Almost everyone have heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone. Bobby Mcferiin's simple message surely made a lot of people by telling them not to worry.

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too would change.

Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness. People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along with well with

Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and also more healthy.

To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook to be. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy.

There are several ways by which you can do this.
 
Being grateful is a great attitude.  We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your mails, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.

News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. Try and think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.

A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.

Manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can be viewed  as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

Laugh and laugh heartily everyday.  Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they also say -'Laughter is the best medicine'.
 
Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.
 
Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel worthy of your time.
 
Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday.  Learning also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And could also give us more opportunities in the future.

Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Feel alive.
 
Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are the few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.

And always remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, he says that, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Getting a driver’s license can overwhelm your adolescent child. They are so happy that they don’t let you drive anymore. But if you think that your child has achieved maturity and are road-safe, you may be mistaken. Studies have shown that more than 50% teens die in motor vehicle collisions every year. Be aware that the high crash rate among young drivers is due to inadequate driving skills, lack of driving experience, poor driving judgment, risk taking, alcohol consumption and driving during high risk hours.

A driver’s license is not only a social asset for teens but it also enhances their prestige in the friend circle. They feel they are more independent than ever before. As a result, they may start driving rashly. So parents be careful and don’t give your child unrestricted driving privileges.

When your adolescent child is learning to drive, be present in the car to supervise and guide him/her. To teach driving to your teenager, follow certain guidelines. Before starting your practice session explain what he/she will learn. Don’t rush the training process; try not to do things too soon. You must explain your child the importance of controlling emotion and excitement while driving. They should also know the importance of defensive driving.

The car which you shall use to teach the teen must be in good shape. Do not use a vehicle that is beyond his/her ability to handle. Try to use the same car throughout the training. Make sure your teenager learns to handle the automobile properly. He/she must have knowledge about the car’s spare parts and must know how to process multiple inputs from the car. If possible send your child to driving school. These days driving classes are even sponsored by schools. After getting their license it is advisable to send your teen to take an annual defensive driver’s course. 

When you are sending your teenager to drive you want everything to go right. So it’s better not to leave them alone till you are comfortable with their driving skills. Judge whether the teenager has developed the spatial awareness and depth perception in driving, whether he/she is skillful in stopping and turning at the same time or whether he/she is confident about driving at night. If the young driver has not gained sufficient experience don’t allow him/her to go driving alone. Don’t let your child drive in adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow, fog, ice, etc. Explain to the teen that using a cell phone while driving is dangerous. Make sure the teen does not drive after he/she has taken alcohol or drugs. Headphones should not be worn while driving. If you child is tired or fatigued don’t allow them to drive. If they have any physical illness ask your family physician whether that will have any effect on their driving. 

It is advisable for the parents to establish rules for safe driving and rules to use the car properly. Always be with them to supervise and guide so that they can develop the necessary skills and experience and gain confidence in driving.

Gas seems to be going up everyday and with the rising prices of gasoline the first thing that crosses your mind is how can I save money. You will always prefer that your vehicle provides maximum mileage but consumes lesser amount of precious fuel. You obviously don’t want to run out of fuel often and add up to the monthly car expenses

So if you want to save money and enjoy your car rides without worrying too much about fuel expenses then you must make your car more fuel-efficient. To get the most out of your fuel tanks without burning a hole in your pockets you can adopt the following budget-friendly tips on how to make your car more fuel-efficient:

In the very first place the best deal will be to purchase cars that are fuel-efficient giving you greater mileage with lesser fuel consumption. Some of the most popular and famous fuel-efficient cars in the market include the Volkswagens (Golf, Jetta and Beetle) the Honda civics, the Toyota Echo, the Toyota Corolla, the Chevrolet Prizm, the Suzuki Swift, the Mitsubishi Mirage, the hybrid cars launched by Honda that run on both gas and electricity and many more.

To get more miles per gallon of fuel both while driving in the city or on the highway you’ve got to regularly check your car tuning. Keep an eye on the spark plug and if there is any problem get it tuned immediately so that no additional fuel gets wasted.

Installing fuel injector cleaners into the gas tank enhances fuel efficiency of your car ensuring better running of the vehicle.

Change the car oil or Mobil frequently after every three months or after driving every 3000 miles whichever is applicable first. This helps to run your car engine smoothly and efficiently providing greater mileage.

Make sure that the air pressure in all the four tires of your car are properly checked. If your car tires are not adequately inflated then this will greatly enhance fuel consumption and considerably diminish the mileage efficiency of your car.
Engine belts become worn out due to continuous usage. So the engine belts can develop cracks. If this is the condition of your car’s engine belts then get them replaced or repaired immediately. Damaged engine belts greatly affect the engine’s performance and thus enhance fuel consumption.

The air filters of your car’s engine often accumulate dirt particles. So get your car air filters checked regularly and replace them as and when necessary to increase your car’s fuel efficiency.

Keeping your car’s engine on the idle mode for a longer time leads to excessive fuel consumption. So when you are stuck up in traffic jam or want to grab something from your local stores turn off the engine completely. Avoid idling the engine while driving as much as you can to save fuel.

It is always better to drive your car at a uniform speed throughout especially while driving on highways/freeways that will reduce fuel consumption greatly.

Try to avoid driving your car at very high speeds. You must maintain driving within the prescribed speed limits somewhere within 55 miles per hour that will help you save on a lot of fuel thus rendering your car more fuel-efficient.

While driving in the city amidst heavy traffic you must try and avoid sudden jerky starts and braking of your car. This causes the burning of a huge amount of gas. It’s best to slow down gradually or stop completely in order to save fuel.

Car air-conditioners consume a lot of fuel in addition to putting strain on the car batteries. So avoid their usage as much as possible to make your car more fuel-efficient.
 

It looks like another tough week for my Atlanta Falcons as they play against the Saints this weekend. After losing bad against them in the Superdome last month I think it could be the same result. This is based on the Falcons defense is really banged up. I can see Joe Horn burning someone in the secondary. I just hope this is not the case.