997 words of content including 529 particles of wisdom, and an invitation to a Bigger Conversation. Approximate reading time: 4 minutes. And isn't your Happiness worth it?

Welcome to my e-newsletter, which focuses on defining and applying the Principles of Happiness and Positive Emotion in your life and work.

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1. Feature: What's In Your Dusty Corners? A Year of Happy Wisdom
2. Invitation to a Bigger Conversation
3. Happy Holidays
4. About the Coach

My ambition for this newsletter was to share highlights from a year of Learning. So I sat down to review a year of writing and journaling, seeking the Big Wisdom of 2012.

Yet that's not how wisdom emerges. It's not a lightning strike. It's more like the accumulation of dust. Tiny particles of learning and experience slowly settle on the surfaces of the mind and heart; movement and breezes swirl these particles into corners and along the edges of your consciousness, invisible until you go looking for them.

Wisdom, you see, is not in the particles - it is in the accumulation of them.

As 2012 draws to a close I feel wiser than when the year began, and I hope you do too. Here are some of the particles of learning and experience I discovered in the corners of my year:

1. Just 2° makes a big difference.
   Water boils, ground freezes, rooms become (un) comfortable.
2. Clean towels are a blessing you should never take for granted.
3. Deprivation nurtures appreciation.
   There is nothing like sleeping on the floor of a foreign airport to help you appreciate what you have at home.
4. Manual labor frees the mind and relaxes the soul.
   It also helps you to sleep a LOT better. And your shoulders hurt the next morning...
5. No matter how heavy your burdens, you will find the strength to carry what is yours.
   I met some amazing people this year, some of who are living with incredible challenges in their life. Even as they doubt their own strength, they thrive. This parallels my own experience in dealing with tragedy, trauma, and challenge. Somehow, you figure it out and grow from the experience.
6. You become how you act.
   Act angry, sad, or afraid, your choice. Act happy, joyful, and confident - go you!
7. There is an upside and a dark side to every belief system...
   ...and from the dark places, it's much harder to believe in joy and possibility. That's where friends can make all the difference.
8. Naps are good!
9. Poetry can be found in surprising places
   and often emerges without intention.
10. It is easier to believe the stories about my flaws than it is to believe the stories about my brilliance.
    Beware: Self-talk is louder than anything others say to you.
11. Everyone dances his or her own dance.
    It is not yours or mine to judge anyone else's. Just dance.
12. The question is: "What is mine to keep, and what is mine to let go of?"
    Letting go has been the most uncomfortable and the most rewarding part of my year.
13. The ratio of Happy vs. Unhappy in the world is overwhelmingly positive.
    However, evil is louder and gets more media attention. Don't believe it.
14. Learning is always available.
    More so when you look for it. Context helps.
15. Try fewer words and more hands-on with others.
    Touch is one of the most primal forms of Connection and Communication.
16. There are usually better ways to accomplish your goals that are not obvious to you.
    You can only see what you can see, so get other perspectives.
17. Happiness is a high-quality sleeping bag on a cold night.
    I had to chip ice off my pack. It was DAMN cold!And it was the most beautiful sunrise, ever.
18. The Body is wise, if you listen to what it tells you.
    You have to get past all the noise the Brain is making, first.
19. When you let go of your stories, what you have is the experience.
    The experience is just an experience. The story/interpretation you tell yourself is what creates a memory, learning, suffering, or growth.
20. No matter who gets elected, bad stuff will happen and good stuff will happen.
21. I don't always know where to start.
    And that's the problem. Other times, I don't know where to stop.
22. "This might work" is a more powerful phrase than "I hope this works."
23. The stars are brilliant and uncountable at 11,000 feet.
    It is remarkable how much of the night sky we no longer see from cities.
24. Everything is more fun when you do it with a two-year old.
    I had forgotten this.
25. There is great beauty in darkness:
    dark coffee, dark beer, dark wine, and dark chocolate.
26. "No" is not so much an obstacle as it is a stepping-stone to the next "Yes!"
    I read this wisdom from Mary Kay Ash 25 years ago, and finally - deeply - understood what it meant this year.
27. Great ideas are worth sh*t if you don't implement them.
    Corollary: 90% done is still unfinished. It's the last 10% that's the hardest.
28. Compliance is not Commitment.
    If I could teach every leader just this one thing, it would be huge.
29. Learning on the edge of your discomfort is pretty cool.
    Leaping off the cliff and learning while you are in free fall: amazing!

As 2012 nears its end, I invite you to press the Pause button and reflect on the particles of wisdom you have accumulated since last January. It may not be obvious, so remember to look in the corners!

Remember, Leadership is not about a title: Anyone can be a leader who nurtures the wisdom in others.

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In 2013 I will celebrate my 15th anniversary all year with new projects, publications, some public classes, and lots of exciting offerings of Happiness and Leadership, and this monthly venue is too small to contain all the Happiness I am planning! Therefore, I've set up a new distribution list called MORE HAPPINESS.

This new list will still get Happiness@TheSpeedofLife each month PLUS 3-5 additional messages each month of 2013. MoreHappiness subscribers will get first notice of new publications, bonus offerings, first crack at some new classes I'm offering, and the occasional opportunity to help me create something totally new. If you've not already done so, sign up now.

P.S. If you are quite happy with this monthly 'zine, just ignore the extra notes.

INVITATION TO SHARE: I am collecting stories from readers about how you have used the 13 Principles of Happiness in your life or work. Go here to share your story about The 13 Principles.

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While the world continues to march forward, I invite you to take a moment for quiet at the end of this year. Make the time you spend with family really count. Have conversation. Listen. Hug often, laugh a lot, and look for the good in everyone, even if (when?) they ask you annoying questions or drive you crazy.

Hanukkah is over, Christmas and Kwanzaa are yet to come, and joy is available to each of you, every day. I wish you the happiest of holidays.

Thank you for believing in me and the work that I do.

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Hi, I'm Jim Smith, PCC, The Executive Happiness Coach^®. I work with smart, successful people like you, who sometimes struggle with the relentless demands of your role. I help you dramatically improve your effectiveness as a leader, balance your life, and build a more positive workplace culture.

I have helped thousands of leaders and business owners just like you lead your organizations in new ways AND live a happier, more balanced life. Contact me to learn how you can create a less-stress leadership presence.

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All things Happiness Coach:

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Copyright © 2012, All Rights Reserved. Reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: "From HAPPINESS@THESPEEDOFLIFE, by Jim Smith, PCC, The Executive Happiness Coach®. For more tips on Leading with Less Stress, visit www.TheExecutiveHappinessCoach.com."

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