Healthy Breakfast Ideas Important Meal Properly!

Is your morning breakfast ritual depleting your energy? Try these delicious, energizing Body Ecology healthy breakfast ideas!

So you've started eating better and want healthy breakfast ideas?

Breakfast is one of the most neglected meals of the day when it comes to our health. With busy lives and long commutes to work, convenient processed foods like Pop Tarts, donuts and fast food have become par for the course.

Add a little coffee or orange juice and you have the typical American breakfast.

Full of sugar...acidproducing...energy draining. The first meal of the day has become one of the most harmful for your health and it's no better if you skip it.

The Body Ecology Program was created to build your energy and vitality, while healing your digestive system so that you can achieve and maintain vibrant health. But what happens when you can no longer grab breakfast from a vending machine or fast food window?

Body Ecology has many healthy breakfast ideas that are quick and easy to prepare. This article will outline some tips for a healthy breakfast along with menu suggestions that will have you enjoying the most important meal of the day.

Tips for Your Healthy Breakfast:-

1:-Plan your menu in advance:-
Whenever you are creating a new habit, one of the keys to success is planning. Create a menu plan for all of your meals for the week. This will help you shop for the foods you'll need and make the most of leftovers from the night before that can be used for a healthy breakfast meal.
Planning your menu in advance will also allow you to soak your nuts, seeds or BodyEcology grain-like seeds the night before, so you are ready to prepare them for the next day.

2:-Have an all-alkaline breakfast:-
During the night when you are sleeping, toxic bodies tend to become more acidic. Acidic blood sets the stage for illness and disease. When you wake up, having a more alkaline breakfast helps balance this acidic condition.

3:-Hydrate :-When sleeping, you become also become quite dehydrated. Drinking water and having a healthy breakfast meal with high water content is an excellent way to re-hydrate your body to begin your day.

4:-Have a balanced and slightly more expansive meal:-
During the night, your body becomes contracted (stored energy that is closed and tight), so you will want to have a meal that is expansive (open, active and relaxed energy).

Everyone from experts to moms agree that it's important to eat your vegetables. On the Body Ecology program, land and ocean vegetables are the star superfoods of every meal, including breakfast.
In fact, we recommend that 80% of each meal is made up of vegetables. Vegetables meet all of the criteria for healthy breakfast tips: they are alkaline, provide hydration and are balanced from an acid/alkaline perspective.
Unfortunately, eating vegetables for breakfast seems very foreign to most people. It's certainly quite different from that all-carb processed-food meal full of sugar so popular today.
You'll see that there are plenty of healthy breakfast ideas that will have you eating your vegetables with delight each morning! Even more so when you see your energy soar!

Healthy Breakfast Ideas:-

My favorite morning wake up call consists of 3 super stars on the healthy breakfast ideas menu. If you are a light eater in the morning, one or all of these may satisfy you.

If you are more active or have a bigger appetite, you could start your day with these three hydrating "meals" and have something more substantial mid-morning. Try them for yourself

 Vitality SuperGreen :-

 if you have no appetite in the morning or are in a rush, the perfect morning pick-me up is Vitality SuperGreen.
Vitality SuperGreen is our alkalizing green food blended with nutrients andprobiotics to nourish and heal your intestines. Just add filtered water and it can give you a quick energy boost that replaces your need for acid- producing coffee.
This is how I often prepare my Vitality SuperGreen:-

1 scoop of Vitality SuperGreen,

1 scoop of RenewPro Whey Protein Concentrate

Stevia to taste (optional)

Non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring

1:-Green Smoothie - This Good Morning Green Smoothie recipe will surely make you love your vegetables! Try our green smoothie recipe before your morning exercise routine or on your way to work, it's a great energizer!

2:-Young Coconut Kefir or CocoBiotic - Young Coconut Kefir is an amazing probiotic liquid that you can make yourself. We consistently receive raving reports on its benefits including helping to stop sugar cravings, prevent bloating in the digestive tract, eliminate joint pain and making your skin more clear and pore-less. ...all while adding healthy microflora to boost your immunity.

3:-While not identical to young coconut kefir since they contain different micro.

Happiness Life!

While happiness is defined by the individual, I’ve always felt it foolish to declare that nothing can be learned from observing the happiness of others.

In our day-to-day lives it is easy to miss the forest for the trees and look over some of the smaller, simpler things that can disproportionally affect our happiness levels. Luckily, we can go off more than just our intuition; there are lots of studies that aim for finding the right behavior that leads to a happier life.

1. Be Busy, But Not Rushed

Research shows that being “rushed” puts you on the fast track to being miserable. On the other hand, many studies suggest that having nothing to do can also take its toll, bad news for those who subscribe to the Office Space dream of doing nothing.

The porridge is just right when you’re living a productive life at a comfortable pace. Meaning: you should be expanding your comfort zone often, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed. Easier said than done, but certainly an ideal to strive towards.

Feeling like you’re doing busywork is often the result of saying “Yes” to things you are not absolutely excited about. Be sure to say “No” to things that don’t make you say, “Hell yeah!” We all have obligations, but a comfortable pace can only be found by a person willing to say no to most things, and who’s able to say “Yes” to the right things.

You should be expanding your comfort zone often, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed.

2. Have 5 Close Relationships

Having a few close relationships keeps people happier when they’re young, and has even been shown to help us live longer, with a higher quality of life. True friends really are worth their weight in gold. But why five relationships? This seemed to be an acceptable average from a variety of studies.

National surveys find that when someone claims to have 5 or more friends with whom they can discuss important problems, they are 60 percent more likely to say that they are ‘very happy’.

The number isn’t the important aspect here, it is the effort you put into your relationships that matters. Studies show that even the best relationships dissolve over time; a closeness with someone is something you need to continually earn, never treat it as a given. Every time you connect with those close to you, you further strengthen those bonds and give yourself a little boost of happiness at the same time. The data show that checking in around every two weeks is the sweet spot for very close friends. 

3. Don’t Tie Your Happiness to External Events

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. —C.S. Lewis

Self-esteem is a tricky beast. It’s certainly good for confidence, but a variety of research suggests that self-esteem that is bound to external success can be quite fickle. For example, certain students who tied their self-esteem to their grades experienced small boosts when they received a grad school acceptance letter, but harsh drops in self-esteem when they were rejected.

Tying your happiness to external events can also lead to behavior which avoids failure as a defensive measure. Think of all the times you tell yourself, “It doesn’t matter that I failed, because I wasn’t even trying.”  The key may be, as C.S. Lewis suggests, to instead think of yourself less, thus avoiding the trap of tying your self-worth to external signals.

4. Exercise

Yup, no verbose headline here, because there is no getting around it: no matter how much you hate exercise, it will make you feel better if you stick with it. Body image improves when you exercise (even if results don’t right away). And eventually, you should start seeing that “exercise high” once you’re able to pass the initial hump: The release of endorphins has an addictive effect, and more exercise is needed to achieve the same level of euphoria over time.

So make it one of your regular habits. It does not matter which activity you choose, there’s bound to be at least one physical activity you can stomach.

5. Embrace Discomfort for Mastery

Happy people generally have something known as a “signature strength” — At least one thing they’ve become proficient at, even if the learning process made them uncomfortable.

Research has suggested that mastering a skill may be just as stressful as you might think. Researchers found that although the process of becoming proficient at something took its toll on people in the form of stress, participants reported that these same activities made them feel happy and satisfied when they looked back on their day as a whole.

As the cartoon Adventure Time famously said, “Suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something,” and it’s true, struggle is the evidence of progress. The rewards of becoming great at something far outweigh the short-term discomfort that is caused earning your stripes.

Struggle is the evidence of progress.

6. Spend More Money on Experiences

Truly happy people are very mindful of spending money on physical items, opting instead to spend much of their money on experiences.  “Experiential purchases” tend to make us happier, at least according to the research. In fact, a variety of research shows that most people are far happier when buying experiences vs. buying material goods.

Here are some reasons why this might be, according to the literature.

1:-Experiences improve over time. Aging like a fine wine, great experiences trump physical items, which often wear off quickly (“Ugh, my phone is so old!”). Experiences can be relived for years. 

2:-People revisit experiences more often. Research shows that experiences are recalled more often than material purchases. You are more likely to remember your first hiking trip over your first pair of hiking boots (although you do need to make that purchase, or you’ll have some sore feet!)

3:- Experiences are more unique. Most people try to deny, but we humans are constantly comparing ourselves to one another. Comparisons can often make us unhappy, but experiences are often immune to this as they are unique to us. Nobody in the world will have the exact experience you had with your wife on that trip to Italy 

4:-We adapt slowly to experiences. Consumer research shows that experiences take longer to “get used to.” Have you ever felt really energized, refreshed, or just different after coming back from a great show/dinner/vacation? It is harder to replicate that feeling with material purchases. 

5:-Experiences are social. Human beings are social animals. Did you know that true solitary confinement is often classified as “cruel and unusual” punishment due to the detrimental effects it can have on the mind? Experiences get us out of our comfort zone, out of our house, and perhaps involved in those close relationships we need to be happy.

7. Don’t Ignore Your Itches

This one is more anecdotal than scientific, but perhaps most important.

When the Guardian asked a hospice nurse for the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying, one of the most common answers was that people regretted not being true to their dreams:

Full Moon: Harness The Energy & Make It Work For You!

The full moon is a time of positive opportunity if you use it correctly.  It can increase your positive energy or conversely, it can wreak havoc on your emotions.

Since the full moon pours down a tremendous amount of energy, you must be in a calm state of mind to receive a positive effect. Remember that whatever is going on in your body, mind and spirit will be amplified. 

If you are angry, you will feel angrier or if you are happy, you will feel happier. During the full moon, the ocean swells and emergency rooms have more patients. The energy is very powerful so it’s important to direct it with positive intention. 

Crazy energy as well as loving energy will be intensified. Knowing this is a huge opportunity for your emotional and spiritual growth.

1:-Refrain from arguing and getting angry:- 

The full moon is the time to stay calm, let things go, breathe deeply through difficult moments and forgive others for their mistakes. Seriously, if you can’t let something go and need to communicate it (which I recommend), try to postpone sharing your upset until at least two days after the full moon. Whatever happens at this time is multiplied. It’s like having emotional fertilizer. Keep the energy moving in a happy, uplifting direction at home, work, in the car and in your every day interactions.

 2:-Think positive thoughts:-

We all know we should think positively as much as possible but during the full moon, you’ll have a wind at your back. Your positive thoughts will be energized and multiplied. Even if you spend five minutes when you wake up and go to sleep thinking about the positive things in your life, you’ll be doing yourself a big favor. 

 3:-Envision your dreams manifesting:-

The full moon is a perfect time to do your manifestation techniques. Spend time imagining your goals and writing them down on paper. It’s also a great time to make a vision or “manifestation board.” To do this, place pictures and words of your goals on a cork or poster board and place it where you can see it every day. Spending time focusing on your dreams during the full moon gives it extra juice!

 4:-Meditate by yourself or in a group:-

Since the full moon pours down so much energy, meditating during this time creates calm, mindfulness and stillness. You can do it by yourself in a sacred space in your home. 

You can also connect with other like-minded friends to meditate in a group. There are many spiritual centers, yoga studios and online groups that come together for a full moon meditation. It’s very powerful to meditate in a group.

 5:-Send blessings to people in need:-

Since you have the full moon power behind you, send healing energy, forgiveness, pink light and loving-kindness to friends, family, colleagues, and strangers. In addition, send peaceful energy to the places in the world experiencing strife, hardship, poverty and war. It has huge benefits for them and as a bonus, you create loads of good karma.

Positive Happiness Healing healing Ur Mood!

10 Positive Psychology Studies to Change Your View of Happiness:-

1:-From Wealth to Well-being? 

Harvard Business School, 2009. While there does appear to be some correlation between happiness and income when basic needs are not yet met, people tend to overestimate the influence of wealth on happiness by 100%. Money does not lead to nearly as much happiness as people think it will.

2.Buying Experiences,not Possessions,Leads to Greater Happiness:-  

San Francisco State University, 2009. The study demonstrates that experiential purchases, such as a meal out or theater tickets, result in increased greater well-being than material possessions. These experiences tend to satisfy higher order needs, specifically the need for social connectedness and vitality—a feeling of being alive.

3. The Science of Gratitude:-

University of Pennsylvania, 2005. One of the greatest contributing factors to overall happiness in life is how much gratitude we show. And a noticeable difference can be experienced with as little as three expressions each day (“Thank you for…”).

4. Trust, Morality, and Oxytocin:- 

 Claremont Graduate University, 2011. Based on research findings, psychologists believe humanity’s trust, empathy, and morality increase as their levels of oxytocin increase. Neuroeconomist Paul Zak explains the simple act of eight hugs a day can increase internal oxytocin levels and result in a happier you and a better world.

5. For a Better Day, Smile:- 

Michigan State University, 2011. People who smile as a result of cultivating positive thoughts can significantly and immediately improve their mood. Simply put, one easy way to improve your mood right now is to recall pleasant memories—and smile because of it.

6. The Dynamic Spread of Happiness:-

University of California, San Diego, 2008. In this significant study, people who were surrounded by happy people were more likely to become happy in the future. So if you want to discover more happiness in your life, make a point to surround yourself with joyful people.

7. Kindness Counts:- 

University of British Columbia, 2012. In this study conducted at an elementary school, students who performed kind acts experienced significantly higher increases in peer acceptance. In other words, people who are kind to others are more well-liked. This contributes to their own personal popularity as they help other people.

8. People who Exercise on Work Days are Happier:- 

University of Bristol, 2008. People’s moods significantly improve after exercising. They are also more productive and equipped to manage stress in their workday.

9. Is Volunteering a Public Health Intervention?:-  

 University of Exeter Medical School, 2013. Evidence suggests volunteering benefits mental health and even, survival. Donating time to causes you believe in not only improveswell-being and overall life satisfaction, it is also linked to decreaseddepression and a lower risk of dying early.

10. Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness :- 

University of California Berkeley, 2008. This study suggests that how people spend their money may be at least as important as how much money they earn. Specifically, spending more of one’s income on others results in greater happiness. So go ahead, be generous. You’ll be glad you did.

The Healing Power Of Forgiveness!

 Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Center, says the topic of forgiveness is simply universal, whether it’s forgiving someone else or yourself. We might all know that, and immediately relate to it, but what many of us don’t know is that forgiveness is good for our health. Furthermore, holding grudges takes a physical toll. Journalist Lauren Sandler asked Swartz when we should forgive, why it’s so hard, how we misunderstand it, and what our minds and bodies gain from forgiveness.

Should we see all violations of faith and trust as forgivable or are some things simply unforgivable?

There are some things that you really want to forgive, you want to move past, you want to have a future relationship with someone. And there are some things that are simply too horrible to forgive and to forget like violence against a child, abuse. But I think there’s a big difference between seeing things as forgivable and having it be the consuming factor in your life. Forgiveness does not always include reconciliation, and having a relationship with someone in the future is about whether they are reliable and dependable and trustworthy, and sometimes you’ve broken trust in a way that you can never have a relationship again.

Do we erroneously associate forgiving with forgetting?

I think people sometimes have an expectation of forgiveness that it’s absolution. Forgiving isn’t giving absolution where you say, it’s done, we never have to think about it again. If someone’s done something really thoughtless, you think about them differently. You trust them differently. You have a different relationship with them.

In thinking about forgiveness, would you say there is a biological reality versus an emotional reality, or is that a false dichotomy?

I don’t think we know enough about emotions and the brain to separate everything out. I think if you are in a very upset, agitated state about a conflict, we know people get into fight-or-flight mode. You’re breathing fast. Your blood has gone into your arms and legs. You go into this hyper state. And being in that state gets your heart pounding, gets you on edge. And that’s not necessarily healthy. Can that be triggered by emotional things? Absolutely.

Is some of that unhealthiness maintained in someone who will not forgive?

If someone is stuck in an angry state, what they’re essentially doing is being in a state of adrenaline. And some of the negative health consequences of not forgiving or being stuck there are high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, not having a good immune response. You’re constantly putting your energy somewhere else.

Would you explain the physical health benefits of forgiveness?

There has been excellent work that looks at what gets better after forgiveness training [see sidebar]. Blood pressure is lower. People report needing fewer medicines. They report having better sleep. They report physically feeling better and having fewer physical complaints.

It can be so hard to opt for empathy in the face of perceived betrayal. How do we begin to make that choice?

If you think of forgiveness in terms of thinking that something terrible has happened, being honest with yourself about your reaction, making a choice to forgive, to be empathic, to be compassionate, and then to decide whether or not to maintain a relationship, that’s a different step. That’s a process. That’s the key about this. But first you have to start with the idea that you even could say you could forgive them without condoning what happened.

And even that forgiveness can have health benefits?

It can. To many of us I think we wonder, what does it even mean to forgive on that level if you’re not completely letting something go? But the brain does understand that. The basis of cognitive behavioral therapy is your thoughts drive your feelings and emotions and can drive your behavior. So if you think about it, if you stay on negative thoughts all the time, you’re constantly in a negative, very tense state. It’s going to spill over into your thoughts about lots of other relationships. Can you trust people? And so it has lots of implications that are beyond just that one relationship.

Are there physical prompts for letting go? Can we think about breathing, for example, if we can’t get it into our emotional brain?

If you think of the steps of relaxation training, they’re often a part of forgiveness training. When you go into fight-or-flight mode, what you’re trying to say to your body is, we don’t need to be in this mode. Let’s relax. Let’s do some deep breathing, let’s do muscle relaxation. You focus on something else. And you actively work on relaxing your body; that’s often the first step. Let’s physically get you feeling differently, because then maybe you can think about things differently and not be in such a tense and geared-up state that you can’t really process information.

Do mood issues have a bearing on forgiveness?

There are two big things that happen. When people are depressed, they are in a negative mind-set all the time. That’s a part of depression—you see the negative version. So your reactions are out of proportion. So a small thing can happen and you’ll have a very strong negative reaction. You can be in a relationship where someone does something pretty trivial and you’re tremendously wounded by it. Also, people who are very depressed can make poorly thought-out decisions that may need forgiveness.

What do we bring into conflicts that might have little to do with the conflict itself—and that might be barriers to forgiveness?

I think so much of what fuels conflict is not necessarily the conflict. Part of forgiveness training is you have to look to yourself. What is it about this that is really about me? Have I been depressed? Did I step over the line? Am I someone who gets furious when I’m in a particular situation? And that allows you to process a more understandable reaction. I think it’s hard when you have two people and one person is having an intense reaction and the other person is saying, if that were me I’d have a little reaction. It’s hard to understand. Most of us know our own experience; we don’t really know someone else’s. Real empathy is, I know what you’re feeling. We can’t really achieve that. We can try. But because we can’t, most people are just disappointed that we don’t understand what they’re feeling. Which leads to more conflict and makes it harder to resolve some of these issues. It’s amazing how powerful it is for someone to apologize. And it’s amazing how difficult it is for so many people to do it.

And also to say the words “I forgive you.”

Yes! Forgiving someone is going to be facilitated by them saying, I’m very sorry that this happened. And sometimes what people have to realize is they don’t have to take responsibility for the whole conflict. They can take responsibility for their part in it. Like, I’m sorry I didn’t know that would be so upsetting to you. I understand that now. But sometimes people feel when they apologize, they are taking all the responsibility and saying, it’s completely my fault. Usually, each person has contributed to the misunderstanding and the difficulty.

Do we make a mistake in tending to think that forgiveness is something we do for other people, when in fact perhaps the greatest benefit is to ourselves?

Certainly the healthiest thing is to forgive. There are many studies now that are demonstrating that—that you’ll have lower blood pressure and better blood flow. I think it would be better if people could view forgiveness as something they’re doing for themselves. Again, it’s not absolution. I think they get hung up on, if I forgive you it gets forgotten, or you’re not in trouble, or something else. Forgiveness is something different, which is to say, I am not going to have these negative emotions consume me. That’s how I view it. And so forgiveness isn’t so much about the other person as your own process of saying, I’m moving forward.

Do we get too wrapped up in the morality of forgiveness? Do we hold on to the notion that it’s something we “should” do?

Other people can intrude on the process of forgiveness. People say you need to be a good person and forgive your sister, your dad. The problem with that is when outside forces tell you what you need to do or decide for you what’s the right thing to do, I don’t think that has nearly the same benefit as saying, I’m going to look at this, I’m going to work on changing my emotions, I’m going to substitute some of the negative feelings and thoughts I have into something more positive. I think of it very differently as a psychiatrist. I think of it in terms of helping the person to be healthier, and for the person doing the forgiving to move on with their life instead of being too caught up in what it does or doesn’t do for someone else.

Learning to Forgive

Forgiveness training is a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and relaxation techniques, but the goal is the same: Identify the problem, give it time and get objective input. That input doesn’t have to come from a mental health professional. It could come from a close friend or a religious adviser.

1:-Identify what the problems are.

2:- Work on relaxation techniques.
3:-Challenge your own responses.

4:- Change your thoughts from negative to positive.

Sun Shine Healing Power Mind And Body Soul!

Here are 10 benefits of getting a moderate amount of sun exposure:-

1. Sunlight and whole foods send breast cancer into remission:- 

 The American physician Dr. Zane Kime used sunbathing and nutrition to cure his patients. Even in terminal cases, Dr. Kime was able to completely reverse the metastasized cancer.

2. The sun's light kills bad bacteria:- 

 The German solders after WWI knew of the discoveries that had been made in 1903 by the Nobel Prize winner, Niels Finsen. They used sunlight to disinfect and heal wounds.

3. Sunlight has a beneficial effect on skin disorders:- 

 such as psoriasis, acne, eczema and fungal infections of the skin.

4. Sunlight lowers cholesterol:-

  The sun converts high cholesterol in the blood into steroid hormones and the sex hormones we need for reproduction. In the absence of sunlight, the opposite happens; substances convert to cholesterol.

5. The sun's rays lower blood pressure:- 

 Even a single exposure significantly lowers blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure. On the other hand, pharmaceutical drugs such as Statins have side effects, such as robbing the body of Coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 is essential for cellular and heart energy.

6. Sunlight penetrates deep into the skin to cleanse the blood and blood vessels:- 

 Medical literature published in Europe showed that people with atherosclerosis (hardened arteries) improved with sun exposure.

7. Sunlight increases oxygen content in human blood:- 

 And, it also enhances the body's capacity to deliver oxygen to the tissues; very similar to the effects of exercise. The sun has a great effect on stamina, fitness and muscular development.

8. Sunlight builds the immune system:-The white blood cells, which increase with sun exposure, are called lymphocytes, and these play a major role in defending the body against infections.

9. Regular sunlight exposure increases the growth and height of children:- 

especially babies. Many cultures throughout history have recognized this fact. Studies have shown the amount of sun exposure in the first few months has an effect on how tall the person grows.

10. Sunlight can cure depression:- 

The noon sunshine can deliver 100,000 lux. When we sit in offices for the best part of the day, out of the sun, under neon and artificial lights (150-600 lux), we are depriving ourselves of the illumination of nature. Sunlight deprivation can cause a condition called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression. It is more common in winter months, but also common in people whowork long hours in office buildings.

New Friendshipe Attraction!

Here are seven simple tips that will help you to attract new friends:

1. Focus on the good in people.

None of us is perfect. We all have traits that make us difficult to live with. It’s easy to focus on what is difficult. Instead, look for what is good and strong. If you do catch yourself focusing on negative aspects, remind yourself that you too have faults.

2. Smile.

If you look at ancient Buddha figures, they usually show a serene smile. It’s a kind of visual teaching, because when we smile, we become mindful and step out of ourpreoccupation. No matter how you connect with others, remember to smile. Whether you’re connecting face-to-face, or via Twitter, email, chat, Skype, or phone,  your inner and outer smile will be felt by the person you are connecting with.

3. Let go of grudges.

Do you stew over how others have treated you? It can be difficult to release yourself from negative thoughts about how someone harmed you or made you unhappy. Such negative thoughts are corrosive and will harden your heart. So let them go and focus on the beauty of the present moment instead.

4. Be a positive mirror for others.

I you want to be a friend to someone, make sure you let them know all the wonderful things you can see in them. There is a lovely poem by Galway Kinnell that talks about this:

… sometimes it is necessary

to reteach a thing its loveliness,

to put a hand on its brow

of the flower

and retell it in words and in touch

it is lovely

until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing.

This poem shows us what it is to be a good friend. We need to reteach our friends their loveliness, in words and in touch.

5. Be helpful.

The key to creatinglasting friendships is to think about what you can do for friends. They key question is: what do they need? For example, a friend of mine recently lost her father. At a time like that, help is important. So I’ve been cooking meals for her, just to make things easier and to let her know that I care.

6. Be kind.

My aspiration inlife is this: kindness is never out of place. Mind you, I don’t always manage to live up to it. But that’s the nature ofaspirations—they are the stars by which we navigate our lives. Though they light up our path, we can never reach them.

7. Be grateful.

It’s easy to take friends for granted. But if you want to strengthen your friendships, do the opposite. Think of your friends with gratitude. And then express your gratitude to them in words and deeds. Everyone loves being valued.