It's a good preview of what's ahead for the region in the next winter season

To meet the demand of the U.S. market at the end of this year, U.S. Airways began operating three daily flights to Puerto Vallarta from Phoenix, Arizona, said Betty Fuentes, station manager of the airline at the international airport of this city.
She said that the expectations for the months of November and December are pretty good, as they foresee an acceptable amount of arrivals of American tourism for the winter season ahead, which runs until May of next year.
She said that as it was expected, September was a low month for U.S. tourist arrivals and flight operations from the Phoenix airport, which serves as the terminal connection to several cities in the United States.
"In September we had a daily flight, but this October we began to operate two, three or even four daily flights on the weekends, therefore the situation has improved".
She noted that an important characteristic in the arrival of flights operated by U.S. Airways is that virtually all come full, so that during the months of November and December more passenger arrivals are expected from the United States.
She added that definitely "we are very fortunate because we aren't lacking passengers, we have not had a single flight operating at half capacity".
In this way U.S. Airways currently operates 25 flights a week, after that in the weekends there are three more flights that reach the local air terminal.
The airline operates the equipment Airbus 320 and 319 for 150 and 124 passengers, besides having a 76 passenger airplane that arrives only on Sundays.
"I believe that our sales department is working very well and we are doing so much better, because all the flights have arrived full, both in weekdays and weekends".
Betty Fuentes pointed out that with the operation of these 25 weekly flights, U.S. Airways entered fully into the winter season, since for next December the airline will have one more overnight flight each week, with a large capacity.
It is this way that the expectations for the coming winter season are good. In general, for the destination, a significant improvement in passenger arrivals from the United States is expected, which accounts for about 60 percent of the international market that Puerto Vallarta receives.

[readon1 url="http://vallartaopina.net/2013/11/01/us-airways-opera-ya-25-vuelos-a-la-semana-hacia-puerto-vallarta/"]Source: Vallarta Opina Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

After significant promotion efforts by the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) for this destination in South America, there has been an increase in the number of Brazilian tourists and concrete commitments of agencies and tour operators in the country to promote the sale of vacation packages to Riviera Nayarit.

The recent tour in which there was the participation of the Tourism Fair of the Americas of the Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies (ABAV), the most important in the country, left a total of 80 travel agents trained on tourism for Mexico's Pacific Treasure and 6 wholesalers committed to participate in a promotion-pool, who will visit the destination soon thanks to a partnership with Aeromexico, in which the agencies have undertaken to identify the destination in their websites and train their call center employees about Riviera Nayarit, plus including an investment of $ 80,000 in cooperative advertising.

"We were able to make it so that Agaxtur, a major Virtuoso tour operator with which we held a business breakfast there, sends information about Riviera Nayarit in one of its newsletters, as well as participate in the pool; and that Queensberry, a leading agency in the luxury market, commits to promote packages to Riviera Nayarit with Four Seasons and St Regis as destinations", said Marc Murphy, director of the OVC of Riviera Nayarit.

He also said that strategies are prepared separately with TAM Viagens, the travel agency for Latin America of the Brazilian airline, which will soon be announced.

"We are committed to the Governor of the People to work to improve the quality of life for all the people of Nayarit. The work we are doing in South America is part of these efforts and is already bearing fruit: the statistics of recent days, the exit polls with tourists have already begun to shed the presence of Brazilian tourism", explained Murphy.

Thus, if in the historical data the presence of tourism whose origin is other than the U.S., Mexico or Canada never exceeded 1% of the total, now you can see that so far in September, this kind of tourism exceeded 1.5 percent, in addition that at least 22% of this percentage is Brazilian, said the manager.

[readon1 url="http://www.periodicoexpress.com.mx/nota.php?id=279173"]Source: Periódico Express de Nayarit Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

It's official, Mexico presented in New York on Wednesday September 25, the campaign "Live it to Believe it!" To the tourism industry and media of the United States and in the event, chaired by the General Director of Tourism Promotion Council of Mexico (CPTM), Rodolfo López Negrete, and in which Vallarta-Nayarit stood out with the projection of the commercial spot produced to promote the region under the umbrella of this international campaign.

The event was attended by the Secretaries of Tourism of Jalisco and Nayarit, Enrique Ramos Flores and Raúl Rodrigo Pérez Hernández respectively; Nacho Cadena, president of the Association of Hotels and Motels of Puerto Vallarta, and Marc Murphy, CEO of the Bureau of Visitors and Conventions (CVB) of Riviera Nayarit, representing both destinations.

"The official launch has been of great benefit to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, for being one of the first destinations of the country with the production of the spot and the art advertising for this campaign, we made a projection during the event.

Actually we should thank the Federal Government headed by Enrique Peña Nieto, and in particular the Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu for their push and historical support that we are receiving in Vallarta-Nayarit", said Nacho Cadena.

Recall that, under the umbrella "Live it to Believe it!", it has been possible to consolidate a joint tourism promotion stock for the region of over 10 million dollars to be used in more than 19 cooperative campaigns with commercial partners, airlines, specialized media in the travel segment and multiple branding actions running since last July with an increase of about 20 percent.

To achieve the above, the joint work has been fundamental, of the governors Aristóteles Sandoval of Jalisco, and Roberto Sandoval of Nayarit, who have agreed to continue joint development efforts over the next four years.

"It is important to note that the planning is to be executed from July to December and we are looking for very specific goals: we want to achieve 103 thousand new seats on flights to our destinations and to increase by 110 thousand room-nights the production.

That is, these actions will allow an increase of 20 percent for the industry, something that we can only achieve with the joint work of Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit", explained Marc Murphy.

As part of the joint promotion efforts, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit performed between September 23 and 26, a promotional tour in the cities of Portland, Seattle, Langley and Vancouver, in order to attract more tourists from those regions.

THE FEASIBILITY OF NEW FLIGHTS IS REVIEWED
Taking advantage of the visit to the city of New York, the entourage of Vallarta-Nayarit also held this Thursday, September 26, a meeting to review feasibility studies of new flights to the region with the consulting company SH&E, from which they will establish promotion strategies and business meetings during the World Routes event, to be held between October 5 and 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

[readon1 url="http://notivallarta.com/2013/09/26/vallarta-nayarit-destaca-en-presentacion-internacional-de-la-campana-live-it-to-believe-it/"]Source: NotiVallarta Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

In order to prevent fraud after the famous case of "Chambamex" in the state of Mexico, officials from the Fraud Prevention Office of the U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara, offered an informative workshop on the premises of The Regional Unit State Services (UNIRSE), for the general public, however due to a lack of spreading, the event attendance was nil.

In an interview, Monica Ornelas, an analyst at the Office of Fraud Prevention of the U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara, said that another goal of the talk was to inform the general public about processes to obtain a temporary work visa (H2A and H2B), as well as about the scams in which some people can fall when applying to the above visas.

"There are people who take advantage of people who need those jobs and who pay money to get a place or a position in any company, and maybe the person who asks for money and documents is cheating because that job does not exist. Commonly what happens is that a recruiter who provides work for a certain number of people gets there, if that person starts asking them to keep their money or documents, that can be a sign that it is fraud, because to go to work in the United States one only needs to have the job or have the job offer, one does not have to pay anything, and the recruiter should not keep the documents".

In this sense, Monica Ornelas said that the official procedure is that the employing company hires the worker, and this person makes the request to the National Migration Institute to apply for his visa at the Consulate or Embassy where he can or cannot get his visa.

To prevent cheating, the official said the person should ask in what company is he going to work and the number of request, with this data he can contact the consulate to verify that the offer is in order.
It should be noted that requests are received by the National Migration Institute.

"Migrating in the beginning of the fiscal year opens a number of jobs, and the companies ask for a certain number of workers, the exact number is handled by migration."

The event was attended by Eugenia Vignon, in charge of the Paisano Program in Guadalajara, Mónica Ornelas, analyst in the Office of Fraud Prevention of the U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara, Javier Ramírez, head of the Fraud Prevention Office of the Consulate General of the United States in Guadalajara, Professor Xóchitl Bañuelos, in charge of the program Assistance to the Migrant in Nayarit, and the lawyer Juan Arana, northern coordinator of the Social Office.

[readon1 url="http://vallartaopina.net/2013/09/26/ofrecen-talleres-para-la-prevencion-de-fraudes"]Source: Vallarta Opina Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

The event took place at the Hotel Regina in Marina Vallarta, on Friday, September 27th, where representatives from different Universities from many countries as University of British Columbia, Vancouver, MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta Canada, University of Oregon, University of Victoria, Auckland New Zealand, among others visited our city.

They came to offer Scholarships and Financial Aid for International Students, help with residencies, Diplomas, TOEFL, IELTS and opportunities of jobs in their surrounding area. The event was organized by the American School of Puerto Vallarta, with the purpose to offer different options to the students when they complete their high school studies.

Participants in the international convention do a hard day's work at the Convention Center

Technologies in the extraction and management of heavy oil, participation of the largest companies of Latin America and the presence of more than 900 personalities in the oil business, provide a framework for the International Convention of Heavy Oil in the Convention Center of Puerto Vallarta.

In this world of oil, two Mexicans move in the major leagues, they are Mauricio Orozco and Gerardo Zendejas, senior officials from the Petro Skills Canadian company, who are dedicated to train petroleum engineers from around the world, a role that they play since 30 years ago.

Mauricio is director of the company for all of Latin America and Gerardo is the director of the company in Canada. They are at the front of the module where dozens of companies offer their work and each stand attracts the attention of entrepreneurs who get all kinds of reports on the management of heavy oil and of all the products that are extracted from the ground: Gas and other derivatives.

Petróleos Mexicanos, is one of the budding clients, graduates of universities and technical colleges will be trained by Petro Skills, says Mauricio who is a young professional who is in fact in the major leagues in training matters.

Intense activity
The activity that is seen at the Convention Center is intense, beautiful Colombian hostesses in the module of Sulzer, Venezuelan businessmen who claim to have 297 thousand 571 billion barrels and other producers looking for management technologies to achieve higher oil dividends regarding the separation of the different products.

Vallarta Opina is present and we have the best information on this event that is exceptional.

[readon1 url="http://vallartaopina.net/2013/09/25/mexicanos-en-las-ligas-mayores-del-petroleo"]Source: Vallarta Opina Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

This Thursday there will be a dance contest in the arches of the boardwalk and a food tasting on Friday

This Wednesday the opening of an exhibition of paintings in the corridors of City Hall was carried out on the occasion of the World Tourism Day, where the Municipal Tourism Director Carlos Gerard, said that the events are organized in order that the public participates in the celebration, on behalf of the mayor, Ramon Guerrero Martinez, the councilor of the tourism commission, Agustin Alvarez Valdivia and Ludwig Estrada Virgen, head of the Ministry of Tourism (Setujal).

Carlos Gerard reported that with the start of the art galleries, open to all the people in the inner corridors of City Hall and with the organized events on Thursday of the salsa dancing contest, and on Friday of a food tasting, the world Tourism Day is conmemorated, an event that positions this port at a national and international level.

"We are very proud of this city which is slowly recovering the placing that has always corresponded to it as an outstanding international level beach destination that is full of identity. With the celebration of World Tourism Day, this September 27th, we thank all the representatives of tourism for their support and we will continue to be an authentic destination that invites one to live a unique experience thanks to the support of everyone who provides a warm service" explained the director of municipal tourism.

The trending topic of Puerto Vallarta was achieved on the social networking site Twitter while performing the start of the celebrations for World Tourism Day.

The official launch of the official website of Puerto Vallarta 'www.visitapuertovallarta.com.mx' was made, which managed to be the trending topic on the Twitter network, to keep forming part of the most important tourist destinations of the country.

[readon1 url="http://vallartaopina.net/2013/09/26/arrancan-actividades-por-el-dia-mundial-del-turismo"]Source: Vallarta Opina Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

It was late at night when the priest raised the alarm.

Heavy rain was falling on Gobindghat, a town in the foothills of the Himalayas where Sikh pilgrims stop on their way to a holy site farther into the mountains.

A monsoon deluge had swept in earlier and heavier than usual in this part of northern India, bringing a risk of floods.

But before residents and pilgrims in the town could heed the priest's warning, water had engulfed the town.

"Some people climbed upwards, some ran here and there," said Gurjit Singh, who had traveled to Gobindghat with his 12-year-old son. "It was chaos."
Survivors of India floods recount horror
Monsoon rains drench India
Flood washes cars away in India

Barrages of water, mud and rocks have hit scores of towns and villages in the Indian state of Uttarakhand in the past week, inundating homes, shrines, roads and vehicles.

Uttarakhand's chief minister, Vijay Bahuguna, has described the disaster as a "Himalayan tsunami."

Dotted with temples and often referred to as "the Land of Gods," Uttarakhand attracts large numbers of pilgrims from around India to its mountainous reaches. Those travelers, many of them far from home and short on belongings, are now caught up in the destruction.

Thousands of rescue workers are trying to reach more than 50,000 people cut off by the waters. Bahuguna told CNN's sister network CNN-IBN on Friday night that the death toll was 556 but could rise. The bodies "were either buried or floating in slush," he said. It will take 15 days to complete evacuations in the province, he added.

Other parts of northern India, including New Delhi, have also been hit by flooding, but Uttarakhand has suffered the worst of the devastation.

The rains over the region have eased in the past few days, aiding in the rescue of about 30,000 people, Bahuguna said.

'A second life'

"There was nothing but death in front of us," Singh said Thursday after getting out of a crowded car ferrying people to dry, flat land. "Now that we've got out, we feel like we've got a second life."

His son, Rana Udesh Pratap, said the trek to safety was long.

"I held my father's hand and walked and walked and walked on a narrow path," he said. The two had made a pilgrimage to Uttarakhand from the nearby state of Punjab to visit the Sikh Hemkunt Sahib shrine.

Others were still struggling with what they had endured.

A man named Kailash told CNN-IBN that he, his wife and 4-year-old son didn't know how they were going to get back to their home in Jodhpur, hundreds of kilometers to the southwest.

"We don't have a penny, how will we reach home?" he asked, explaining that his family had gone hungry for three days before they were evacuated to a hospital in the town of Rudrapyrayag.

They had been in Kedarnath, a centuries-old Hindu holy town at the heart of the destruction. Pictures show the town's temple surrounded by mud and rocks.

Kailash recalled what he and his family endured before they were flown out.

"We had to walk over dead bodies," he said. "Nothing is left there, everything is finished. We can't even find our relatives."

A search for the missing

Others were searching for relatives amid the chaos. A Facebook page for rescue and relief in Uttarakhand was peppered with pleas for help in finding people.

"It is with great hope that I am writing to you to alleviate the distress of my family," wrote Shantalu Srivastava in a post seeking information about his brother, sister-in-law and two nieces.

Srivastava said that the family had traveled to Kedarnath from Lucknow, in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh, and that he had last heard from them Sunday.

The national government has dispatched the army to help with rescue efforts and promised 10 billion rupees ($170 million) in disaster relief funds to the Uttarakhand government.

Some observers are saying the disaster was man-made.

Devinder Sharma, an environmentalist, blamed industrial activity in India's Himalayan region.

"This havoc is a result of massive deforestation and mining," he said. "It's an ecocide."

[readon1 url="http://contacto-latino.com/en/news/201301/100759060/nothing-but-death-in-front-of-us-survivors-of-india-floods-recount-horror-cnn-international"]Source:CNN India[/readon1]

Hundreds of danish mothers made an unusual protest on Monday: they breastfed their babies in front of the municipal government of Copenhague as a way of protest, after the customers of a cafe criticised a mother by saying that breastfeeding in public is unpleasant.

The protest was organized by the mother Trine Maria Larsen with the objective of promoting public breastfeeding. She said that customers of a cafe came to criticise her for it. The woman told the journal Politiken that some of them had compared breastfeeding to "going to the toilet while eating".

Public breastfeeding is something common in nordic countries but Larsen, a Danish bloguer, said that complaints have been increasing against mothers who brestfeed in restaurants and cafes. She organized the act to compel businesses to not prohibit the custom in their premises.

Doctors recommend mothers to breastfeed their children at least for six months.

[readon1 url="http://www.prensaglobal.com/notas/48479.html"]Source:Prensaglobal.com Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

BEIJING –  Chinese state television has  shown men catching a 2-and-a-half-year-old girl who apparently fell from a  fifth-story window.

The girl, Qiqi, escaped with small scrapes on her face.

The security camera footage aired by CCTV showed a group of men in an alley  pointing and looking up the side of a building. They dash into a huddle just as  the youngster falls into their arms.

CCTV said workers at a delivery company nearby heard the girl crying as her  legs dangled out the window. The report quoted her parents as saying they left  Qiqi home alone while she was sleeping but she climbed onto the windowsill after  she woke.

It happened Thursday in Ninghai, in eastern Zhejiang province.

 Unemployment among youth age 15 to 24 is nearly 2.4 times that of older Canadians, a record wide gap, but that figure doesn't capture the entire cohort of economically vulnerable youth and some of the nuances of the job situation for young people, a report on youth unemployment from CIBC World Markets Inc. has found.

According to Statistics Canada, 14.3 per cent of Canadians age 15 to 24 who are in the labour force were unemployed in 2012, compared to six per cent of workers age 25 and up. In the agency's April 2013 labour survey, the rates were little changed, at 14.5 per cent for those 15 to 24 and 5.8 per cent for those 25 to 54.

But the CIBC report argues that most youth unemployment statistics don't capture the whole picture and that it's important to look at the work situations of specific cohorts of the young population, which numbers about 4.5 million.

High school students between age 15 and 18 who are looking for part-time work, for example, should not be counted as unemployed, the report suggests. But youth between 15 and 24 who are not enrolled in school or participating in the labour market should be captured.

Those young people number 225,000 and are an important component of the employment picture, the report says. It is this group — along with those young people who are not enrolled in school but who are registered as unemployed — that gives the most telling picture of youth unemployment, the report says.

"From a policy perspective, this is the pressing problem as this combined group consists of 420,000 economically at risk youth, or nearly one in 10 of young Canadians," said the report's author, Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist of CIBC World Markets Inc.

"These youth face a harsh job market environment, real entry barriers and likely do not have the skills necessary to compete."

The report warns that this group of unemployed youth will likely remain chronically unemployed unless action is taken to provide them with specific education and skills.

Education not enough

An education alone, however, is not a guarantee of employment any more, the report warned. While more youth are getting a higher education today than ever, "increasingly, students are completing their education without any work experience and are more likely to be caught in the no job-no experience, and no experience-no job cycle," the report said.

About 44 per cent of those age 20 to 24 are enrolled in school but only 76 per cent are in the labour market.

"One in five youth not working today has never held a job," the report said. "That is 40 per cent higher than the long-term average and just shy of the record high reached in the late 1990s."

Lack of job experience is making it harder for youth to enter an already tough job market.

Traditional career opportunities are drying up and finding summer employment has become more difficult, which also makes it harder for students to fund their education.

Temporary and contract work is on the rise, with 12 per cent of young workers in these types of jobs, compared to eight per cent in the 1990s.

More innovation, flexibility needed

Traditional co-op programs are no longer enough to smooth the transition from school to the work world, the report said.

Government job initiatives need to be more focused and politicians need to put measures in place today to limit the hardship that young Canadians could face in the next economic slowdown, the report said.

"One of the priorities of the Canadian education system needs to be more innovation and flexibility in combining education and work-related training," Tal wrote.

"Research is also needed to better understand how concepts such as team work, creative thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills enhance the employability of students and then, to find ways to incorporate these concepts into the curriculum."

[readon1 url="http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/06/20/business-youth-unemployment-cibc.html"]Source:www.cbc.ca[/readon1]

(CNN) -- A few years ago, Debbie Jankowski went hunting for a way to bring her life new joy. She found the solution in her bank account.

"I had always been thrifty, but I decided it was time to spend money on things that would broaden my world," says Jankowski, who lives in Philadelphia.

She splurged on sightseeing in Ireland and jungle-roaming in Costa Rica with her husband, along with a yoga retreat closer to home.

"These outings have refreshed me and given me perspective," she says.

New research confirms what Jankowski discovered: Money can buy happiness -- if you spend wisely. We asked experts to explain this and other glee strategies, none of which require rose-colored glasses or doing anything with life's lemons.

1. Buy some bliss -- really

FYI, you won't find it at the mall. "Purchasing things like televisions, clothes and coffee machines won't make you happier overall -- but buying experiences maximizes happiness," says Michael Norton, associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and co-author of the book, "Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending."

Research shows that people who purchased concert tickets, a series of crochet lessons or simply a Tuesday night dinner out were happier than those who spent their money on tangible goods.

For one, it's because we humans tend to get maximum pleasure and vitality from social bonding. Yet the payoffs start before you leave home.

"The anticipation of an experience can be as valuable a source of happiness as the experience itself," Norton says. "And for months afterward, recalling the event continues to make you happy."

The cherished-memories effect can even work for outings that went awry: Other research finds that people tend to remember things as having been better than they were (which is why some paid good money to see the movie, "The Hangover Part III").

Not that there's anything wrong with a little materialism every now and then, Norton says. But the emphasis is on now and then. "We get sick of even the most amazing things in life if we have them all the time."

Another strategy: Buy now, consume later. Economists talk about the "pain of paying" effect -- the negative feelings of parting with our hard-earned cash.

The more time that lapses between shelling out for something and getting it, the happier you'll be with it. That's why Norton preorders books on Amazon: "When it shows up two months later, it feels free."

Health.com: Boost your mood naturally

2. Getting older

Happiness dips when women are about 40 and comes roaring back as they approach 50, finds a study of 500,000 women and men in 72 countries. (For men the slump typically hits at 52.) Scientists haven't yet explained the bliss boomerang, but anyone familiar with what it's like to make dinner, field five PTA calls and pay 2,300 bills in one night might have a theory.

"Women in their 40s tend to put themselves last among all the demands they face," says Vivian Diller, a clinical psychologist in New York City." They get squeezed between the challenges of raising kids and caring for their aging parents, and may feel that life is passing them by."

As kids leave the nest, women have time to nurture themselves again -- although there are easy ways to up your happiness right now.

"I remind mothers of the safety tip given in airplanes: Put the oxygen mask on yourself first so you can help those in your care," Diller says. Schedule a daily "me" time "that does not budge for anyone or anything, except emergencies," she continues.

The steps to happiness

Happiest countries in the world

Dr. Weil discuses fighting his depression

You also want to prioritize stuff that truly brings you joy, whether it's Saturday-morning gardening or a weekly racquetball date with your partner.

For Carrie Jablonow in Scottsdale, Arizona, focusing on only her most meaningful friendships has helped.

"I don't have a few spare moments to give to someone who doesn't make me happy -- even responding to a text," she says. "I also no longer bother with uncomfortable clothes. Good-bye, skinny jeans."

Health.com: 12 Ways We Sabotage Our Mental Health

3. Forget self-improvement

Basking in what's already great about yourself is a more effective route to joy than trying to fix what's not, says Willibald Ruch, a professor of psychology at the University of Zurich who studies character strengths and happiness.

Identify your strong suits with the free Values in Action Inventory of Strengths Survey. Developed by psychologists, it takes about 15 minutes to fill out, then provides a ranked list of your 24 strongest qualities -- anything from creativity to perseverance.

"Think about how you might use your top five strengths in your relationship, at the office and in your free time," says Ruch. People who consistently apply "signature strengths" experience less depression and more happiness.

4. Make tough stuff work

Yes, even layoffs and broken bones can have silver linings. To use an extreme example, studies of women diagnosed with breast cancer found that the majority experienced numerous positive emotional changes, including new life priorities and more self-confidence -- catalysts for happiness.

"Not that we wish cancer on anyone, but it's often negative experiences that help us grow and learn, which is vital for being happy," says Sonja Lyubomirsky, professor of psychology at the University of California in Riverside and author of the book, "The Myths of Happiness." When upheaval strikes, she says, consider how you have improved as a result.

"I had postpartum depression, and while I'm angry that I missed out on my daughter's first weeks of life, I can say that I'm a happier, less-anxious person as a result," says Stephanie Lutz, of Colts Neck, New Jersey. "I no longer have that perfectionist streak of 'if I can't do it right, I don't want it done at all.' I've learned to go with the flow."

Health.com: Depressed? 12 mental tricks to turn it around

5. Spend 21 minutes focusing on your relationship

As anyone who has argued with his or her spouse about tackling the pile of mail knows, a good marriage takes effort and time. How about 21 minutes a year?

Researchers at Northwestern University tracked the marital bliss of 120 couples. Half of them did a seven-minute exercise three times a year in which they pondered three questions:

1. How would a neutral third party view your recent marital spat?

2. Going forward, what obstacles stand in your way of thinking like this third party during arguments?

3. How might you succeed at thinking like the third party during conflicts -- and how would it help your relationship?

Couples who evaluated their relationship this way had less argument-induced stress -- and significantly higher levels of happiness and passion than those who didn't quiz themselves.

"Many studies show that marriage quality tends to decline over time," says study author Eli Finkel, a professor of psychology, "so it's important to be proactive."

Health.com: 29 Days to a Healthier Relationship

6. Try a tearjerker

Maybe watching the movie "The Notebook" isn't most people's idea of a euphoric night in, but a study from Ohio State University finds that the more sadness people experienced during a movie, the greater their reported feelings of happiness were after the flick.

Three-tissue movies put us in a thoughtful mood, says study author Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, professor at Ohio State's School of Communications. "The sadness that you feel as a result of watching unfulfilled love, for instance, can spur you to think about your relationships -- and appreciate what you have."

7. Love your commute

People who walk or bike to the office may be happier than those who drive or take the bus, finds a 2012 study of 800 people in Portland, Oregon.

The reasons are what you'd expect: You're in control of the timing, there's an endorphin rush from exercise and no traffic. But if you have to drive, you can still arrive at the office perky.

"Commuting is actually a good time for built-in introspection and reflection," says Todd Kashdan, associate professor of psychology at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Quit glaring at the cars ahead and think about something for which you're thankful. People who are grateful on a regular basis are more likely to report feeling content, research shows.

And by all means, turn on the tunes; listening to music releases dopamine, a mood-enhancing hormone. (Ta-da! Scientific proof that Katy Perry can be good for you.)

Health.com: Stress Relief Tips From Around the World

8. Take credit for giving

By all means, donate to the humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders. But consider doing closer-to-home good deeds, too.

"While giving to charity brings more happiness than spending money on yourself, our research finds that doing things for people you know makes you happiest," Norton says. You will love the joy rush you get from the positive feedback.

9. Fake it until you feel it

When you're bummed out, the mere act of smiling can cheer you up. The reasons for this effect have yet to be pinpointed, but one study at the University of Kansas in Lawrence reveals that flashing a grin slows down your heart rate during stress and chills you out.

And if you can't bear to smile? Sadness and the occasional bad mood are natural, too. No human can be happy 24/7, and maybe that's the happiest news of all.

[readon1 url="http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/19/health/nine-happiness-tips"]Source:www.cnn.com[/readon1]