In compiling this annual list, I noticed a distinct trend this year: macro events influencing my weekly thoughts on happiness. It’s understandable. In a year dominated by Trump, the wars in Gaza and the Ukraine, not to mention all the political shenanigans here in Canada, it was hard to escape the events shaping our times that penetrated our consciousness and impacted our happiness this year.
Here’s the top 10 HappyActs of 2025 (plus a bonus one, because it’s 11, one better):
10: A letter to my American friends: when I wrote this post back on February 16, 2025, it was the early days of Trump. Little did we know just how bad it would get. Still real, still relevant, and my most-read blog post of last year.
9: Golden happiness: the story of the napalm girl. When I attended a talk by Kim Phuc earlier this fall (pictured above), I expected to hear about the horrors of war and importance of peace. What I didn’t expect was to hear a survivor’s inspirational philosophy on faith, happiness and forgiveness.
8: Reflections on life and happiness from my Tanzanian philosopher friend: leave it to my friend Fulgence to keep us grounded with his positive outlook on life
On the human condition
7. Humans by nature are social beings, yet moments of solitude can restore the soul. In my blog posts, Battling the epidemic of loneliness and Spend time in solitude, I explore the dichotomy of the human condition: when to be with others, and when to be alone.
6. It’s okay to be sad: a good reminder in a world hyper-focused on mental health
If you’re looking for a New Year’s resolution for 2026
5. Hit delete: in this post I ask people, if you could delete one thing in your life to be happier, what would it be? I had some interesting responses online, including religion (the source of many conflicts), the internet, and WWW!
4. Learn when to say yes and no: one of the greatest skills in life is to learn when to say yes and when to say no.
3. Never lose faith: true on every level, whether it’s the state of the world, having faith in others, your team, or yourself
And in case you need a smile
1. A funny thing happened on the way to my improv class: ever thought of trying improv? Guest blogger Jon Begg shares what happens when a bus hits a polar bear in his class.
That’s it! Happy reading. Here’s hoping 2026 brings more sanity, compassion and happiness into the world. Happy New Year everyone!
Happy Act 