Judge the mood by the book

We all love reading. We read to pass time, we read when we are bored, we read to learn and we read sometimes, just like that. But have you ever felt that reading might be responsible for your mood?

I have been reading the Millennium Trilogy over the past few weeks and while I was working my way through the last one, 'The Girl that Kicked the Hornet's Nest', it struck me that I have been reading only intense and heavy for the past few weeks and it was time I took a break.

So I stopped, put down my book and picked up another one. This time a Dr Seuss classic, 'Green Eggs and Ham'. Just like that, the day seemed brighter, more cheerful, almost like I had stopped to smell the roses.

So I urge you to look at what you are reading and see if it is affecting your mood. Even if it is a great book, take a break from it, read a book meant for three-year olds, cheer up and then get back to your serious-and-gloomy-book. Trust me, you will feel the difference.

The lion sleeps tonight..

There are some things in life that just put a smile on your face.

Here's one of them-

The Lion Sleeps Tonight FULL - For more funny videos, click here

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Muah!

If someone were ever to ask me what's the best way to make me feel instantaneously 'jump over the moon' happy, it would not be food, music, books, or shopping.

It would have to be a kiss.

Yes, a kiss! Not a peck on the cheeks, but a passionate kiss on the lips.

Don't be coy!

Own up to the fact that we all enjoy kissing. Do read these interesting benefits & my italicized comments-

The Top 10 Health Benefits of Kissing...
Source:www.bestkisses.com

1. Those who kiss their partner goodbye each morning live five years longer than those who don’t. {The secret ingredient for longevity}

2. Kissing is great for self-esteem. It makes you feel appreciated and helps your state of mind.{Mmmm....}

3. Kissing burns calories, 2-3 calories a minute and can double your metabolic rate. Research claims that three passionate kisses a day (at least lasting 20 seconds each) will cause you to lose an entire extra pound! {I would prefer the kissing diet over Atkin's diet any day}

4. Kissing is a known stress-reliever. Passionate kissing relieves tension, reduces negative energy and produces a sense of well being, lowering your cortisol ‘stress’ hormone. {I'm stressed and i need relief!}

5. Kissing uses 30 facial muscles and it helps keep the facial muscles tight, preventing baggy cheeks! The tension in the muscles caused by a passionate kiss helps smooth the skin and increases the circulation.{Who needs botox?}

6. Kissing is good for the heart, as it creates an adrenaline which causes your heart to pump more blood around your body. Frequent kissing has scientifically been proven to stabilize cardiovascular activity, decrease blood pressure and cholesterol.(Why exercise when you have a funner way to get that heart pumping?}

7. Those who kiss quite frequently are less likely to suffer from stomach, bladder and blood infections. {An apple or a kiss a day? You decide}

8. During a kiss, natural antibiotics are secreted in the saliva. Also, the saliva contains a type of anesthetic that helps relieve pain.{No more visits to the doctor for pain-killer medication}

9. Kissing reduces anxiety and stops the 'noise' in your mind. It increases the levels of oxytocin, an extremely calming hormone that produces a feeling of peace.{That's why the phrase 'Make Love, not War' became popular. Let's get all world leaders to kiss and make up.}

10. The endorphins produced by kissing are 200 times more powerful than morphine.{I'm a kiss junkie & No! I won't check into rehab!}

Tips & toes

When you have time on your hands & would like to feel good, give or get yourself a nice manicure & pedicure.

Enjoy the feeling of having your hands and feet soak in warm scented water, then massaged with fruity creams and scrubs.Your nails then get shaped either in ovals, squares or just stay the natural shape.

Then comes the nail polish. They're available in every possible hue with names that range from blush pink, ruby red, goth black, royal purple to ultra violet, toasty & even manic panic.

No matter how nice or weird the name of the polish sounds, it's the shade that matters & you choose a tint to represent your state of mind.

Once the manicure & pedicure is done, just take a look at your pretty hands & feet.

How does that not say 'Pick me up!'?

Sun-dried duds

Nothing smells more 'happy-happy' than sun-dried, crisp cotton clothes that resonate the essence of sun,fabric softener & detergent.

While the act of getting clothes laundered isn't exactly a fun activity; in fact, it is often a drag! The output, however, of scrubbed, rinsed and spin-dried clothes that smell of clean, can ironically pep your mood, & give you a sense of accomplishment.

That is probably why all advertising commercials for clothing detergents & fabric softeners show the protagonist inhaling the newly washed & dried clothes, and then marching on to achieve the unachievable.

So, when you feel bugged from having to do all domestic chores or just want an instant 'happy-happy' moment, head to your clothes line or wardrobe and pull out a piece of clothing.

Put it on & just inhale the sunny-sudsy scent.

Ah..Heaven!

Tune in

What is it about Music?

Put on a peppy song and run till your feet give way on the treadmill
Play your favourite song and an empty house will suddenly fill up
Play a melancholic song and cry those tears that needed a little help
Push play on that singalong song and those boring chores will miraculously do themselves
Play a romantic song and set the mood for a perfect evening
Even humming a song on loop in your head will take you around that grocery store faster
Revisit an old song and you will find memories flooding your mind
Play a song with ageless lyrics and be inspired

So play that funky music and change that mood. Pick yourself up with a few tunes. Listen to what you want to listen to and play it loud.

I'm a GLEEK!

Classical, contemporary, rock, pop, alternative, country, jazz, fusion, indie, gospel or acapela - depending on your preference of musical notes; music has the wonderful ability to elevate the depths of ‘being down’ to ‘being high’.

If you want to feel musically uplifted, you need to hear a choir sing.

Something happens when a group of vocally gifted misfits come together, do covers and mash-ups of popular tunes against interesting plot lines; they create Pick me up.

Now, when these vocally gifted misfits form the underdog choir, break into song & dance about their journey thus far in a competition; you can’t help but smile, feel your heart and feet tap to the beat & honest-to-God feel exhilarated.

Cue Glee regional finals

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Go ahead, admit you’re a Gleek!