HAPPINESS

As an intellectual challenge, I often pose

questions to myself like.

"What's the key to happiness?

"Perhaps the best test of a man's intelligence

is his capacity for making a summary." The

subject of happiness can feel complex and

overwhelming; forcing myself to answer fairly

simplistic questions in a few words helps me

clarify my thinking. Of course, thoughtful

answers to these questions could go on for

pages, but it helps me sometimes to keep it

simple.

If you had to identify a single element as the

key element to happiness, what would it be?

Strong relationships with other people.

What’s the quickest, easiest way to give

yourself a mood boost?

Listen to an upbeat song you love, or jump up

and down a few times.

What’s the most pernicious happiness myth?

That it's selfish and self-absorbed to try to

be happier.

What’s the most common mistake people make when

trying to be happy?

Making resolutions that are abstract and vague;

resolutions work better when they’re very

concrete, and when it’s easy to tell whether

you’ve stuck to it or not. Instead of resolving

to “Get more joy out of life,” resolve to “Have

lunch with a friend twice a week,” or “Rent a

classic movie and watch it every Sunday night.”

I've found that when I distill an idea into a

short, memorable phrase, I do a better job of

remembering and following it. For that reason,

I work hard to capture my ideas succinctly.

1.The days are long, but the years are short.

2.Outer order contributes to inner calm.

3.Happy people make people happy -- but you

can't

4.make someone be happy.

5.Accept myself, and expect more from myself.

6.Happiness doesn't always make you feel happy.

7.Flawed can be more perfect than perfection.

8.Be selfless, if only for selfish reasons.

9.Make people happier by acknowledging that

they're not feeling happy.

10.Succeed by failing.

Be serious about play.