The history of all times, and of today especially, teaches that ... women will be forgotten if they forget to think about themselves. -Louise Otto

Thursday, April 16, 2009

10 KEYS to HAPPINESS



1- PLAY YOUR STRENGTHS "as you are seeking contentment, it's better to focus on your assets rather than try to compensate your weaknesses"

2- GET A HOBBY "creativity helps people adapt to life by making them more flexible and open to experiences, this then in turn fosters satisfaction and self-esteem"

3- SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE "people who say making a lot of money is important to them are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and headaches- and less likely to report being satisfied with their lives. those pleasures only bring the kind of happiness that disappears quickly. to achieve lasting contentment, you need to focus on experiences, not things"

4- DECIDE THEN MOVE ON "people who continually seek out the best of everything- be it a job, a mate, or a lap-top, are more stressed and less-fulfilled. to reduce anxiety, don't revisit a decision already made. tell yourself that good enough is good enough"

5- WIDEN YOUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS "relationships with close friends are one of the best vehicles to hapiness. these bonds give us a sense of purpose. research shows that friends keep us healthy, reduce anxiety, and even foster longevity.

6- ACCEPT THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE WON'T LIKE YOU "if you take everyone's judgment to heart, you surrender your own ability to view yourself clearly"

7- ACCENTUATE THE GOOD "gratitude is the cornerstone of happiness. it's all about noticing what's right in our lives instead of what's wrong"

8- SILENCE TOXIC SELF-TALK "research shows that thinking about your mistakes obsessively drags you down and gives you an increasingly negative disposition"

9- MATCH YOUR INTENTIONS TO YOUR ACTIONS "we find happiness when we derive pleasure as well as meaning to what we do"

10- MOVE IT "to or three short bursts of exercise each day can help to improve our outlook and attitude"