Three Keys to Happiness

Randy Taran, who is founder and chief happiness officer of Project Happiness, writes about Three Keys to Lasting Happiness.  He says, “If you had to choose three keys to lasting happiness, what would they be?  For me, those keys are gratitude, connecting with others and giving.  It is not rocket science, although science has proven how these habits can make you live longer, enjoy better health and get more joy out of life.….Gratitude: A simple practice of writing down or otherwise reflecting on a few things you are grateful for has huge benefits.  Psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough have researched that gratitude is the ‘forgotten factor’ in happiness research.  The benefits of expressing gratitude range from improved physical health to improved mental alertness….Connection:  In our culture, there are all sorts of classic heroes—often loners who make their way despite all obstacles.  Yet, there is an underlying longing for connection that we all share at some level.  The Dalai Lama points out, ‘We human beings are social beings.  We come into the world as the result of others' actions.  We survive here in dependence on others.  Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others' activities.  For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.’…Giving: here are many ways of giving; we can volunteer; we can be present for a conversation; we can give gifts to others.  We've all heard the expression that money cannot buy happiness.  Taking that a step further, a 2008 study showed that spending money on others leads to higher happiness levels than spending money on oneself.”

For more see www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-taran/the-key-to-happiness b 10004566.html (July 2011).