Last year at that time, I described you Happiness. This time, I'd like to talk about the incredible benefits of saying thank you, one of the pillars of positive psychology, and therefore one of the answers to happiness.

Studies have shown that gratitude brings multiple beneficial effects in our lives, whether in our relationships to others, in the family, the couple, but it would also have a positive impact on our health, our sleep and our mood.

This is not surprising since a thank you brings great joy, both to the person who receives it and to the one who says it.

It’s one of the most important components of meditation, and many psychologists and coaches encourage people to remember at night 3 happy moments of the day and to be grateful for them.

For those who wish to go even further, keep a journal of gratitude, write in a notebook the happy things that have happened to you and the people who are associated with them. Feel free to read your notebook from time to time.

I can’t stop to say how grateful I am for the amazing people I meet on this journey. So many people who support my dream and encourage me to inspire others ... You don’t know how much your energy drives me and moves me. Thank you! You are my world!

​Little anecdote, recently I take the bus and the driver is in an execrable mood, he just had an altercation with a passenger. I have to repeat three times my bus stop, he’s grumpy and aggressive. It’s not always easy to keep a positive attitude in all circumstances, yet when I leave the bus, I say thank you with a big, sincere and sympathetic smile.
​
I don’t know if my thanks changed his mood, but for me it was the way to not change mine!

​To thank people is not only a form of courtesy, it’s also a way of preserving inner peace.

Reread my article Be Positive to complete your quest for serenity.
​
Actually, when my favourite café (Little Kook Athens) becomes my favourite movie:

​And if there is one person who knows better than anyone the recipe for happiness it’s her. A spoonful of sugar!?! I think I had enough sugar for a few weeks hahaha!

​​Thanks to my friends from Athens, Rachel, Evangelia and Emanouela, you are always there for me, feeding my soul with so much light and pushing me out of my comfort zone. You are incredible, you are my spoonful of sugar!

​​Thank you to Yulia, Maria, Nikos and Pavlos. Beautiful human beings who once again, demonstrated that being positive attracts the right people in my life. ​Your kindness, your honesty, your generosity and your sensitivity are a blessing to this world.

​Finally, I thank myself for accepting every challenge in life with grace and joy!
​
Open your heart to open your mind…

To all my Greek friends celebrating Easter this weekend, I haven’t forgotten to buy my red eggs!
​Καλό Πάσχα!!

​​Have a wonderful weekend everybody!
 
Love & Gratitude,
L.

I spend more time in the plane than in any other type of transport. I always have my head in the clouds and if you doubt it, check my Travel Articles.

It's simple, I like it so much that I had thought of becoming a pilot, until I went to Flight Experience Paris for a very special adventure.

This is a flight simulator on a Boeing 737, many pilots use it for training, but it’s also a great tool for stress management or for people who are afraid of the plane.

Almost every airport in the world is available, so you have an infinite choice of flights.

Everything seems very real, and if you look at the pictures, outside is fake! We flew in good weather and thunderstorms. Sensations guaranteed!

I wasn’t in charge of the controls, I accompanied my brother-in-law, however it was enough to realise that I prefer to be comfortably seated in the back sipping champagne hahaha.

There are 16 centres around the world, so don’t hesitate to try a Flight Experience.

But if there is one mode of transport that outweighs all the others, it's the helicopter. I was 6 years old the first time I had a ride, since, every time I can, I take the opportunity to satisfy my pleasure.

And today, I take you to a magical and timeless place, the Grand Canyon in the United States. It was one of my dreams to fly over by helicopter, and my wish was fulfilled in 2016. Just to talk about it, I have goose bumps, so magical ...

Embark with me to discover by the air, the splendour of this territory.

Grand Canyon National Park, founded in 1919, covers 4,927 km2 in the north of the state of Arizona in the United States.

The Grand Canyon, 277 miles (446 km) long, with an average depth of 4,265 feet (1,266m) and up to 18 miles (29 km) wide, offers a great spectacle with the Colorado River running below.

This is an incomparable geological richness, although the period of its appearance continues to be questioned, 17 million years old even up to 70 million years old (the dinosaurs’ era)! The mystery remains unsolved ...

I’m a fan of the U.S. and have had the opportunity to go there many times. I told you a lot about Christmas in New York.
This time, I was in Las Vegas, and of course a limo took me to my Sundance helicopter!

From Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, we have time to enjoy the flight and the many sights: the Strip Boulevard, Hoover Dam, Fortification Hill, Lake Mead, the Grand Wash Cliffs.

You had a glimpse of Las Vegas. Don’t worry, an article is planned this year to satisfy your curiosity.
​
Not to mention that next year I'm celebrating a new decade, and some of my guests have asked for Las Vegas for my Birthday party. So, I added it to the long list of possible venues, and I’ll keep you posted...

​Have a wonderful Easter everybody!
 
Love is in the air ...
L.

A different article this week but I hope you’ll enjoy it.

Even though spring is here in Europe, many of us suffer from anxiety at this period. The fault of lack of sun, a life too hectic, daily obligations, and all kinds of things that take our energy without us knowing how to gain it back.

Anxiety is defined as the state of mental disorder caused by fear of danger. By extension it means a big worry. I won’t go into detail today, but you should know that 4% of the world's population suffers from anxiety, which represents 275 million people.

I’m intimately convinced that being happy calm our anxiety, but the key to happiness is through inner peace and this is where we go in circles ... What should we listen / treat first?
Without knowing the answer, I chose to work on both sides.

After my Solo Wedding in Santorini, I was asked several times, including by journalists (Article Life Changer), how I was staying positive. I’ve already partially answered this question in my article Happiness Activist, but I’m going to tell more today.

In the book I'm currently writing about my solo wedding, I dedicate an entire chapter to this topic, and it starts that way, answering the question, how do you stay so positive? I say, "I didn’t have a choice! ".

We aren’t born optimistic, we become so, we build ourselves so, by experience, hardships, failures, loss of loved ones ... We learn that there are tomorrows and we must deal with it. Obviously, we can stay hidden in bed, or behind an invisible shield of misfortune and bad luck, and declaring ourselves unfit for happiness for the rest of our life. If we’re able to do that, we’re also able to take care of ourselves and to become happy, and today many techniques and methods are there to accompany us.

I’ve been practicing positive psychology for a very long time, but also hatha yoga that I taught, and then I added meditation.

These different techniques taught me how to reduce my stress, to listen to my mind and body, to breathe literally and figuratively.
But above all, I learned to surround myself with the right people and avoid those who take my oxygen.
​
Books, social media, life coaching, motivational speakers give you many tips to help you live better, so explore and find what works for you.

​The greatest issue of our modern society, it's not taking time for ourselves, even on vacation. How many of you put an alarm clock? Or have a list of things to do? You have to learn to take breaks and decompress. Easier to say, well, I know all excuses are good, especially the lack of time.

I know everyone doesn’t necessarily have the energy or the mind to practice methods with long-term results, so today I'd like to share with you an easy, positive thinking exercise that only takes a few seconds a day!

It'd have been proven that it takes 21 days to change one's mindset or habit. The controversy exists and the researchers "seek" the truth ... In the meantime, I just decided to believe it and it worked, so I continued.

Just repeat a positive sentence three times a day, in the morning when you wake up, during the day and before going to bed, in a calm environment.

I give you a list of positive thoughts, for you to choose at least 21 that you like (a different one each day), or to write others with your own words. Know that this process works for any type of goal: lose weight, quit smoking, improve self-confidence, find the man/woman of your life, get a promotion ...
​
And do not settle for 21 days, keep applying it afterwards as I did. Every day, I read some positive quotes and affirmations.
​
Positive attracts positive, so be inspired and stop doubting, you can do it!

• I have confidence in myself and in my intuition to have the life I desire
• I deserve to have time for myself
• Every day I am naturally more relaxed
• People like who I am
• I have the courage to ask for help when I need it
• I accept that everything is not perfect or planned
• I am an exceptional person
• I attract positive energies
• I accept happiness in my life with open arms
• I can recognise toxic people around me and get rid of them
• I learn to breathe literally and figuratively
• Being alone helps me refocus
• I take time to think about solutions before stressing unnecessarily 
• I am grateful for happiness in my life
• I deserve to be happy
• I am grateful for my past mistakes as they made me, and I am proud of who I’ve become
• It is beneficial to do nothing
• Every problem has a potential solution and if there is none, it does not matter
• I am relaxed and confident
• I forgive people from my past and I move on with an open heart
• Today I choose to be happy
• I have confidence in the future
• I am proud of who I am
• I am connected to an infinite source of happiness in my life
• I am strong and courageous
• I am grateful to have found inner peace
• I trust my instinct in my words and actions
• I have lots of love in my life
• I enjoy life without stress
• I know how to listen to my body and my mind
• I am full of positive energy
• My life is open to joy
• I forgive my past mistakes and I show compassion for myself and for others

​And I couldn’t talk about this without applying it to myself, so no article next week, I'll relax by attending some amazing exhibitions to feed my soul and my curious mind ...
​
Next article on April 20th!
 
Love & Happiness,
L.