About Ingrid Kelada

Ms. Ingrid Kelada has over 25 years of experience in psychology and is a happiness expert. She lives in Montreal and is bilingual. She is proud of her recent bestselling book "21 Days to Happiness" available on Amazon and now as an interactive eLearning program @ https://kccpositivepsychology.com. She is a speaker and has facilitated over 1000 workshops all over the world on a wide range of topics such as leadership, emotional intelligence, conflict management, stress/time & energy management and more!
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How Connections Create Happiness

Connections Are Key Do you want to know one of the best secrets to true happiness? It's probably not what you think. One of the greatest ways to have a happy life is to create connections with others. Does this sound too easy? Too hard? The truth is, relationships can be challenging. But they also bring the greatest rewards we can imagine. Connections with People Think about the people in your life with whom you have connections. You look forward to seeing them. They give your life some unpredictability. Something to look forward to. You never know exactly what they'll say or do. A chat with a friend or peer can provide an opportunity to celebrate your successes or share a disappointment and gain some perspective or get some advice. "A joy that's shared is a joy made double" Proverb Connections with Nature In addition to connecting with people, forging a connection with the world gives us the opportunity to step away from the chaos and appreciate the greatness around us. Spend time outside, listening to the sounds of nature. You'll find just doing this alleviates some feelings of anxiety and stress. Take a walk and enjoy the trees, flowers, and birds around you. Allow yourself a few moments to marvel at how intricate and beautiful nature really is. Focus on that feeling of gratitude. Feel happier? Great! Take Happiness with You Take that positive experience with you to your next appointment or meeting. Smile when you greet other people. Ask other people how they're doing, and mean it. Giving your attention forges connections with people and spreads happiness. They'll feel happier, and so will you. This kind of connected life will take the focus away from your complaints. Instead of noticing all the things that don't go the way you want, you'll begin to notice the things that you're grateful for. People want to spend more time with someone who makes them feel good. When you are a person full of gratitude and positive energy, that makes people want to spend more time with you. Create Authentic Connections This doesn't mean you can't vent to or confide in others. You don't have to pretend to be happy when you aren't. People feel close to someone who shares an authentic self. If you're unhappy, and need to talk about something, seek out a trusted friend and open up to them. It may prove to be an opportunity for you both to bond and explore solutions and paves the way for new, happier experiences to come. In my book, 21 Days to Happiness, I talk about how important connections to others are for happiness and how to nurture those relationships. Find out more in my book  in Day 19, Relationships: Better than Money in the Bank.

By |2019-11-22T16:13:27-04:00August 21st, 2018|Happiness Tips|Comments Off on How Connections Create Happiness
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Are You Chasing the Butterfly of Happiness

Is Happiness Like a Butterfly? Sometimes we treat happiness like it's an elusive butterfly in the garden of life. Imagine a young child in the garden on a summer day. He sees a beautiful butterfly flitting from flower to flower. He wants to see it close up, touch it, and hold it in his hands. But as he moves towards the flower that the butterfly is resting on, just as he gets within reach, the butterfly moves to another flower. And so the child follows the butterfly to the next flower, and then the next. But the butterfly always stays just out of reach. Even to adults, happiness can seem just like that butterfly: always just out of reach. It can become almost an obsession and the words “if only…” become an increasingly large part of our thoughts and vocabulary. "If only I had more money I would be happy, if only I was in a great relationship I would be happy, if only I could have a different job..." and the list goes on. This kind of thought life doesn't lead to greater happiness. If we achieve one of our “if only “desires, the happiness we seek somehow manages to stay just out of our reach. Do you remember the expression about the grass being greener on the other side? It's the same idea. Where does happiness come from? The truth is, we won't be completely satisfied by external events or circumstances. To find happiness in life we must first be at peace internally. External events and circumstances can bring us happiness in the moment, but they do not have a lasting effect on our inner self. Life brings a mixture of good and bad circumstances to everyone. To rely on life’s experiences for our source of happiness would mean living life in a constant emotional roller coaster ride. Wouldn't it be better to learn to have a steady feeling of contentment rather than be at the mercy of circumstances and be tossed from the high and low feelings like a ship in a storm? Happiness comes from within. The inner contentment that survives the roller coaster ride of life has its roots deep within our being. The source of happiness comes from finding and embracing who we are as a person, and living a life of purpose. We need to find peace in every aspect of our life- the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Acceptance, purpose and peace in all of these areas will give a sense of completion in life. Is happiness an elusive butterfly for you? Spend some time in quiet reflection. Are you neglecting one of the four important parts of who you are and experiencing a sense of emptiness within? The more you discover, embrace and accept your uniqueness and purpose, the more you will be able to stop chasing the elusive butterfly of happiness and instead experience the butterfly of happiness coming to you and alighting on your shoulder. You can read more about [...]

By |2020-08-02T14:27:33-04:00July 9th, 2018|Happiness Tips|Comments Off on Are You Chasing the Butterfly of Happiness
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Leadership Tools: Conquering Fear

What do you fear?Stop for a moment and think about this: what keeps you from living your dreams?What problem tends to dominate the average person's life without us even noticing?The answer: FEAR!People live every day in fear. Fear of not delivering, of dissapointing others, of being judged, of losing wealth, fear of conflict with loved ones, fear of making the wrong decisions. We are afraid to be ourselves, afraid to grow up, afraid to make commitments. The list goes on and on.Think for a moment. Does this apply to you? The fear of living life to the fullest may have paralyzed you. If you let it, this fear will cause you to hold yourself back in your business and in your personal life.Most people live life in the grip of this fear without ever becoming aware that it has control over them. Fear can turn your dreams of financial freedom, loving relationships, and a fulfilling and significant life into a pattern of bad habits like procrastination and negative self-talk.Conquering Your FearsThere are two questions you need to answer to conquer your fear.Which fear has the most control over your behavior? (Is it the fear of failure, the fear of rejection, the fear of success, or is it all of them?)How do I interrupt the bad habits that I have developed as a means of protection from this fear? (How do I interrupt the programming-- patterns of self-sabotage, avoidance, procrastination, etc.-- I have within me?Answers to these questions will provide you the keys to overcoming your fears. If you can answer them, your life will forever change.The reality of fear is that it is human and is a part of life. It’s not going to go away. Some fear is even healthy! It is a gift given to you to keep you safe.Every person is born with instinctive fears, like fear of falling, fear of loud noises, and fear of abandonment. These fears help you monitor what is going on around you. Think about it: fear gives you the adrenaline rush that helps you escape a situation that is really, truly unsafe and the same rush that causes you to fight to win.So what caused the gift of fear to be the number one problem in society today? Why do people let fear control their actions, beliefs and lives? The answer is the difference between reacting to fear and acting in fear. It has everything to do with your belief system.Children typically react instinctively to fear, which is appropriate behavior at this age. As we age, though, we learn which sounds truly signal danger (a fire alarm, for instance) versus which are startling but harmless (a car backfiring on a nearby street). It's important to recognize that our fear response doesn't always mean danger.Take that same knowledge to your fears about your business or relationships. What events trigger your fear responses? What can you do about them? Make a list of possible responses to those fearful situations and keep it where [...]

By |2019-11-05T07:23:03-04:00July 3rd, 2018|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on Leadership Tools: Conquering Fear
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Leadership Tools: Effective Listening

Effective Listening Isn't Waiting Your Turn to SpeakAll too often we are far more enthusiastic about talking than we are listening. Yet effective listening is vital for effective communication. Would you believe that most conflicts are simple misunderstandings?When we are actively listened to we feel valued and are far more likely to be engaged and compromise if necessary.Listening is about far more than words. Watching facial expression and body language is often a far more accurate barometer than the words that are being used. For example, think about the way you know a genuine smile from a false one. A genuine smile reaches the eyes of the person smiling. A false one is usually just an upturn of the lips.10 Tips for Effective ListeningHere are some practical tips to help you develop your listening skills and improve your communication with others.Make eye contact. Looking at a speaker's face helps you focus on them and tune out other distractions. It also helps reinforce to the speaker that you're paying attention. Here's a quick tip: notice the person's eye color.Consider the speaker's body language. Is the speaker relaxed, sitting back in a chair with an open posture? Is he anxious, fiddling with his hands and glancing around rapidly? Does he seem closed off with crossed arms or legs?Manage your body language. Angle your shoulders so they face the person speaking. Nod occasionally. Don't multitask...be 100% attentive!Ask relevant questions. Effective listening means asking the speaker to clarify when you are not clear what's being said. Asking questions shows that you are interested.Practice reflective listening. Repeat the main ideas back to the speaker, beginning with something like, "What I hear you saying is..."Use open-ended questions. Ask who, what, where, when, why, how? Give the speaker time to respond to questions.Monitor your tone. Be careful of the tone of your voice when you respond or ask questions. It is all too easy to come across as judgemental or as an interrogator.Use empathy. Acknowledge difficulties, but be careful not to fall into the trap of going into anecdotes from your experience. “I sense that you are finding this rather difficult,” rather than, “Oh, I know, it happened to me only like this...”Take notes. This demonstrates that what is being said is important to you and that you will follow-up to action items and requests.Take a real interest. If you are simply going through the motions the lack of sincerity will be obvious to others. Leave your ego behind, concentrate on the other person.Try these effective listening strategies at home and at work. Use them with peers, people you lead, and your bosses. Watch how it impacts your relationships. You'll find people feel more comfortable with you and trust you more, which can only help you be a better leader.Ingrid KeladaBusiness Psychologist/Happiness ExpertKCC Inc.

By |2019-11-05T07:31:41-04:00June 19th, 2018|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on Leadership Tools: Effective Listening
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