We’ve all known people who had everything but weren’t happy in spite of it all. If money won’t buy happiness, what will? Psychologist Dan Baker, Ph.D., says the connection between money and happiness is nothing but a trap. In his book, What Happy People Know: How the New Science of Happiness Can Change Your Life for the Better (Rodale), he and co-author Cameron Strauth have some worthy answers.
The 12 most important qualities of happiness are love, optimism, courage, a sense of freedom, proactivity, security, health, spirituality, altruism, perspective, humor, and purpose. These are the things you should make up your mind to achieve.
* Appreciation will make you happy. It is the purest form of love. It is physiologically impossible to be in a state of fear and appreciation at the same time. Appreciation is an antidote to fear.
* The ability to make a choice can govern your perception. Having no choices or options can lead to feelings of helplessness. Anyone can choose the course of their life, but only happy people do it.
* Personal power is the proactive force that gives you control over your feelings and your fate. It involves taking responsibility, taking action, and realizing that your life belongs to you alone, then doing something about it.
* Using your intellect and spirit will help you begin to focus on your strengths and solutions to problems. If you begin to fear, you are focusing on your weaknesses.
* The power of words and stories makes you see the world as you describe it. What you tell yourself about your life eventually comes true. We can tell ourselves healthy stories or horror stories. It’s a matter of choice.