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Don McCauley submitted this amusing story to the WelcomeJoy ebook. I think you'll enjoy it.

"Once upon a time, there was a man who wanted to hammer a nail into a wall. The man picked up the nail with his left hand and the hammer in his right. He swung the hammer with a mighty swing.

But, not being experienced in such matters, he missed the hail, hitting his left thumb with the mighty blow intended for the nail. The skin of the left thumb was broken and blood began to stream out everywhere, pooling on the floor.

“What the heck did you do that for?” screamed the left thumb.

“Do what for?” asked the right hand, acting rather sheepish.

One of the things I dislike most in the world is entertaining. And yet today, I am having 16 people over to my house for a birthday party. And I'm happy about it.

What? Isn't that a huge contradiction?

Let me explain. Yes, it's true that I dislike entertaining. I'm an introvert by nature and entertaining makes me very anxious. It also exhausts me emotionally.

So why do I do it? To give a good time to my family and friends. Today, for example, is my elderly aunt's birthday. She's a widow and her only daughter lives quite far away. I wanted my aunt to feel really special on her birthday. So I invited the whole extended family and am making a special afternoon tea for her.

Not only will my aunt feel special, but I know my mom (my aunt's sister) feels proud that I am doing this.

I think about these two women who have hosted countless birthday parties, Easter celebrations, and Christmas feasts over the years...and it seems only fitting that they now get to be hosted.

So that's why I'm happy about doing something I dislike.

Note added May 9, 2007: This article was chosen to be included in the Carnivals of Miracles.

Lori Radun, Certified Life Coach for Moms writes about how gratitude can help moms get through their day with grace.

How can gratitude help us in our everyday lives as moms? Think about the difference you can make in your family's life just by noticing and being thankful for all the great things they do.

When you express gratitude, you show your love and appreciation. Everyone needs to feel these things every day. But sometimes as moms we feel that no one appreciates us - and it is true that moms are usually last on the list to be thanked.

One way you can teach gratitude is by example. Even on the days when it seems your children or husband are doing everything wrong, find a reason to thank them. Take the time and energy to look for the good. Think about the things that your family does that deserve a thank you. You might say to your husband, "Thank you for working so hard for our family," or to your child, "I really appreciate your sense of humor - it feels good to laugh."

Expressing your gratitude helps family members to understand how it feels to be appreciated. And if they still don't catch on, let them know when you feel unappreciated. You can also tell them how great it makes you feel when they do express gratitude.

Excerpted from the article “The Power of Gratitude” available at iSnare.com

If you liked the article Joy is Not the Same as Happiness, you'll enjoy this other thoughtful contribution from life coach Linda Boos.

What brings you joy? I often hear that question and recently have pondered what it really means.

Here’s my thought: I don’t think anything brings joy. I believe joy is often triggered and brought out by others, but joy is not brought to me. I know this might seem like an insignificant distinction, but let’s take a look at it for a minute.

When we are brought something, it is usually a passive act. We receive and do not necessarily give anything back. It is possible for someone to bring their joy into our life, to allow us to experience their joy and to even bask in their joy with them. But our own joy is not something, that I believe, any person, place or thing brings us. If that were so, many of us, in our current circumstances might not experience our own joy, but only the vicarious joy of others.

I do not see joy as a passive expression, it is not something I am waiting for, it is something that is always with me, always part of me. Many people, places and things trigger my joy – my kids giving me hugs before bed, my dogs licking my face, my cats purring loudly, and not the least – my husband holding me in his arms. For me to sit and wait for someone or something to bring me joy would make me dependent upon the outside world to make me fulfilled.

I learned long ago that the outside can only enhance the inside. Everything I need I carry within. My lifetime of joy is already a part of me; others can only stimulate my joy and cause me to want to let it out, so that others may bask in it.

Linda Boos is a Life Coach who can be contacted at lsboos[at]columbus.rr.com

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

The following article by Dorraine Fisher won first prize in the WelcomeJoy writing contest.

I learned fairly recently that the most important things I know in life came from my Grandpa. He passed away several years ago, but his memory lives on for me every single day in the way I now live my life.

Grandpa was probably the happiest person I ever knew for reasons I never quite understood in my younger days.

He took a lot of criticism from other people for the seemingly lazy way he lived, but he kept on smiling.

He didn’t get too upset about anything, and he didn’t change his ways for anyone.

Those slow summer days spent on my visits to the grandparent’s farm are still fresh in my mind. There was a big picture window by the kitchen table that Grandpa had happily installed with a big bird feeder attached to the outside of the window sill.

Adrienne L. Bliss writes in Adbusters magazine about walking her dog Buddy.

"I am outside in the snow walking my dog buddy across a field by our house. It is his favorite place because there are lots of good "smells". I take him off the leash and we run.

...During our walk, I notice him limping and stop. He immediately turns to me and lifts his paw for me to clean the snow that had become packed in-between the pads of his foot. In that moment, the world was perfectly clear and in sharp focus. Time stopped. The colors were brighter because I knew pure love and trust."