I drive out to West Virginia every so often and I love it, beautiful place

 

An Atlas of Upward Mobility Shows Paths Out of Poverty

New York Times

Income in adulthood for children whose families moved to a better place

By David Leonhardt, Amanda Cox and Claire Cain Miller

In the wake of the Los Angeles riots more than 20 years ago, Congress created an anti-poverty experiment called Moving to Opportunity. It gave vouchers to help poor families move to better neighborhoods and awarded them on a random basis, so researchers could study the effects.

The results were deeply disappointing. Parents who received the vouchers did not seem to earn more in later years than otherwise similar adults, and children did not seem to do better in school. The program’s apparent failure has haunted social scientists and policy makers, making poverty seem all the more intractable.

Now, however, a large new study is about to overturn the findings of Moving to Opportunity. Based on the earnings records of millions of families that moved with children, it finds that poor children who grow up in some cities and towns have sharply better odds of escaping poverty than similar poor children elsewhere.

The feelings heard across Baltimore’s recent protests — of being trapped in poverty — seem to be backed up by the new data. Among the nation’s 100 largest counties, the one where children face the worst odds of escaping poverty is the city of Baltimore, the study found.

The city is especially harsh for boys: Low-income boys who grew up there in recent decades make roughly 25 percent less as adults than similar low-income boys who were born in the city and moved as small children to an average place.

Beyond Baltimore, economists say the study offers perhaps the most detailed portrait yet of upward mobility — and the lack of it. The findings suggest that geography does not merely separate rich from poor but also plays a large role in determining which poor children achieve the so-called American dream.

How neighborhoods affect children “has been a quandary with which social science has been grappling for decades,” said David B. Grusky, director of the Center on Poverty and Inequality at Stanford University, who was not involved in the research. “This delivers the most compelling evidence yet that neighborhoods matter in a really big way.”

Raj Chetty, one of the study’s authors, has presented the findings to members of the Obama administration, as well as to Hillary Rodham Clinton and Jeb Bush, both of whom have signaled that mobility will be central themes of their 2016 presidential campaigns. After more than 15 years of mostly mediocre economic growth and rising income inequality, many families say they are frustrated and anxious about trying to get ahead.

“The data shows we can do something about upward mobility,” said Mr. Chetty, a Harvard professor, who conducted the main study along with Nathaniel Hendren, also a Harvard economist. “Every extra year of childhood spent in a better neighborhood seems to matter.”

The places where poor children face the worst odds include some — but not all — of the nation’s largest urban areas, like Atlanta; Chicago; Los Angeles; Milwaukee; Orlando, West Palm Beach and Tampa in Florida; Austin, Tex.; the Bronx; and the parts of Manhattan with low-income neighborhoods.

All else equal, low-income boys who grow up in such areas earn about 35 percent less on average than otherwise similar low-income children who grow up in the best areas for mobility. For girls, the gap is closer to 25 percent.

The former home of the Polk family in Bellwood, Ill.  The fatal shooting of Latonya Polk's husband there prompted her to move away with her two children in search of a safer place. Credit Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times

Many of these places have large African-American populations, and the findings suggest that race plays an enormous but complex role in upward mobility. The nation’s legacy of racial inequality appears to affect all low-income children who live in heavily black areas: Both black and white children seem to have longer odds of reaching the middle class, and both seem to benefit from moving to better neighborhoods.

The places most conducive to upward mobility include large cities — San Francisco, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and Providence, R.I. — and major suburban counties, such as Fairfax, Va.; Bergen, N.J.; Bucks, Pa.; Macomb, Mich.; Worcester, Mass.; and Contra Costa, Calif.

These places tend to share several traits, Mr. Hendren said. They have elementary schools with higher test scores, a higher share of two-parent families, greater levels of involvement in civic and religious groups and more residential integration of affluent, middle-class and poor families.

For low-income families, a home in places with these characteristics is often a financial stretch. Rachelle Hawkins, a 32-year-old single mother in California, rented an apartment in Contra Costa late last year after moving from a gritty neighborhood near Oakland and being homeless for a time. She makes about $29,000 as a customer-service agent in online banking and faces an annual rent bill of almost $17,000.

But she thinks the burden is worth it for her children, who are 4 and 6. “I don’t think my kids are going to remember what we went through,” Ms. Hawkins said. “They are absolutely better off, just because of the environment.”

In addition to studying the outcomes of more than five million children who moved, Mr. Chetty and Mr. Hendren also revisited the subjects of the Moving to Opportunity experiment. Working with Lawrence Katz, one of the original researchers to study the program, they analyzed more recent, richer data — and concluded that children who moved before they were teenagers did indeed benefit economically. (The original study had found health benefits for both younger and older children.)

The Polk family's new apartment, in Wood Dale, Ill., is small, but Mrs. Polk and her two teenage children are pleased with the calmer setting. Credit Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times

In both studies, the younger children were when they moved, the better they did. Children were less likely to become single parents when they grew up, were more likely to go to college and to earn more. The original research had not been able to follow the economic outcomes of younger children, because not enough time had passed, Mr. Katz said.

Still, the more extensive nationwide data on moving found that older children were also affected by their neighborhood. The effect was what statisticians call linear: Each additional year in a different place had roughly the same average effect on a child’s adult earnings. A teenager’s year in a better neighborhood mattered as much as a 9-year-old’s year — but 9-year olds still had their teenage years in front of them.

Some economists who have seen the new study say that it argues for a new approach to housing policy. Current policy often forces the parents of young children onto waiting lists for housing vouchers. It also gives tax incentives to developers who build in poor neighborhoods, rather than rewarding those who build affordable housing in areas that seem to offer better environments.

In an interview Friday, Julián Castro, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, said he was excited by the new data. Mr. Castro said his department had been planning to reallocate funding, so that some people moving to more expensive neighborhoods would receive larger vouchers. Currently, the value of vouchers tends to be constant across a metropolitan area.

The large county on the other end of the spectrum from Baltimore, with the best odds of escaping poverty, is DuPage County, Ill., west of Chicago. It contains suburbs where the schools are considered better and where housing costs more than in Chicago and some close-in suburbs.

In 2012, Latonya Polk decided to move there with her son and daughter, then 16 and 15. Her husband had been fatally shot on the front lawn of their apartment outside Chicago in 2011, in a crime that remains unsolved, she said.

Briana, her daughter, was hesitant about leaving her friends, but Mrs. Polk insisted, saying they could still visit them. “I knew absolutely it would mean better possibilities for my kids,” she said.

Mrs. Polk, center, with her son Jovan Nicholson and daughter Briana Nicholson at home in Wood Dale. Credit Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times

Mrs. Polk earns about $40,000 a year at a company that helps clear goods through customs. She has been able to afford the move by living in a cramped $1,025-a-month, one-bedroom apartment — and with help from a county program that gives them about $2,000 a year toward living expenses.

Her son, Jovan, graduated from high school last year and is now working, while Briana will graduate this spring. Both plan to enroll in community college in the next year.

Although most places with better odds of escaping poverty have higher rent, the researchers did identify some counties as “upward-mobility bargains.” These include Putnam County, N.Y.; parts of the Pittsburgh and Altoona areas in Pennsylvania; and, if only relative to surrounding areas, Contra Costa.

The main innovation of the new paper — part of the Equality of Opportunity Project, involving multiple researchers — is its focus on children who moved. Doing so allows the economists to ask whether the places themselves actually affect outcomes. The alternative is that, say, Baltimore happens to be home to a large number of children who would struggle no matter where they grew up.

The data suggests otherwise. The easiest way to understand the pattern may be the different effects on siblings, who have so much in common. Younger siblings who moved from a bad area to a better one earned more as adults than their older siblings who were part of the same move. The particular environment of a city really does seem to affect its residents.

The data does not answer the question of whether the factors that distinguish higher-mobility places, like better schools and less economic segregation, are causing the differences — or are themselves knock-on effects of other, underlying causes. “We still need clarity on that,” Mr. Grusky, the Stanford professor, said.

From her perspective, Ms. Hawkins, the Contra Costa resident, said that the mixing of people from different social classes did make a difference.

“It’s all spread out here,” she said. In her old home near Oakland, entire neighborhoods had high unemployment and crime, which led people who did have jobs to flee, causing a downward spiral. “You don’t want to put your kid in harm’s way. That’s just extra stress.”

For all the benefits that moves can bring, they are not a solution to poverty, said people who have seen the new paper as well as the researchers themselves. Finding ways to improve those neighborhoods, for people who cannot or do not want to move, is also important, researchers and policy makers said.

“We can’t walk away from them,” Mr. Castro, the housing secretary, said. “We need a two-pronged approach.”

David Leonhardt reported from Washington, Amanda Cox from New York, and Claire Cain Miller from San Francisco. Dave McKinney contributed reporting from Wood Dale, Ill.

The Upshot provides news, analysis and graphics about politics, policy and everyday life. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

A version of this article appears in print on May 4, 2015, on page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Change of Address Offers a Pathway Out of Poverty

POSITIVE WORDS

LIST OF POSITIVE WORDS

 Find below currently 1,109 positive words!

Positive Words starting with letter A

ABLE,   ACCEPT – ACCEPTANCE – ACCEPTABLE – ACCEPTED – ACCEPTING,   ACTION,   ACTIVATE,   ACTIVE,   ADD,   ADDITION,   ADMIRABLE,   ADORABLE,   ADVANTAGE,   AFFIRM,   AGELESS,   AGREE,   AGREEABLE,   AID,   AIM,   ABUNDANCE,   ACCOUNTABILITY,   ACCOMPLISHMENT – ACCOMPLISH,   ACCURACY,   ACHIEVEMENT – ACHIEVE,   ACKNOWLEDGEMENT,   ADAPTABILITY,   ADVENTURE – ADVENTUROUS,   AGILITY,   ALERTNESS,   AMBITION,   ANTICIPATION,    APPRECIATE – APPRECIATION – APPRECIATIVE – APPRECIATIVENESS,   ASSERTIVENESS – ASSERTIVE,   ATTENTIVENESS,   AUDACITY,   AWARE – AWARENESS,   AUTHENTIC – AUTHENTICITY,   ABRACADABRA,   ATTRACTION,   ALLOW – ALLOWING,   AFFECTION – AFFECTIONATE,   ABSORBED,   ALERT,   AMAZED,   AWE – AWED,   ANIMATE – ANIMATED – ANIMATING – ANIMATION – ANIMATENESS,   ARDENT,   AMAZING,   AWESOME – AWESOMENESS,   AROUSED,   ASTONISHED – ASTONISHING,   AMUSED,   AIR – AIRNESS,   ALOHA,   ADORE,    ADMIRE,   ADMIRABLE,   ALLURE,    ANGEL – ANGELIC,    ALTRUISM – ALTRUISTIC,   ABOUNDING,   ABSOLUTE – ABSOLUTELY, ACCESSIBLE,   ACCLAIMED,   ACCOMMODATE – ACCOMMODATED – ACCOMMODATION – ACCOMMODATING,    AMPLE,   APPRECIATIVE JOY,   AMIN,   ACCENTUACTIVITY,   ACTABILITY,   AFFABLE,   ALACRITY,   ALTRUCAUSE,   AMIABLE, ASTOUNDING, ATTRACTIVE,ALIVE – ALIVENESS

Positive Words starting with letter B

BEATIFY,   BEATITUDE,   BENEFICIAL,   BENEFIT,   BENEVOLENT,   BELOVED,   BEST,   BETTER,   BLESS – BLESSING – BLESSED,   BLISS – BLISSFULNESS – BLISSFUL,   BLOOM,   BLOSSOM,   BALANCE – BALANCED,   BEAUTY – BEAUTIFUL,   BELONG – BELONGING,   BOLDNESS,   BRAVERY,   BRILLIANCE – BRILLIANT,   BLISS ON TAP,   BEYOND FABULOUS,   BIOPHILIA,   BRIGHT,   BRIGHTNESS, BALISTIC, BLASTING, BLAZING, BLINDING, BREATHTAKING, BUBBLING, BUSTING, BLISSCIPLINE, BUYANCY, BULLISHNESS, BRISKNESS, BUOYANCY, BREEZINESS, BRIO

Positive Words starting with letter C

CARE – CARING,   CALM,   CREATE,   CREATIVE – CREATIVITY – CREATIVENESS ,   CAPABLE – CAPABILITY,   CELEBRATE – CELEBRATION,   CERTAIN – CERTAINTY,   CHARITABLE – CHARITY,   CHARM – CHARMING – CHARMER,   CHOICE,   CLEAN – CLEANLINESS,   COMFORT – COMFORTABLE – COMFORTING,   CALM,   CUDDLE – CUDDLING,   CANDOR,   CAREFULNESS,   CHALLENGE,   CHANGE,   CHEERFUL – CHEERFULNESS,   CLARITY,   COLLABORATION,   COMMITMENT,   COMMUNICATION,   COMMUNITY,   COMPASSION – COMPASSIONATE,   COMPETENT – COMPETENCE – COMPETENCY,   CONCENTRATION,   CONFIDENT – CONFIDENCE,   CONSCIOUSNESS,   CONSISTENCY – CONSISTENT,   CONTENT – CONTENTMENT,   CONTINUITY – CONTINUOUS,   CONTRIBUTION,   CONVICTION – CONVINCING,   COOPERATION,   COURAGE,   COURTESY – COURTEOUS,    CURIOUS – CURIOSITY,   CHAKRA,   COOL,   CLEAR HEADED,   CENTERED,   CLOSENESS,   COMPANIONSHIP,   CONSIDERATE – CONSIDERATION,   COMMUNION,   CONNECT – CONNECTED – CONNECTION – CONNECTEDNESS,   CONQUER,   CUTE,   CHARISMA – CHARISMATIC,   COLLECTED,   CHEERFUL WILLINGNESS,   CHEERS,   CONGRUENCE,   CORDIAL,   CRANK (UP), CAPITAL, CORKING

Positive Words starting with letter D

DIRECTION,   DELICATE,   DECENT,   DESIRABLE,   DELICIOUS – DELICIOUSNESS,   DO,   DREAM – DREAMY,   DYNAMIC,   DARING,   DECISIVENESS,   DELIGHT – DELIGHTED – DELIGHTFUL,   DEPENDABILITY,   DESIRE,   DETERMINATION,   DEVOTION,   DIGNITY,   DILIGENCE,   DISCIPLINE,   DISCOVERY,   DISCRETION,   DIVERSITY,   DRIVE,   DUTY,   DIVINE,   DAZZLED,   DISNEY,   DEVOTED,   DANDY,   DAIMON,   DEBONAIR,   DETACHMENT

Positive Words starting with letter E

EMPATHY – EMPATHIZE – EMPHATIC,   EASY – EASILY,   EDUCATE – EDUCATION – EDUCATED,   EFFICIENT,   ENABLE – ENABLED,   ENERGETIC – ENERGIZE – ENERGY,   ENGAGE – ENGAGING – ENGAGED,   ENJOY – ENJOYMENT,   ENOUGH,   EAGER – EAGERNESS,   EFFECTIVENESS,   EFFICIENCY,   ELATION,   ELEGANCE,   ENCOURAGE – ENCOURAGEMENT – ENCOURAGED,   ENDURANCE,   EQUALITY,   EXCELLENCE – EXCELLENT,   EXCITE – EXCITEMENT – EXCITED,   EXPERIENCE,   EXPERTISE,   EXPLORATION,   EXPRESSIVENESS – EXPRESSING,   ENLIGHTENMENT,   ETERNAL,   EXALTATION,   EMULATE,   EMPOWER – EMPOWERING – EMPOWERED,   EXPANSIVE,   EXHILARATING,   ENTHUSIASTIC – ENTHUSIASM,   ENGROSSED,   ENCHANTED,   ENTRANCED,   ECSTATIC,   ELATED,   ENTHRALLED,   EXUBERANT – EXUBERANCE,   EXPECTANT,   EQUANIMOUS,   ENLIVENED,   EFFICACY,   EASE,   EXEMPLARY,   EXTRAORDINARY,   EARNEST,   ELEVATE – ELEVATED,   EQUANIMITY,   EASE-OF-MIND,   EXCITED ANTICIPATION,   EXTRA,   EQUITY – EQUITABLY – EQUITABLE,   EASY TO TALK TO,   EASY TO APPROACH,   ECSTATIFY,      EUDAEMONISM,   EUDAEMONIST,   EUDAEMONISTIC,   EUDAIMONIA,   EUDAMONIA,   EVOLVE,   EXALTING,   EXSTATISFY,   EXULTANT, ASTRONOMICAL, CHAMPION, CHAMP’, ELECTRIC, ENORMOUS , EXCEPTIONAL, EXCITING, EXQUISITE,   EFFORTLESSNESS, EUNOIA,  ECOSOPHY, EBULLIENCE

Positive Words starting with letter F

FANTASTIC,   FEEL GOOD – FEELING GOOD,   FLOW – FLOWING,   FABULOUS,   FAIR,   FAITH,   FAITHFUL,   FAME,   FAVORITE,   FAIRNESS,   FAMILY,   FIDELITY,   FLEXIBILITY,   FOCUS,   FLOURISH,   FORGIVE – FORGIVING – FORGIVENESS,   FORTITUDE,   FREE – FREEDOM,     FRUGALITY,   FUN,   FUTURE,   FRIEND – FRIENDLY – FRIENDSHIP – FRIENDLINESS,   FASCINATE – FASCINATED,   FULFILL – FULFILLED,   FOOD,   FEISTY – FEISTINESS,   FESTIVE,   FEASIBLE,   FINE,   FEARLESS,  FESTIVE – FESTIVENESS,   FIT, FANTABULOUS, FREECYCLE, FUNERIFIC, FUNOLOGY, FLAWLESS

Positive Words starting with letter G

GLOW,  GENEROUS – GENEROSITY,   GENERATE,   GENIAL,   GENIUS,   GENUINE,   GIFT,   GIVE – GIVING,   GOOD,   GOODNESS,   GIVING,   GOING THE EXTRA MILE,   GRACE,   GRATITUDE – GRATEFULNESS,   GROW – GROWTH,   GUIDE – GUIDING – GUIDANCE,   GOD,   GROUNDED,   GLORY,   GODLINESS,   GOOD-FEELING,   GROOVY,   GIDDY,   GLAD,   GOOD HEALTH,   GLAMOR,   GIGGLING,   GODDESS,   GORGEOUS – GORGEOUSNESS,   GRANDIOSITY, GENERAVITY, GENTLEMAN, GARGANTUAN, GRAND, GREAT, GINGER

Positive Words starting with letter H

HOPE – HOPEFULNESS,   HAPPINESS – HAPPY – HAPPILY,   HARMONIOUS – HARMONIZE – HARMONY,   HEALTH – HEALTHY,   HEART,   HELLO,   HELP – HELPFUL – HELPING,   HOT – HONEST – HONESTY,   HUMAN,   HUMOR,   HELPFULNESS,   HERO – HEROISM,   HOLY – HOLINESS,   HONESTY,   HONOR,   HOSPITALITY,   HUMBLE,  HEAVEN – HEAVENLY,   HALO,   HEARTFELT,   HEARTWARMING,   ONE-POINTEDNESS,   HAPPY HEARTED, HEEDFUL, HANDSOME, HUGE, HIGH-SPIRITEDNESS

Positive Words starting with letter I

IMAGINATION,   INSPIRE – INSPIRATION – INSPIRED – INSPIRATIONAL,   IN-LOVE,   IDEA,   INCREDIBLE,   INNOVATE – INNOVATION,   INTERESTING – INTEREST – INTERESTED,   IMPROVEMENT,   INDEPENDENCE,   INFLUENCE,   INGENUITY,   INNER PEACE,   INSIGHT – INSIGHTFULNESS – INSIGHTFUL,   INTEGRITY,   INTELLIGENCE – INTELLIGENT,   INTENSITY,   INTIMACY,   INTUITIVENESS,   INVENTIVENESS,   INVESTING,   INTENTION,   INVIGORATE – INVIGORATED,   INTRIGUED,   INVOLVE – INVOLVED,   INCLUSION,   INNOCENT,   INEFFABLE,   INTREPID, IDEALISM, ILLUMINATION – ILLUMINATED, INCOMPARABLE, INVINCIBLE,   INQUISITIVE,   INFINITE,   INFINITY

Positive Words starting with letter J

JOY – JOYFUL – JOYOUS,   JOKE,   JOLLY,   JOVIAL,   JUST,   JUSTICE,   JUBILANT,   JUVENESCENT,   JUMPY,   JAMMIN’,    JUBILINGO

Positive Words starting with letter K

KINDNESS – KIND – KIND-HEART – KINDLY,   KEEP-UP,   KISS,   KNOWLEDGE,   KITTENS,   KEEN

Positive Words starting with letter L

LIKE,   LAUGH – LAUGHING,   LEARN – LEARNING,   LIFE,   LIVE – LIVING,   LUXURY,   LONGEVITY,   LOYALTY – LOYAL,   LOVE – LOVABLE – LOVING,   LIBERTY,   LOGIC,   LEADER – LEADERSHIP,   LUCK – LUCKY,   LIGHT,   LOVING-KINDNESS,   LIVELY,    LIFE OF THE PARTY,   LOVELY,   LOVING ACCEPTANCE,   LOVING FEELINGS, LIGHTWORKER

ositive Words starting with letter M

MEANING – MEANINGFUL,   MORE,   MAGNIFICENT,   MAJESTY,   MANY,   MARVELOUS,   MERIT,   MOTIVATE,   MIRACLE,   MAGIC,   MAKING A DIFFERENCE,   MASTERY,   MATURITY,   MEANING, MERIT,   MINDFUL – MINDFULNESS,   MODESTY,   MOTIVATION – MOTIVATIONAL,   MERCY,   MEDITATION,   MIND-BLOWING,   MELLOW,   MOVED,   MOVEMENT,   MUTUALITY,   MOURNING, MELIORISM, MENCH, MIDSIGHT, MINDSIGHT, MAJOR

Positive Words starting with letter N

NOBLE,   NURTURING – NURTURE,   NON-RESISTANCE – NON-RESISTANT,   NEW,   NICE,   NIRVANA,   NOBLE, NEAT,   NATURE-MADE,   NOURISH – NOURISHED – NOURISHING – NOURISHMENT,   NAMASTE, NEOTENY

Positive Words starting with letter O

OPTIMIST – OPTIMISTIC,   OUTSTANDING,   OK,   ON,   ONWARDS,   OPEN – OPENLY – OPENING,   OPEN-MINDED,   OPPORTUNITY,   ORIGINAL,   OPENNESS,   OPPORTUNITY,   OPTIMISM,   ORDER,   ORGANIZATION,   ORIGINALITY,   OUTCOME,   ORIENTATION,   OBEDIENT,   OPEN HEARTED,   OMG,   OVERCOME,   OM MANI PADME HUM,   OUTGOING, ONENESS, OUTERNATIONALIST

Positive Words starting with letter P

PERFECT – PERFECTION,   POSITIVE ENERGY,   POSITIVE THOUGHTS,   POSITIVE EVENTS,   POSITIVE CIRCUMSTANCES,   POSITIVE BELIEFS,   PEACE – PACIFY,   PARADISE – PARADISIAC,   PASSION – PASSIONATE,   PLEASE,   PURE,   PEACE,   PERCEPTIVENESS,   PERSEVERANCE,   PERSISTENCE,   PERSONAL GROWTH,   PLEASURE,   POSITIVE ATTITUDE,   POSITIVE WORDS,   POWER – POWERFUL,   PRACTICALITY,   PRECISION,   PREPAREDNESS,   PRESENCE,   PRESERVATION,   PRIVACY,   PROACTIVITY – PROACTIVE,   PROGRESS,   PROSPERITY PROSPEROUS,    PUNCTUALITY – PUNCTUAL,   PATIENCE,   PROUD,   PLEASED,   PRESENCE,   PLAY – PLAYFUL – PLAYFULNESS,   PARTICIPATION,   PURPOSE,   PICK-ME-UP,   PRONIA,   PIOUS,   PUPPIES,   POLITE,   POSITIVE MIND,   POSITIVE THINKING,    POSITIVE WORDS,   PRETTY,   PRECIOUS, PARDON, PERKINESS, PIQUANCY,  POSICHOICE, POSIDRIVING, POSIFIT, POSILENZ, POSIMASS, POSIMINDER, POSIRATIO, POSIRIPPLE, POSIRIPPLER, POSIRIPPLES, POSISINGER, POSISITE, POSISTRENGTH, POSITIBILITARIAN, POSITRACTION, POSITUDE, POSIVALUES, POSIWORD, POSSIBILITARIAN, PROMPTNESS, PROTO, PRICELESS, PEP – PEPPINESS

Positive Words starting with letter Q

QUALITY,   QUIET – QUIETNESS,   QUAINT,   QUIESCENT, QUEENLY, QUICKENING, QUIDDITY

Positive Words starting with letter R

RESPECT,   RADIANT,   READY – READINESS,   REAL – REALITY,   REASON,   RECOMMEND,   REFRESH – REFRESHED,   RELAX – RELAXED,   RELIEF,   RELIEVE – RELIEVED,   REMARKABLE,   RATIONALITY,   RECOGNITION,   RELATIONSHIPS,   RELIABLE – RELIABILITY,   RELIGION,   RESOURCEFULNESS,   RESPECT,   RESPONSIBILITY,   RIGHTEOUSNESS,   RISK-TAKING,   ROMANCE,   REVELATION,   REVIVED,   RESTORE – RESTORED,   REST – RESTED,   RENEW – RENEWED,   REJUVENATE – REJUVENATED,   RAPTURE – RAPTUROUS,   RESILIENT – RESILIENCE,   REVERENCE,    RIPE,   REBORN,   RELATEDNESS,   RASASVADA,   REPOSE, ROSINESS

Positive Words starting with letter S

SCOPE,   SMILE – SMILING,   SOULMATE,   SOUL – SOULFUL,   SACRED,   SAFE – SAFETY,   SECURE – SECURED – SECURITY,   SUSTAIN – SUSTAINED,   SAVE, SAVINGS,   SIMPLE – SIMPLIFY,    SELFLESSNESS,   SELF-ESTEEM,   SERVICE,   SIMPLICITY,   SINCERITY,   SKILL – SKILLED,   SPIRIT,   SERENE – SERENITY,   STABILITY,   STRENGTH,   STYLE,   SYSTEMATIZATION,   SELF-LOVE,   STRIVE,   SERVICE,   SALVATION,   SELF-RESPECT,   SELF-FORGIVENESS,   SERVE,   SYMPATHETIC,   SELF-COMPASSION,   SELF-KINDNESS,   SPELLBOUND,   STIMULATED – STIMULATING – STIMULATION,  SATISFIED,   STILL,   SURPRISED,   SLEEP,   SEXUAL EXPRESSION,   SHELTER,   SELF-EXPRESSION,   STABILITY,   SUPPORT,   SPACE – SPACIOUS, SPONTANEITY – SPONTANEOUS, SUNSHINE, SPARK – SPARKLE – SPARKLES,   SWEET – SWEETNESS,    SUPPORT – SUPPORTING – SUPPORTED,   SEXY – SEXINESS,   SUPREME,   SUCCULENT,   SWEETHEART,   STUDY – STUDIOUS,   SELFLESSNESS,    SAVOUR – SAVOURING,   SUFFICIENT,   STUPENDUOS,   SWAG – SWAGGY,   SPLENDID,   SMART,   SPECTACULAR,   SPECIAL,   SERENDIPITY,   SYNERGY, SHINE – SHINING, START, STEADFASTNESS, SUBLIME, SUNNINESS,   SWEET,   SUPERPOWER

Positive Words starting with letter T

TRUE,   TRUST – TRUSTING ,   TACT,   TEACH – TEACHABLE,   TEAM,   THANKFUL – THANK – THANK-YOU – THANKFULNESS,   THERAPY,   TIME,   TEAMWORK,   TIMELINESS,   TOLERANCE,   TRADITION,   TRANQUIL – TRANQUILITY,   TRUST,   TRUTH – TRUTHFULNESS,   TENDER,   THRILLED,   TOUCH – TOUCHED,   TICKLED,   TO MATTER,   TO KNOW,   TO BE KNOWN,   TO BE SEEN,   TRANSFORMATIVE – TRANSFORMATION – TRANSFORM,   TRIUMPH,   TEAMWORK,   THRIVE – THRIVING, TENACITY

Positive Words starting with letter U

UNIFICATION,   UNIQUE,   UPLIFT,   ULTIMATE,   UNCONDITIONAL,   UPGRADE,   USEFUL,   USER-FRIENDLY,    UNITY,   UNDERSTAND – UNDERSTANDING – UNDERSTOOD,   UNIFICATION OF MIND,    UP, UPOWER, UPSKILL

Positive Words starting with letter V

VITALITY,   VALUE – VALUES – VALUABLE,   VIRTUOUS,   VALID,   VERIFY,   VERY,   VIABLE,   VIRTUE,   VICTORY – VICTORIOUS,   VARIETY,   VULNERABILITY – VULNERABLE,   VIBRANT,   VOW,   VIM,    VIGOR, VENERATION, VOCABULEVERAGE

Positive Words starting with letter W

WORTH – WORTHY – WORTHINESS,   WEALTH,   WARM – WARMTH,   WELCOME,   WILL- WILLING – WILLINGNESS ,   WISDOM,   WISE,   WON,   WONDERFUL,   WELL-BEING,   WHOLEHEARTEDNESS,   WOW,   WONDER,   WATER,   WELL,   WELLNESS,   WELFARE,    WHOLE,   WONDER-WORKING,   WIN – WINNABLE – WINNING

Positive Words starting with letter X

XO,   X-RAY VISION,   XENOPHILIA,    XENODOCIAL,   Xfactor,  XENOPHILE,   XENIAL

Positive Words starting with letter Y

YES,   YOUTH – YOUTHFUL,   YOUNG,   YOUNG- AT-HEART,   YIPPEE,   YAY,   YEARN,   YEA,   YEAH,   YUMMY,   YEN,    YESABILITY,    YUGEN

Positive Words starting with letter Z

ZEALOUS,    ZEAL,    ZEST – ZESTY – ZESTFUL,   ZIPPY,   ZING,   ZAPPY,   ZANY

My ancestor "Padrick "Punchy Paddy" Tuohy

                                                                               (its me)

The Connecticut Irish: Patsy Touhye of East Haddam

The Connecticut Irish: Patsy Touhye of East Haddam: The “Only Patsy Touhey” among his admirers, and they are legion, is the youngest of the many distinguished pipers who hailed from Galway. ...

Independent Bookstore Day!

“We feel a bond with other indies…Heck, Amazon has even made Barnes & Noble seem like a relative—what dark magic does that? We are pleased to celebrate shared DNA with our sibling stores.”— John Marshall co-owner of Seattle’s Open Books on Independent Bookstore Day

Independent Bookstore Day Is an Opportunity for Us to Thank You.

In the recent wave of shop local movements, it can be easy to feel lost in the stream of independent businesses frantically waving their arms for attention. Working at (or owning) an independently owned business comes with a whole bushel of stresses that are far too familiar to most of us in this shaky economy. So what makes this Saturday, National Independent Bookstore Day, any different from the myriad of indie campaigns sweeping the nation?

Well, this one belongs to you. Instead of looking at Saturday as a way to drive more business, let’s think about it as a party in honor of Jackson, MS; a shindig to thank our patrons of 40 years. Without all of you there would be no independent bookstore to celebrate, no haven for weary college students, no well-trod path for the kids running from the front desk to the children’s room, no $1 beer or chatting with visiting authors. We at Lemuria are so grateful that you’ve let us into your lives, and want you to know how much you have touched our lives as well.

By being friends of the bookstore and not just nameless customers, you have pulled us into the Jackson community and made us more than a business; you’ve made us family. To thank you for that tremendous honor, we’ve got a pretty awesome Saturday planned to officially celebrate National Independent Bookstore Day (and the beginning of our 40th birthday year!).

The first fifty customers will receive a free tote bag with their purchase, and 5% of all sales throughout the day will be donated to future Mississippi Book Festivals. “Jackson: Photographs by Ken Murphy” will be 10% off all day long, and we’ll have coolers full of ice cold beer for just $1! Come by and chat with some of our special guest booksellers who will be participating in special Author Challenges between 11:00 and 2:00 (there may or may not be a marshmallow eating contest). We’ll have a special singing story time at 11:00 with Katie Hathcock and Paul from Beanfruit Coffee Company will get here at 10:00 to brew up some delicious hot drinks. Balloons for babies, candy for kids, beer and coffee for grown ups, and good cheer all ‘round.

You have given us the best jobs we could have hoped for, and an amazing seat at Jackson’s family table. Thank you.

Happiness

Common Cents by Tom and John Mills

Nearly 20 years ago, I wrote about some ideas for happiness:

— Plan ahead. If nothing else, plan to write everything down. No surprises. Not only will I write in my well-worn calendar/planner, but I will actually use it as it was designed to be used.

— Keep a budget. Budgeting is not just for those starting out in life.

— Save a little each month. Do it in some account: savings, 401(k), college funds. It doesn’t matter.

— Pay off credit cards early. Those evil plastic demons are modern man’s albatross. Use them sparingly. When used, try to pay the balance off as soon as possible.

— Get a health checkup. With good health you can be productive. Without it, you may not be.

— Review insurance — life, disability, medical or nursing home. Being over-insured is almost as bad as being under-insured.

— Recognize those who make you look good. We all have them and most of us take them for granted. It may be a spouse, partner or a co-worker. Most of us would not be where we are today if it weren’t for the help of another significant person or two.

— Since I’m on a roll here, end relationships that cause you pain. There may be a few people in your business or personal life who cause serious pain.

— Improve relationships that give you joy. Relationships are like bank accounts. If we overdraw, we pay a serious price. If we make regular deposits, we earn the privilege to make withdrawals. How’s your bank account with those who bring you joy? When was your last deposit?

— Avoid procrastination. Every aspect of one’s life is hampered by this nasty habit. If you put it off, it may put you out. Don’t wait. Make the list and do it. You know the areas of your life that need work.

— Clean up the clutter. This is important. Most of us do this. We have too many projects. Undone projects create clutter. It is essential to decide what is unimportant and put those things away.

— Be grateful. Grateful for those who have helped you get where you are. It may be to a higher power or to an important person. Whomever. Show your appreciation regularly and often.

I hope this year will be another year of prosperity for me and for you.

Tom and John Mills are registered investment advisers and certified financial planners. Reach them at 254-0155, MillsWealth.com. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of LPL Financial. Investment advice offered through Strategic Wealth Advisors Group (SWAG), a registered investment adviser. Mills Wealth Management and SWAG are separate entities from LPL Financial.

From a Buddhist perspective

Dear friends

How much do we really know about happiness? From a Buddhist perspective, all sentient beings, including animals, seek happiness. We have a subconscious instinct to seek happiness - even though many of us don't have a clear idea what it is, or how to achieve it.

From a Buddhist perspective, there are two types of happiness: Emotional Happiness and Timeless Happiness. Emotional Happiness could be described as seeking relief from the cold, or searching for sources of earning, position, or status. Although there is nothing wrong with this type of 'worldly' happiness, when we reflect on it, we might understand that all of these examples, by their very nature, are temporary. Emotional Happiness does not last. Therefore, Timeless Happiness becomes something very important to seek.

Timeless Happiness

Timeless Happiness is gained from understanding our own inherent qualities, such as compassion and loving kindness, and gaining wisdom about our true nature. When we reflect on the nature of this type of happiness, we find something unchanging, permanent - and therefore worthwhile to seek.

We might find ourselves confused about 'Timeless Happiness.' We are, after all, so closely connected to Emotional Happiness, and get an instant reward from it every day. Timeless Happiness might sound noble, even wonderful, but is it visible, attainable in everyday life? Actually, yes.

Happiness in Family

My late grandmother led a very simple life, as a mother to my father. But the way she lived her life is something that will stay with me always, and is perhaps my greatest personal example of Timeless Happiness. Without having particular responsibilities that one might consider 'amazing' or 'newsworthy' - but simply by being a mother, just practicing loving kindness, and other basic qualities of life, and of herself - what I witnessed is that no matter who approached her, no matter what kind of situations she was in, she had an unaltering attitude towards life. Whomever she met, she had the attitude of kindness and care - just like a mother. Visibly, you could see it, verbally, you could hear it. All of her words were extremely warm and gentle. And of course, all of these qualities stemmed from her own consciousness.

As Karmapa, I of course lead my life as a spiritual practitioner, but I learn so much from the way she carried herself, the way she carried her attitude to life. This memory for me is very precious because it helps remind me that Timeless Happiness is visible and evident in all of us. The happiness we are seeking is already here. So this example always helps me, always puts a smile on my face, and in my heart.

Buddha and Happiness

I am sure that every one of you have similar experiences, memories, that you can recall. From a Buddhist perspective, it is said that the potential, the seed and the quality of true happiness or enlightenment, are all there within every sentient being's centre.

Therefore, it is important not to consider Timeless Happiness as something that is distant or unattainable, or something to be celebrated on special occasions, and put on the shelf for the rest of the year. Instead, Timeless Happiness is something that we can really get involved in, take part in, no matter what type of life we are living, no matter what type of conditions we might have. But first we have to notice it.

The benefit from taking the first step of achieving Timeless Happiness is captured in the word 'timeless' itself. From a Buddhist perspective, the benefits are noble, decent and virtuous from the very beginning. It is noble, decent and virtuous in the middle. And it is noble, decent and virtuous at the end as well - not just in this life, not just later on, but until the end, until we have given full rise, full realisation to Timeless Happiness.

From a Buddhist viewpoint, the best example of this unchanging happiness would be none other than Buddha himself. Buddha means 'Enlightened Being' - a fully awakened being. Now if we reflect on the way he sought and ultimately achieved Timeless Happiness, it is the same as we are doing today: reflecting on and examining the causes and conditions of happiness.

The Happiness Exam

The only way in which we can truly examine happiness, is by looking deep into ourselves: our way of being; the way we carry ourselves; our everyday behaviour and habits. By doing so, it helps us understand more about ourselves. If we understand more about ourselves, we understand more about others.

All of us have the basic qualities to attain happiness, we all share the potential - simply because we all have consciousness. We all have the same wish and aspirations, as we are all searching for happiness.

If you look at Buddha's life story, it is clear that he could have had, and indeed he did have, everything he could wish for from worldly life. But after examining it, he could see that - no matter how pleasant or satisfactory a feeling or situation he was experiencing - these were all temporary. He saw that it was not the ultimate goal or priority to attain this type of experience, what we are calling Emotional Happiness. Therefore, he left that life in search of something that is lasting, something that is unchangeable. This is what students of Buddha's way and path are practicing: the practice of Timeless Happiness.

Having said all of this, to seek happiness, do we need to suddenly change the way we live? Do we need to renounce and abandon things from our lives? We may naturally have these kind of questions and doubts. I would say that it is all about the attitude - how we want to live our lives. It all depends on our priority, our ultimate goal. If our priority is to seek Timeless Happiness, the first thing we must do is reflect.

Five minutes a day

It is beneficial to reflect every day on what we are really seeking, the conditions that we have been gathering, and the methods that we have been applying. There is no harm in taking a little time every day from our schedules. We can start by taking just five minutes a day - it's not much - and the practice itself doesn't need to involve intensive methods or rigorous procedures. All we need to do is sit, or stand in a place where we feel comfortable, quiet and peaceful.

Then, simply meditate and reflect, with a calm state of mind and body. Reflect on the past 24 hours - nothing more - reflect on exactly what has happened. Do this in an unemotional way, without judgment. By doing so, there is so much benefit. You will understand more about yourself, the various interesting aspects of your life. Not only will this help your memory, gain clarity, but it can truly help you understand yourself, and the true nature of happiness.

I encourage all of you to try this. I follow this practice as much as I can, and it definitely brings a lot of benefit. It helps me to understand exactly where I am, what I have experienced in the past, and by doing so it also helps me understand what may happen, the possibilities. In this way, this simple practice can help us understand the past, the present and the future. We feel confident, and can gain an insight into happiness.

I hope this is beneficial to all of you. I offer my aspirations and prayers that we all are able to achieve Timeless Happiness. I pray that we will all gain clarity, and that we will all find the conditions to appreciate the connection that we have. I pray that we cultivate the conditions to realise the potential that we have, the bond that we all share such as the bond of family, the bond of friends. And I pray that this will grow not just Emotional Happiness, but Timeless Happiness in our world.

This is an edited transcript of a live-streamed public talk by Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, which he gave on the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Happiness 2015. Karmapa can be followed @karmapaorg, on Facebook, or his website is www.karmapa.org

Follow His Holiness Karmapa Thaye Dorje on Twitter: www.twitter.com/karmapaorg