58. pumpkin spice lattes

59. Fall

60. giggling for no reason

Today's Moment Of Zen

Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 collection

Thought For The Day

The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or largely freed, from the dominance of outward conditions. [Robert Louis Stevenson]

Reasons To Be Happy #51-55

51. trivia nights

52. Cupcake Royale

53. intelligence

54. puddles

55. beer

Thought For The Day

Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option. [Mark Twain]

Happiness Challenge: Listen To Your Favorite Upbeat Song

The Happiness Project's resolution for this week is Listen To Your Favorite Upbeat Song.

Here is what Gretchen Rubin has to say:

While choosing just one favorite upbeat song can be a challenge (there are so many!), I opted for one that I turn to again and again as a way to pump myself up when I'm feeling low.

And so, I present "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie.

Reasons To Be Happy #46-50

46. chocolate cake

47. the honesty of Kat Ramsburg

48. Playbills

49. new business opportunities

50. fireplaces

Inspiration

Today's Moment Of Zen

If they like you, they'll grow to love you.

Reasons To Be Happy #41-45

41. wine dates

42. lazy Sundays

43. online shopping

44. good news

45. revisiting favorite movies

Thought For The Day

I'm not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything. I've always been a freak. So I've been a freak all my life and I have to live with that, you know. I'm one of those people. [John Lennon]

Reasons To Be Happy #36-40

36. spending time with my niece

37. discovering new music

38. tulips

39. clouds

40. Leonard Cohen songs on a Saturday night

Reasons To Be Happy #31-35

31. sleeping in

32. rainboots

33. chocolate milk

34. planning the next travel adventure

35. Lily Armani

Today's Moment Of Zen

so. much. joy.

Reasons To Be Happy #26-30

26. the smell of freshly laundered clothes

27. Bette Midler

28. saltines and tuna

29. walking to work

30. sweatpants

The Musicals That Make Me Dance

Number 5 on my list of Reasons To Be Happy was musicals.

I love musicals. Even the bad ones. Hardly a day goes by when I don't think about a musical, or listen to a musical, or talk about a musical.

When I think long and hard about it, I'd have to say that my All-Time Top Ten Favorite Musicals are:

1. DREAMGIRLS

2. JERSEY BOYS

3. SIDE SHOW

4. GYPSY

5. MY FAVORITE YEAR

6. LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

7. A CHORUS LINE

8. SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE

9. FUNNY GIRL

10. NEXT TO NORMAL

There are so many more musicals that I love...but to post them all would just be exhausting. So I've chosen to limit myself to ten. Although, maybe twenty is a better number. Or thirty...

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Thought For The Day

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

[Steve Jobs 1955-2011]

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Reasons To Be Happy #21-25

21. informed, intelligent, and enlightening conversations

22. RJ Tancioco

23. laughter

24. sharing experiences

25. Carolee Carmello's belt

Resolution: Better Scheduling

Admittedly, I have a tendency to overbook myself or forget dates. This has, on more than one occasion, caused tension/headaches/irritation/etc... for myself and the parties I may have made plans with.

And I hate to be the one to have to break plans, even if it IS because of my poor schedule keeping.

The solution? Use the Google calendar feature and the calendar app on my iPhone. It's as simple as that. Really. I sit in front of a computer all day and I am rarely without my iPhone. There's no excuse for not being able to input dates/times/plans right when they're being made.

By doing so, I can save myself the embarrassment of overbooking and then having to admit to my failure.

Thought For The Day

(Alexandra Silber for PLAYBILL.com)

Reasons To Be Happy #16-20

16. sleeping

17. long showers

18. dancing in the living room

19. Alexander McQueen scarves

20. magazines

Inspiration

Bergdorf Goodman: Tom Ford, A Singular Man

I'm perfectly happy. I could die tomorrow. I feel like I've experienced so many things, and I've been so fortunate. I've had a great relationship in my life. I've had wonderful dogs. I've had a great career. I've had lots of things that have fulfilled me. I hope that I don't die tomorrow. There are other things that I'd like to do. I hope that I get to be a little bit wiser and smarter, and keep learning things.

Why Not You?

Thought For The Day

A person who has good thought cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely. [Roald Dahl]

Reasons To Be Happy #11-15

11. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

12. firm pillows

13. good books

14. red wine

15. solitude

I Am What I Am

I am what I am, and what I am needs no excuses.

A Moment Of Zen

The joy I get from this video cannot be measured.

Thought For The Day

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, and don't put up with people that are reckless with yours. [Kurt Vonnegut]

Rules of Adulthood

- People don't notice your mistakes as much as you think.

- It's okay to ask for help.

- Most decisions don't require extensive research.

- Do good, feel good.

- It's important to be nice to everyone.

- Bring a sweater.

- By doing a little bit each day, you can get a lot accomplished.

- Soap and water remove most stains.

- Turning the computer on and off a few times often fixes a glitch.

- If you can't find something, clean up.

- You can choose what you do; you can't choose what you like to do.

- Happiness doesn't always make you feel happy.

- What you do every day matters more than what you do once in awhile.

- You don't have to be good at everything.

- If you're not failing, you're not trying hard enough.

-Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

- What's fun for other people may not be fun for you...and vice versa.

- No deposit, no return.

(adapted from THE HAPPINESS PROJECT)

HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE

"Sadness be gone. Let's be people who deserve to be loved, who are worthy. Because we are worthy."

http://www.happythankyoumoreplease.com

It's a wonderful, uplifting, beautiful little film.

Highly recommended.

Reasons To Be Happy #6-10

6. The Beatles

7. coffee

8. rain

9. sweaters

10. HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE

Thought For The Day

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years. [Abraham Lincoln]

Things I Am Thankful For

Reasons To Be Happy #1-5

1. John & Brooke McCabe

2. Ted, Kelly, and Morgan Hansen

3. extended families

4. strong friendships

5. musicals

Why Now?

The real question is "Why not?"

I have a lot in my life that I should be grateful for...but rarely have I acknowledged that. And by not acknowleding what I am grateful for, I have allowed myself to become steeped in negativity, depression, and low self worth.

So, why not make a change for the better? There's too much good in the world to overlook.

My Personal Commandments

Be Ryan.

Let it go.

Act the way I want to feel.

Do it now.

Be polite and be fair.

Enjoy the process.

Stand out.

Identify the problem.

Lighten up.

Do what ought to be done.

No calculation.

There is only love.