Little Miss Sunshine is a totally delightful movie. I put it in my all-time top three comedies (the other two are A Fish Called Wanda and The Big Lebowski). Please note that I use the term "comedy" advisedly - all the of the movies mentioned are definitely black comedies.

This is a quirky, sweet movie about an odd family on a road-trip. There's the dad, a relentlessly positive motivational-speaker who is desperate for a book deal. And the scholarly depressed uncle who is staying with the family after a mental breakdown. The acerbic teenage son who has taken a vow of silence and communicates only by writing short notes. The plain little girl who dreams of winning in a child beauty pageant. The aging hippy grandpa who snorts cocaine and advises his grandson to get all the sex he can while he's young. And the mom who tries to keep the peace among all of them.

Oh, and let's not forget possibly the most important character of all...the aging VW van that carries them to their destination.

Some of my favorite Little Miss Sunshine quotes:

I loved this movie, but one word of warning: the grandpa swears like a biker. If liberal use of the f word ruins a movie for you, then I'd advise against Little Miss Sunshine. But if you're ok with coarse language, and you appreciate a well-written and beautifully acted movie, then go rent the DVD tonight!

A wise person once said to me, "We become like the 5 people we spend the most time with."

That's a powerful statement.

Think about it: even as adults we are subtly influenced by "peer pressure". We tend to pick up on the attitudes, language and mood of the people we hang out with.

So who are the 5 people you spend the most time with? Do they embody the "Welcome Joy" attitude towards life? Or are they negative, cynical and blaming?

And how do they treat you? Note who you enjoy being around. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself "after spending time with this person, do I feel stronger or weaker?" The answer can give you important clues on who to spend time with.

If you want to feel joyful, choose to have people in your life who:

· Treat you with love and respect

· Want the best for you as you define it

· Help you find out what you want to do and how to do it

· Encourage you to explore all your talents and interests

· Are thrilled when you succeed

· Listen to you when you need to complain

· Help you learn from failure without making you feel like a bad person

I encourage you to spend less time with critical people and more time with those who appreciate you. You'll notice a difference in how you feel about yourself and how much joy you experience.

Note added June 4, 2007: This article was chosen to be included in the following blog carnivals: Powerful Living; Positive Thinking; Observations on Life; Brain Fitness; Happiness Carnival and Carnival of Life.

In this article, therapist and author Dr. Charmaine Saunders provides practical tips for being happy.

Have you noticed that if you just feel happy for its own sake, people think you’re strange? They say things like, `What do you have to be happy about?’ or `What’s brought on this cheerful mood?’

The whole point of being happy on a continuous basis is that there is no particular reason - you feel the joy inside you and you naturally smile and shine, like walking near the ocean on a glorious summer’s day and being grateful just to be alive.

You can have that `bliss’ all the time, in the sun, in the rain, on good days and difficult, when life is going your way and when it appears everything’s against you. It’s feeling `okay’ inside all the time. That is true freedom. And as you shine, those around you bask in the warmth of your joy.

How do we positively work with the happiness principle?

*Look for signs everywhere
*Make positive thinking a choice
*Relax and stop worrying
*Remember life is a daily adventure
*Connect with your inner child every day
*Play every day, not just on weekends and holidays
*Love yourself enough to allow happiness

I think of myself as a `joy merchant,’ someone who sells the idea of joy. If you adopt this philosophy in your everyday life, it’ll change your life. Please write to me if you want to know more about living with joy.

Excerpted from Dr. Charmaine Saunders' article “Happiness” available at iSnare.com

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.