You might believe that happiness comes with having everything you want and that your life requires event-filled days, good nights and wonderful experiences. But thinking this way can really mislead us and result in our looking for happiness in all the wrong places. When we imagine our lives should have these images, our existence can seem boring when in reality our lives are actually quite normal.

If you find that each of your days fades (逐渐消失) into the next, remember: Nothing is wrong with your life! It’s just that in reality —sometimes life is just not that exciting. However, you can do some simple things to shake things up and put some “WOW” into our normal, ordinary days. In other words, to really get the most out of life, we need to learn to make the most out of life.

Doing this is easier and more fun than you might expect. Firstly, you just need to accept a fun challenge. Overcoming (战胜) a challenge helps us feel good. So pick something that you’d like to achieve and set a goal for yourself. Or, take a risk to start something you’ve always wanted to do but have been afraid to try. And when you reach your goal, celebrate it!

Next, notice what a wonderful world you live in. One of the fastest ways to create meaning in your life is to look for things you are thankful for. So call out what you already appreciate at home, at work or with friends. Take a moment during breakfast or dinner to turn to a loved one or friend and tell them one thing you’re thankful for or excited about. You can also tell one person every week how thankful you are to them or for something that they’ve done. When you do this, those around you feel appreciated and noticed.

Lastly, get curious when things don’t go as expected. We all have hopes that our lives will turn out in a particular way. When you’re busy in comparing what you have with what you think you should have, you’re not able to appreciate what you have for what it is. It’s that simple. So let’s get real here. To pay attention to what actually is working in your day-to-day life, get clear on what’s important to you and learn how to find it in your present situation.

As you go forward, develop these three skills to start adding more actual enjoyment to your daily life. However, don’t worry if you have some days when you feel blue. It’s normal. Remember that you can always wake up tomorrow and ask yourself, “What would I like today to be?”

It’s another busy day for John. After a day of classes and a tiring soccer practice, he now has half an hour of free time to grab some dinner before rehearsal. He orders a large pizza with extra cheese and gobbles (狼吞虎咽) it down with time to spare. As he walks into the theater for rehearsal, John starts to feel nauseated (恶心的) and he has a burning feeling in the back of his throat. John can’ t understand what’s going on— he felt fine just a few minutes ago.

Then, what on earth has happened to John? He has indigestion, a common digestive problem. Indigestion is just another name for an upset stomach. It usually happens when people eat too much or too fast, or certain food don’t agree with them. It might happen more often if you smoke, drink alcohol, or are stressed out, or don’t get enough sleep.

Sometimes indigestion can be accompanied by heart burn. Despite its name, heartburn actually has nothing to do with your heart. It’s caused by stomach acid splashing up from the stomach and into the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. In addition to heartburn, if you have indigestion, you’ll probably have one or more of these signs like pain or burning in your upper stomach, uncontrollable burping(打嗝), and so on.

Usually, indigestion only happens once in a while, like after eating certain foods that don’t agree with you. But you’ll want to see the doctor if you get indigestion even when the eating is just right or you’re exercising, and getting enough sleep. You may need to be examined or have stomach X- ray or other tests to make sure your indigestion is not a sign of another problem in your digestive system. Depending on what the doctor finds, you might need to make changes in your diet or take medicine.

Some people can eat anything and never get an upset stomach. But others are more easily affected or upset by certain foods. If you discover you have a problem with particular foods, it’s best to limit them or skip them entirely. Besides avoiding problem foods, try to eat a few smaller meals instead of one or two really big ones. Find ways to reduce stress. Give your body a chance to digest food. Eat slowly and don’t eat a huge meal and immediately go to sports practice. Try to eat at least an hour before physical exercise, or eat afterwards. Well, you might still get indigestion once in a while, even if you follow these tips. But as long as your indigestion doesn’t go on for a long time or is not excessively painful, it’s probably nothing out of ordinary.