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Let
me show you another set of statistics. The personal income of
Americans has increased more than 2 1/2 times over the last 50 years
YET their happiness level has remained the same. Furthermore, 37% of
the people on Forbes List of Wealthiest Americans are less happy
than the average American!
Professor Daniel
Kahneman of the University of Princeton shares the same
findings for the British people, "Standard of living has increased dramatically and happiness
has increased not at all, and in some cases has diminished
slightly."
Indeed, true happiness is elusive.
Most people continue to look for happiness but fail to find it. Even
the great achievers, the wealthy, and most powerful people on earth
have been striving for it, yet many failed to have it. Is happiness
impossible to achieve?
Happiness isn't impossible to
attain. Didn't we feel ecstatic when we were promoted? How
about when we got our first paycheck? Didn't we feel happy while in
a loving relationship? How about the first time we cradled our
child in our arms? How about being in the company of close friends?
It might have been a long time ago and we totally forgot that once
in our life we've experienced moments of happiness.
Why is
happiness so elusive for most people? Could it be that we've been
looking for happiness in the wrong places? Is it
possible we have the wrong concept of happiness?
In all
these discouraging statistics and questions, this report aims to
provide a ray of hope. Experiments conducted by New Zealand
psychologist Kaye Haye, in line with The
Happiness Increase Experiment, "have empirically
demonstrated that individuals can be trained to be 25 percent
happier through various training programs from two to ten
weeks."
This report
presents breakthrough ideas in order to equip the reader with tools
on how to achieve happiness. As individuals, we have a choice. We
can always choose to find happiness. This report points to its
various sources. Succeeding chapters will provide ideas on how to
create and achieve happiness.
In addition, this report
discusses the different causes of unhappiness and teaches us how to
overcome them. It cites several barriers to happiness. One such
barrier is our unrealistic expectations. We must always remember we
can't command the world to function according to our own desires. We
can only control our needs and wants, but not the forces needed to
achieve them. If we keep on desiring endlessly, we're just exposing
ourselves to unhappiness.
To balance off barriers
to happiness, there are happiness enhancers. What will lift our
moods and reinforce pleasant disposition? One of the objectives of
this report is to provide the reader with keys to living a longer,
healthier, and happier life. It's hoped that after reading this
report, we'll be able to pursue happiness in all areas of our
lives.
Happiness is a choice. We are in control of our own
happiness as only we can decide what to think and feel. As Helen
Keller said, "Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from
within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for
us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do,
first for the other fellow and then for ourselves."
Glenn Cutfort,
Publisher SelfHelpandWellness.com
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