Knowing what is true happiness, is the first secret to it all. After all happiness is not that intangible treasure people dream of at the bottom of the rainbow. It is all your state of mind rather than your situation. Surrounding themselves with family and friends, the happiest people don't bother about keeping up appearances. They prefer to lose themselves in daily activities. This was the truth of Vanuatu, with its low ecological footprint, voted the Happiest Country on Earth, in 2006. A tiny tropical island nation in the South Pacific, where the GNP was rated 207, out of the 233 countries around the world . Money, or lack of, is not the secret to happiness. Neither is happiness something that can be purchased. The Pennsylvania psychologist, Martin. E.P. Seligman, states, â€The happiest people judge themselves by their own yardsticks, never against what others do, or have". Others say that the happiest people are those who have have a forgiving nature . Psychologists do agree that gratitude is a major factor in life satisfaction and enjoying the feeling of well being. There is a common perception among Western society that happiness is the culmination of what you are able to achieve and what you have the ability to acquire. These people are ruled by the 'If onlyâ€' syndrome. However, you can have everything in the world and still be miserable. Or you can own very little and feel abundant happiness. Another aspect to happiness was seen when a young man faced the reality that he was in danger of losing his eyesight. "Eyesight is worth at least five million dollars an eye. You have two of them? That makes you wealthy . If you truly appreciate your eyesight, then the other problems are nothing. Yet if you allow it to be taken for granted, then nothing in life will ever truly give you joy". It is possible to intellectually understand how to gain happiness, so the experts all say, yet not have the ability to put it into practice, for in the final analysis happiness is an attitude of choice. It's how you choose to look at life. There are some people who prefer to be comfortable and unhappy, rather than make the effort and wear the discomfort of altering their habits in the search of true happiness. For some their secret to happiness is based on being considerate of those around them, as we subconsciously mimic those we are in close contact with. Just try walking into a roomful of people with a big happy smile on your face. Half an hour later walk into the same room with a glowering frown on your face. Watch the reflective reaction of those around you. The scientific community now feel that the search for happiness is becoming more scientific and a field of vital exploration. Though one researcher, American social philosopher, Eric Hoffer, states : "The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness". Perhaps happiness in January 2009, is not having lost a fortune on the stock market in 2008. Here are a some hints that may aid you in your search for lasting happiness: â€Know bad times are an inevitable part of the life cycle â€Rationalize and adjust to the low times as quickly as possible â€Visualize current and future events in isolation â€Trust in your own resilience †you can always go a lot further than you think you can â€Always remember tomorrow is new day. A chance for a new start . A simple formula to finding happiness is to sit down with your spouse, partner, or roommate at the end of every day and discuss one pleasure that each of you had during the day. If you are a family, incorporate this into your family routine so that your children also learn to appreciate the simple pleasures of daily living. Life is full of those once in a lifetime Blue Moon Opportunities, that can make or break you. Success it not happiness, but failure to try, leads to a life full of regrets. Here’s wishing you all the happiness you can find in 2009.
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