EXTRINSIC VS INTRINSIC VALUES

One of the greatest determinants of happiness and inner peace are the values that we live by.
 
Are they extrinsically rooted – status, money, image, or approval?
Or are they intrinsically grounded in connection, kindness, purpose, and spiritual growth?
 
Extrinsic values chase fulfillment outside of ourselves.
Intrinsic values cultivate it within.
 
When your values align with what truly matters, life feels lighter, clearer, and more meaningful.
 
This week, pause and ask yourself:
What values am I feeding – and how are they shaping my inner world? 🌿

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson
FEEL THE SUPPORT

There is no substitute for support. It’s one of the quiet ingredients in real happiness.
 
Sometimes it comes from family. Sometimes from good friends. And sometimes from strangers who cross your path at exactly the right moment.
 
Feeling held, feeling understood, feeling like someone truly has your back — this is what softens the nervous system and strengthens the heart.
 
We were never meant to do life alone…
 
This week acknowledge, accept and appreciate any support you may receive.

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson
IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY...

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.

If you have a suggestion- even if you are truly an authority on the subject – and you want someone to hear you, speak gently. Speak kindly. Speak with love, and without attachment to the outcome…. Because in truth, you don’t control it anyway.

When you ask for something, ask with respect. Ask with warmth. Ask like the relationship matters more than the result. 

This week practice clear kind communication when making suggestions or requests. Notice how people respond to you and, most importantly, how YOU feel. All of your encounters are opportunities for clear, kind communication.

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson
VISUALIZE IT. FEEL IT.

Before any event, choose the experience you want to create.
Choose how you'll feel while you're there.
C
hoose the energy you'll carry with you when it's over.
Choose how people will remember being around you.

Then step into it with intention.
Lead with purpose.
Show up as the version of you who makes things happen.

Be powerful.
You've got this. 🔥✨

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson
THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Happiness creates a ripple effect!

When you are grounded, present, and kind to yourself, that energy naturally spills outward. It shows up in how you speak, how you listen, how patient you are, how safe others feel around you. One person's calm can soften a room. One person’s joy has the power to brighten whole day for others.

The beautiful part? The ripple doesn’t require perfection or constant positivity. Even small moments of gratitude, honesty, or presence send waves farther than we realize.

This week: notice one moment when your mood shifts someone else’s- your child, a stranger, a friend. Let that remind you how powerful your inner state really is!

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson
A NEW YEAR

What do you want this year to be about?

Do you want it to be a  year of growthcalmdeeper relationships, feeling more comfortable in your own skin?
Less rushing.
More presence.
Less proving.
More truth.
Instead of piling on resolutions, choose a theme—a way you want to feelshow up, and live.
Let this year be about alignment, not pressure.
✨Take a moment.
✨Write it down.
✨Let it guide your choices.
This will be a year about _________________. Fill in the blank!
 
To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson
CONTENTMENT

Contentment is not passive resignation. It's a conscious choice to focus on and appreciate who you are and what you have.


When you actively practice contentment, you stop chasing the next thing and start using your energy where you actually are.


That's when the noise quiets and life feels more comfortable.


This week, try it: pause and say to yourself, "I am content in this moment, just as it is."


To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson
THE WORD KARMA

I’m not really a fan of the word karma. I think what we call karma is really just the universe speaking to us — showing us where we’re aligned and where we’re not, what’s working and what needs to change.
 
It’s not about punishment or reward; it’s about learning from every experience so we can grow.
 
This week, notice the moments when you’re tempted to say “just my luck” or “karma’s a bitch.” Instead, pause and ask yourself: What can I learn from this?

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson
DON'T WAIT FOR PERFECT

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.
 
Too often, we wait for the "perfect moment," the "perfect plan," or the "perfect version" of ourselves before we act. But progress doesn't come from perfection — it comes from showing up, trying, and moving forward, even if it's messy or imperfect.
 
Today, give yourself permission to take that first step, however small.
Write the first paragraph, make the first call, send the first email. Good is more than enough. Action beats perfection every single time.

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson
YOU ARE NOT STUCK

If you’re unhappy at your job, remember this:  YOU ARE NOT STUCK.

You always have two paths forward — change your attitude or change your job.

If you want to shift your attitude, start by seeing the people you work with in a new light. Get curious about their lives. Notice their strengths. Look for small ways to serve, support, and uplift them. When you show up with kindness and intention, you’ll find that your own experience becomes lighter, more meaningful, and more rewarding.

If you feel called to find a new job, begin by making a list of the things you truly love to do. What activities make you feel alive? How can you weave them into meaningful work?
If writing is your passion, start creating — a journal, a blog, a story, even a freelance piece. If you love animals, spend time helping out at a shelter.

This week- think about what lights you up. Take one small, brave step after another. Follow your heart, trust yourself, and you will find work that inspires you — because you were never meant to be stuck. 

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

Read More
Melissa Garson
LISTENING A DIFFERENT WAY

Listening with love is a very different kind of listening.
It’s the kind of listening where you aren’t planning your reply, fixing, judging, or rushing someone along. It’s listening with your whole presence — soft eyes, open heart, and genuine curiosity.

Listening with love says: “You matter. Your words matter. Your feelings matter. I’m here with you.”

When we listen this way, conversations deepen, walls come down, and people feel truly seen and heard. It’s one of the simplest and most powerful gifts we can offer — and it costs nothing but our attention.

This week choose one conversation a day to slow down. Take a breath before responding, focus on the person’s eyes or voice, and aim only to understand — not to fix. Just listen with love.

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson
UNPLUG AND RECHARGE

Just like your phone, Wi-Fi, laptop, or television, everything runs better after a quick reset. When technology freezes or lags, we unplug it, restart it, and suddenly it works the way it's supposed to. A simple reboot brings things back into alignment.

We're no different. Sometimes all we need is a walk outside, a deep breath, a tech-free hour or a quiet morning moment. These small pauses recharge us in ways we often overlook.

This week, make sure to unplug. Reset. Come back clearer, calmer, and more YOU!

To learn more about the ingredients for happiness, you can purchase my book: The Recipe for Real Happiness, on Amazon!!! Click here.

Sending you so much love!

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Melissa Garson