Happiness—characterized by good luck; fortunate; cheerful, marked by pleasure and satisfaction.

   We all pursue happiness with varying degrees of zeal and success; but a successful pursuit of anything starts with a clear picture of what is. Unfortunately the above dictionary definition doesn’t do much to clarify the very important concept of happiness.

   For forty years two leading psychologists, Martin Seligman and Donald Clifton, have lead to the charge of positive psychology—the study of how positive emotions and behavior can lead to higher levels of success—in an attempt to counter the negative impact of the more popular preoccupation with unhappiness and mental illness. Today, most people know much more about being unhappy and failing than being happy and succeeding. Even the majority of self-help books focus on fixing what is wrong rather than learning how to do what is right. But things are changing!

   From all the latest research on happiness, success and living the good life, here are a few things we know can help improve chances of getting there:

1. It all starts by focusing on and competing against yourself to be the best you can be, by learning your strengths, developing them fully and applying them frequently; there must be a shift away from trying to fix your weaknesses, overcoming emotional trauma and hardship, and competing against others or some unachievable absolute standard.


2. Take one or more of the many on-line personality, success and happiness tests that are available to help learn your main strengths that can be used to increase your own positive emotionality and personal experiences living the good life.


3. Study other virtuous behaviors that lead to happiness, i.e. unconditional love, kindness, valor, hope, love, humor, optimism, wisdom, curiosity, patience, honesty, empathy, etc. Learn how these behaviors are developed and demonstrated, practice them in little ways and then look for opportunities to apply them in bigger ways.  


4. There has never been a better single guide to follow in getting along better with others than the Golden Rule—and not getting along with others is a sure way to prolong unhappiness unnecessarily. Treating others the way you want to be treated simply works well to give you a feeling you want more of. And it is usually free.


5. Increase your daily expressions of positive emotionality—appreciating beauty, smiling, laughing, acknowledging, complementing and thanking people, doing anonymous acts of random kindness, saying “yes,” winking, whistling, humming, being optimistic and focusing on what is right with people and life.


6. Start noticing the contagious interconnectedness of positivism. When you smile at someone else you usually get a smile back. This feels good and the good feeling helps you finish more work and that gives you more time to play, which in turn gives you more to smile about. Before you know it you have had a very happy and productive day.


7. Seek out deep relationships with other positive, happy people. The support and synergism you get from them are a forged steel fence against the inevitable tough times of unpleasant adversity, when being positive, optimistic and happy really get put to the test and count most.


8. Indulge your own growth process and avoid negative situations or people who are pre-occupied about expressing negative emotionality such as anger, dishonesty, insensitivity, rudeness, pessimism, complaining or other unproductive behaviors. It takes too many positive acts to eliminate one negative one and so avoidance is smart.


9. Collect pictures of yourself as happy and smiling. They will be full of positive memories when you may need some.


10. Don’t forget to thank a higher power for providing the wonderful opportunity to be happy and live the good life. And it never hurts to ask if you can do anything in return for the favor.