The Cultivate an Exceptional life Podcast is where Leisa Watkins uncovers stories, strategies, and resources designed to inspire and encourage you to cultivate better health, more happiness, and joy, despite the challenges life throws in our path.

CULTIVATE AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE PODCAST INFORMATION

Podcast Episodes
Recommend a Guest/Be a Guest

GUEST APPEARANCES

Guest Appearances

REGISTER FOR ONE OF A COURSES TO ACCESS MORE RESOURCES ON CULTIVATING AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE

FREEBIES TO HELP YOU PLANT, GROW, AND HARVEST AN UPGRADED LIFE

DISCOVER SOME OF MY FAVORITE RESOURCES

Cultivating Health, Happiness & Joy through

CULTIVATING HAPPINESS

Cultivating happiness begins with happy living.  Happiness if an effect of doing things that create those feelings of happiness. It is not a destination one arrives at and remain at.  There will be happy days and sad days.  Happy living is the conscious building of practices in one’s life that create more of those feelings of happiness and less of the sad.

 

This section of the website covers articles designed to help you create more happiness.
 
 

The Latest Happy Living Posts

Visit to the Fredericksburg Battlefield

Visit to the Fredericksburg Battlefield

When I was homeschooling my children, I planned on taking the kids to many of the Civil War battlefields. I planned on doing it on our 3-month US History field trip. Sadly, we were never able to make that trip. I finally succeeded in taking at least one child to some...

Veyo Pies in Veyo, Utah: A Sweet Slice of Utah’s Dessert Scene

Veyo Pies in Veyo, Utah: A Sweet Slice of Utah’s Dessert Scene

Renowned for its delicate crusts and an extensive list of specialty fillings, Veyo Pies has gained widespread acclaim over the years. The iconic pie shop is the undeniable main attraction in Vego, UT, drawing in large crowds o every time I have been there. From the...

Should I Pursue My Dream? Here’s 6 Questions To Ask Yourself

Should I Pursue My Dream? Here’s 6 Questions To Ask Yourself

"Should I pursue my dream?"  That's what most of ask many times in our lifetime. Or perhaps you're feeling lost or unsure about how to achieve your dreams in life, don't worry! In this article, we'll explore six questions that can help decide if you should pursue that...

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things – Part 1

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things – Part 1

My heart is full of gratitude, and I just had to share some things that make me feel truly blessed. Here is Part I in my list of favorite things; things that enrich my soul and delight my heartWHISKERS ON KITTENSYes, I have that song running through my head. But...

The Importance of Play in Adulthood

The Importance of Play in Adulthood

Why Do We Discount the Importance of Play? Have you noticed one of the primary differences between childhood and adulthood is play? After all, “Adults aren’t supposed to play.” Adults get jobs, do chores, run errands, and more. If there is any time left over, we may...

How to Turn Regret into a Positive Experience

How to Turn Regret into a Positive Experience

Do you feel regret in life? I have. I've felt regret; those momentary feelings of loss, disappointment, or dissatisfaction with something in my life. I would warrant that all of us have experienced some type of regret in our life. Something we wished we had done...

On Orange Brunch Restaurant in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

On Orange Brunch Restaurant in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

I stopped by On Orange during for lunch one day on a trip to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Centrally located in downtown Lancaster.  They only serve an all-day breakfast.  It noticed it was listed as a favorite restaurant on several review lists so when I ended up...

Kitchen Kettle Village, Lancaster, PA

Kitchen Kettle Village, Lancaster, PA

I stopped at Kitchen Kettle Village, in Intercourse, Pennsylvania on a recent short stay in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Kitchen Kettle Village is a fun collection of shops, restaurants, and even lodging.  It was founded with a Pennsylvania Dutch theme in mind and...

Red Hills Desert Garden, St. George, UT

Red Hills Desert Garden, St. George, UT

Nature has a way of captivating us with its breathtaking beauty, and the Red Hills Desert Garden in St. George, UT is a prime example of how nature can thrive even in arid landscapes. This stunning garden, nestled in the heart of the Mojave Desert, is a unique...

A Look Inside Central Market Lancaster County Pennsylvania

A Look Inside Central Market Lancaster County Pennsylvania

I wandered through Central Market on a recent trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I literally stumbled upon it as I was photographing the historical character of Lancaster. At the time I had no idea how much history there was around the market. Central Market is the...

Curb Appeal Ideas from Lancaster Pennsylvania

Curb Appeal Ideas from Lancaster Pennsylvania

Downtown Lancaster Pennsylvania has many homes with some great curb appeal. Lancaster is the oldest inland city in the United States. It has a lot of old historic buildings. So many of the homes and businesses in downtown Lancaster has some great details to give...

3 Day Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Travel Guide

3 Day Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Travel Guide

I have wanted to go to Lancaster Pennsylvania for many years. It started back in my early twenties when I spent my time creating and selling handcrafted items. I guess I wanted to go see what the Amish, who are expert homemakers, did. I always said I wanted to go...

Chart Your Course: Dream, Act, Plan, Believe In Your Dreams

Chart Your Course: Dream, Act, Plan, Believe In Your Dreams

I am a huge dreamer and a huge believer in the ability to accomplishing one’s dreams. I always have been. However, life doesn’t ever quite seem to turn out the way you dream it would. Life happens and dreams sometimes get trampled. For me, illness stuck, loss hit,...

6 Ways Art Can Benefit Your Health & Happiness

6 Ways Art Can Benefit Your Health & Happiness

Viewing Art Contributes to HealthThe Nord-Trondelag Health Study, conducted in Norway, collected information from 130,000 people ages 13 and up. The facilitators questioned more than 50,000 men and women about how often they participated in arts-related activities,...

Five Benefits of Solitude

Five Benefits of Solitude

In today's overly connected 24/7 society, it can be difficult to find quality time with your spouse, kids and friends — let alone yourself. But carving out some quiet “me” time should be on everyone’s priority list, and even a few...

Gratitudes Impact on Health Happiness & Joy

Gratitudes Impact on Health Happiness & Joy

Gratitude can make a positive and significant impact on your health, happiness, and joy. That is what study after study shows. It can help us make a transition from happiness to joy and from unhealthy to healthy. Gratitude is such a powerful emotion. It is difficult...

Canyon Villas at Coral Ridge

Canyon Villas at Coral Ridge

The town homes at Coral Canyon are one of our favorite places to stay. I have stayed here for 21 days over the past few years. The place is spacious with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a large pantry, and plenty of kitchen space.  It sleeps 8 comfortably. And it well...

The Creamery in Beaver, UT.  Our Southern Utah Road Trip Tradition

The Creamery in Beaver, UT. Our Southern Utah Road Trip Tradition

I have many ice cream memories from growing up, such as Sunday night ice cream with the family and Grandpa Bruvold stocking the freezer with ice cream whenever we came to visit. A few ice cream traditions have evolved with my children, and one of them is stopping at...

Perspective Makes All the Difference in Our Happiness

Perspective Makes All the Difference in Our Happiness

Life will bring you plenty of experiences that you can use to grow from and opportunities to change your perspective. You will grow as your experiences expand and eventually everything works out in its own perfect way. However, most often, we fail to see the benefit...

6 Strategies to Create Your Own Happiness

6 Strategies to Create Your Own Happiness

Many people come to believe very early in life that life is a game they can't win. They spend the rest of their lives collecting "evidence" to prove why they don't deserve to be happy or that I can't be happy because "this happened" to me. They spend time thinking...

Service is a Great Stress Reliever & Part of Your Purpose

Service is a Great Stress Reliever & Part of Your Purpose

I had been feeling super down for a few days. I hadn’t cried that much in 24 hours than I have in the past many, many years. The last time I felt that way was when I miscarried twins 15 or so years ago. It was highly unusual for me. I think all the stuff that I had...