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To Be Happy in Dubai

Happiness is an inside job in the UAE, where government officials have teamed up with happiness experts to try to boost the country’s standing as one of the happiest places on Earth. Aiming for the Top 10 in the World Happiness Report, the UAE has stepped up its focus on improving the lives of citizens by approving grants for education, employment and housing.Official language: ArabicLife expectancy: 77.09 yearsHappiness claim to fame: No. 14 on the “World Happiness Report.”Suad Alhalwachi was making a good salary when she realized the old adage is true—money can’t buy happiness. As an accounting professional, she made excellent money but knew something was missing. So she quit her job and launched Education Zone, an educational consulting firm that specializes in helping students achieve their scholastic goals.'Happy' comes from insideChanging careers made Suad, who lives in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, realize that being happy was something that came from within her instead of from a paycheck. Giving hope and guidance to students keeps her happy and motivated, says the grandmother of two. And it allows her to combine her passion for learning withprofessional development.“I am not wealthy enough to have achieved all my dreams yet,” she says, “but I still have what I want.” Although she lives in one of the wealthiest countries in the world— Dubai is known as the City of Gold—she measures her contentment by counting blessings, not acquisitions.Counting blessingsAmong those blessings are her 2-year-old granddaughter, who loves playing with makeup, “so I let her apply makeup on my face. I look like a clown at the end, but I enjoy being her clown!” She also has a 7-month-old grandson whom she enjoys pushing in his stroller through the park: “He loves to watch the cats and birds.”She revels in these simple pleasures but acknowledges her life would be easier if she had more money: “It would help me pay off my mortgage faster, grow my company bigger, build a better future for my children and grandchildren and even do more charity works.” However, she chooses to focus on what she has right now. “I believe if everyone learns to find joy in their everyday living, they will develop an optimistic attitude toward life and be happy.”An example of joy and resilienceBorn and raised in Bahrain, Suad and her 12 siblings learned their most important life lessons from their mother, who never learned to read or write, something her children didn’t know until they were older. “She never grumbled about it. In fact, she managed to make us read our assignments to her, and she would even sense out that we did not read it correctly and then tell us it did not sound correct to her.”She also taught them, by example, to approach tasks joyfully and without complaint. “She happily did the entire chores at our home; she raised us, taught us, baked for us, sewed our cloths, painted our house, made curtains for the home, and this list is endless, but she never complained.”Cherish small thingsInspired by her mother’s example, Suad learned to cherish the small things. She says her mother “taught us an important lesson: that life is never given on a plate to anyone. Therefore, be thankful for even the smallest thing you have because many others across the world are less fortunate.”Suad says the best way to experience happiness is by helping those in need. It is something that is deeply ingrained in her, and while she sees her mission in education as one way to help eradicate poverty, she feels she must do more, so she and her family sponsor the education of five small children from an orphanage in Iraq.“We are also helping poor Bahraini artists in promoting their work,” she says, explaining that she created an organization called The Curators to help promote the work ofstruggling artists. “Art is my passion. I thought if I spend time [with artists] and help them advertise their art, people will buy it and their life will shift to the better. Now we’re helping them sell their art. This gives us immense pleasure.”Click here to read more about happiness around the world.

Lifestyle

Happiness is a Choice

As one of the world’s least-developed countries, Malawi has a low life expectancy, high infant mortality and a 74 percent poverty rate. Yet it is dubbed “the warm heart of Africa” and topped Forbes magazine’s 2010 list as the African country with the happiest people.Researchers say that happiness comes from its relative calm, peaceful environment, which allows the government to spend its limited resources on social or economic initiatives that positively affect the lives of Malawians.Official language: ChichewaLife expectancy: 59.99 yearsHappiness claim to fame: Named the happiest country in Africa by the World Database of Happiness and by Forbes; named one of the happiest places to visit by Lonely Planet.In the shadow of Mount Zomba, in the African country of Malawi, a young teacher named Mwaona Nyirongo has dedicated his life to helping his students reach new heights. Slender and gregarious, he lives and works in the eighth poorest country in the world, yet considers himself one of the happiest people on the planet. “I am not rich, but I am optimistic about life,” he explains. “I see possibilities everywhere and that helps me enjoy life and appreciate the love around me.”Growing up in the small town of Ntchenachena, where abject poverty, daily suffering and rampant HIV/AIDS infection were normal ways of life, he had no idea how desperate his situation was."I did not know life could be different"“The problems and deaths around me were what life was. I did not know life could be better or different,” Mwaona says. But when his father died unexpectedly, 12-year-old Mwaona went to live with an uncle who lived two hours away in Ekwendeni. Through his uncle, he met people who spoke of careers, education and life outside of Malawi. It was then that the young boy realized, “not everybody spends mornings without breakfast or sleeps without anything in the stomach.”As a teenager, he joined the Boy Scouts and was chosen to represent Malawi at the 20th World Scout Jamboree in Thailand in 2002. “What an eye-opener that was,” he recalls. “There were cellphones, Internet access, better hotels, a lot of food, better hospitals. Almost everything was way ahead of Malawi, and I started to feel extremely sorry for myself and my country.”A new awareness of the worldHis newfound awareness brought fascination but also generated pain and sadness because he was surrounded by so many things he could not have. “I realized my sadness was making me less productive, so I chose to cultivate happiness by focusing on the things that really matter,” says Mwaona, who currently teaches history and geographyat Mulunguzi Secondary School in Zomba and is pursuing a college degree in communications.He gives back to his community by volunteering with the organization Africa Classroom Connection, which builds much-needed classrooms in Malawi, and helps identify deserving students in need of scholarships.Giving backIn 2008, he raised money to organize a youth football league to keep young people involved and out of trouble. Although almost everyone in the village was destitute, the campaign was successful; neighbors gave what they could, and it was enough.“In Malawi, we believe in Ubuntu: ‘I am because we are.’ We are responsible for each other. Being involved in something big and honorable gives real meaning to my life and brings happiness,” he says. Now a scout leader himself, Mwaona surrounds himself with the love of relatives and friends. He enjoys Malawian dances like Malipenga and Beni, listens to American jazz standards and the music of The Beatles.Happiness is a choice“Happiness is a choice,” he says. “Our environment or situations do not make us unhappy. We make ourselves vulnerable and allow sadness in. We don’t need to wait for people to give us happiness; we must cultivate it on our own.”Click here to read more about happiness around the world.

Lifestyle

Secrets to a Happy Life

Japan has a relatively high standard of living and the world’s longest life expectancy, but according to Gallup, it ranks somewhere in the middle when it comes to happiness. The exception to that is found in Okinawa, an island archipelago that is home to a joyful and progressive population.Official language: JapaneseLife expectancy: 84.46 yearsHappiness claim to fame: Located in one of the famous “blue zones,” Okinawa is home to one of the oldest, happiest and healthiest populations on Earth.Okinawa Prefecture has Japan’s highest birth rate, and residents have been recognized for centuries for their health and longevity.In Okinawa, elderly women are respectfully called obah, or grandmother. Because residents of Okinawan communities feel deeply interconnected, an obah is everybody’s grandmother. A recent visit to Miyako Island revealed the secrets of three obahs’ long and joyful lives.Dance and WorkChikako Ikeda, 63, teaches traditional Okinawan dance. She divides her time between leisure, family time and work. From January to March, many families on the island help each other harvest sugarcane. Chikako works with her husband and daughter to prepare their sugarcane crops for sale.“There were not a lot of big typhoons last year, so sugarcane has grown pretty well,” she says. “Harvesting is pretty tough work and many people use big machines nowadays, but we prefer harvesting by hand.”A healthy dietAt the end of the day, the sugarcane is beautifully bundled and placed on the ground. At 5 p.m. they are back home and Chikako starts to prepare dinner while the others take baths. Eating well-balanced meals is one of the reasons for long life in Okinawan people. Meals include many kinds of green vegetables, seafood and pork with low salt content. Chikako says,“Working hard and eating well are the two keys for good health.” While her family enjoys their meal, she leaves the house and goes next door. Four evenings a week she teaches dance class. Her 26 students are all housewives age 50 to 77. After the lesson, she smiles and says, “The most important thing in my life is family, of course. But when I am dancing with friends, I feel very happy.”Tea with FriendsKimiko Motomura is a charming 90-year-old. Kimiko shares a few details about her life as she drinks tea with her close friend Hatsue Nakama, who is 89.“I am very happy to have family and good friends here in Nishihara town. I take a walk in my neighborhood every day to chat with people,” Kimiko says. She loves singingOkinawan folk songs and is the chairperson of a choral group. She volunteers with a group that cleans the town hall and around local monuments, and she also teaches the Miyako dialect to children to preserve the island’s culture and history. She has 18 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. “I am at my happiest when family members come to see me, and we have a meal together,” Kimiko says.“The key to happiness is to open your heart and be friendly with everyone,” she says. She smiles and keeps waving in front of the entrance to her beautiful house until her visitors vanish from sight.Preserving the PastOn Miyako Island, there is a traditional hemp textile weaving called Miyakojofu. The cloth is known to last for three generations. To make it into f ne thread requires a high level of skill, and Yoshiko Akamine is one of the few people who can still do it. She is 94.With three of her great-grandchildren playing in the living room, Yoshiko shows how she does it. “I make thread little by little each day. At the end of the year I will get some money for it, and I am very happy to give it to my grandchildren on New Year’s Day.”People encountered on Miyako Island are cheerful, friendly, optimistic and kind. They advise an easygoing approach to life and promise good health and long life will follow.Click here to read about happiness around the world.

Lifestyle

Be Happy in this Short Life

Bhutan, a tiny Buddhist kingdom in the eastern Himalayas, has gained international recognition for its concept of “Gross National Happiness,” an alternative to the gross domestic product as a measurement of a country’s standing. Created in the 1970s by the fourth king of Bhutan, who said he was more concerned with the well-being of Bhutan citizens than the country’s economy, the concept has been studied and adopted by other countries.Official language: DzongkhaLife expectancy: 68.98 yearsHappiness claim to fame:Developed the Gross National Happiness Index, which uses several indicators, including socio-economic development, environmental conservation, preservation and promotion of culture, and governance to measure the overall happiness of its residents.The concept of time is suspended as you enter the circumambulatory pilgrim stream at the National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, Bhutan. The monument is a daily touchstone for worshippers in the capital city; Mahayana Buddhism is the state religion here. The clang of a giant, wobbly prayer wheel bell rhythmically punctuates an explosive clap of pigeon wings. Pilgrims shuffle over cobblestone, whispering mantras while handling long strands of mala beads.Practice of the MindInside the chorten’s Tshokhang, or ritual hall, Lama Namgay, a senior monk, sits cross-legged in a darkened corner, his broad shoulders draped in the folds of his maroon and saffron robe.“To realize happiness, I had to meditate,” he says in his native Dzongkha through an interpreter. “That is when I found the nature of true contentment. “For me, happiness is achieved by calming the mind and freeing oneself of desires.”He was 7 years old when he joined the monastery body and continued with a decade of study and meditation training at Tango Buddhist College. He refers to a stint where he spent three years, three months, three weeks, and three days in complete meditative seclusion as the most satisfying and content period of his life.Click here to read more about the culture of Bhutan.Now, as a learned monk, he teaches novice monks, performs rituals for Bhutanese pilgrims and oversees daily operations at the National Memorial Chorten, a monument dedicated to the memory of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, the third king of Bhutan.“To live this life, you often want more,” he says. “You want more cars, more houses. There is the feeling that the more materials you possess will lead you to happiness. Everything is impermanent. Once born, we have to die. It is a short duration. So, to dissolve your desires is very important. Train your mind and it will change your life.”To achieve more peace and well-being, Lama Namgay plans to retire from serving the monastery body and relocate to a remote place in the mountains to further immerse himself in meditation.Practice of the BodyIn the Paro Valley, an alloy-steel arrow whizzes 450 feet through the air. It just misses the target and punctures a haystack wall in a puff of dust. Seconds later, another arrow pierces a white wooden plank, inches shy of the bull’s-eye. A handful of men in knee-high socks erupt into cheers and begin to dance in slow circles, their bows lifted high in the air.Dorji is a native of Wangdi, in central Bhutan, and works as a tourist guide. As a boy collecting firewood in the forest, Dorji would take along his traditional bamboo bow and arrows. He has now graduated to an alloy-steel bow and takes great pride in the national sport of the Kingdom.“There is a feeling shared among all of us who compete that we are preserving our traditional culture. That brings me great happiness, as it keeps me connected to something that goes deeper than the sport itself,” Dorji says. “And to win the match is seen as an auspicious sign for the year to come!”Click here toread more about the archery of of Bhutan.Dorji explains that archery offers fierce competition, but it is also just good, clean fun. Tournaments require sustained physical strength and can often last eight hours. Dorji often practices at Changlimethang, the National Archery Stadium in Thimphu.“There is a focus that we must bring to these matches, but at the same time it is a form of tension relief,” he says. “It is a means of driving away the emotional stress that comes with our daily lives.”For Dorji, the sport seems to be the remedy. “From my perception, there is no real choice but to be happy in this short life. To be born into this human life, we have time to practice, to enjoy. The choice is in our hands.”Click here to read more about happiness around the world.

Lifestyle

Great Danes

Denmark is consistently ranked in the top of international happiness studies. A strong civil society, good work-life balance and a high level of social security (such as free health care and generous unemployment benefits) are often cited as reasons for its extraordinary happiness.Official language: DanishLife expectancy: 79.09 yearsHappiness claim to fame: Ranked No. 1 in the “World Happiness Report”What is happiness? It depends on who you ask, of course, but the Danes seem to have it figured out. According to yearly worldwide surveys dating to the mid-1970s, Denmark is consistently voted the happiest country in the world.It makes sense. This is the country that invented Legos. Its icon is a little mermaid. There’s even a pastry named after them. But breakfast goodies aside, Denmark’s penchant for happiness is rooted in its societal and political structure. The country has one of the highest income tax rates in the world, but this ensures a “cradle-to-grave safety net,” as The New York Times described it.Denmark’s key happiness variables are both quantifiable (free health care and university education) and less so—inherent trust in others. It’s not uncommon for doors to remain unlocked, particularly amid the quietly grazing cows of the countryside. There’s another important factor to happiness: health. PiaNorup Eriksen is a doctor, the health director at Kurhotel Skodborg, a wellness retreat and spa hotel north of Copenhagen, and the founder of My Life, a unique consulting company that works with professionals, exploring how health and wellbeing affects work capacity and performance.The well-being doctorFor Pia, “a healthy body and mind is a source of daily happiness,” and she practices what she preaches: She’s a certified aerobics instructor and formerly trained in triathlons at the Copenhagen Triathlon Club. Pia explains her career trajectory:“I love my education, although I am using it differently than other doctors. I have chosen preventive medicine as my specialty, and I enjoy the meaningfulness of helping people not to become sick. It’s a great intellectual challenge, but more so a psychological one, to understand the mechanisms of creating health. I think the body is a picture of our mindset.”Self-reliance and happinessOf course, a happy life is rarely just that. For many, a rosy existence directly correlates to how tough the challenges were to get there. Pia knows this well, having pursued a lifelong goal of launching her own company. Is she more or less happy than those around her? “Tough question—probably a bit of both. I have chosen a career as self-employed, which gives me freedom. Freedom is absolutely essential for my happiness. The backside of this is lots of hard work and the constant feeling of being fully responsible for everything regarding the success and failure of the company and therefore my personal finances.This can be very stressful. Especially in a country like Denmark, where very few people are self-employed and the society is simply not built to support small entrepreneurial initiatives.” That said, Pia says she fully agrees that Denmark deserves its badge for happiest country in the world. “We’re a small and very privileged country.”Nature = happinessAlso, she says, “since Danes haven’t experienced big disasters or war or likewise, we simply don’t expect it and sometimes act a bit spoiled.” Something else that may spoil the Danes? The views out the window. Sometimes happiness is rolling green hills glowing under the northern lights, with glimpses of the wild Baltic Sea beyond. How does the surrounding environment contribute to Pia’s happiness? “I live close to the ocean, which is fantastic. It means that I can walk out the door and have the ocean five minutes away, and the forest five minutes in the other direction. I truly enjoy our house. It is a log cabin which gives us the feeling of being in sync with nature.”"Start giving"In the end, Pia’s advice for a happy life is simple: “Find your life purpose, and start giving. Giving and being generous with all you have to give is a great way of becoming happier. Give attention, full presence, compliments, help, care, gifts and surprises. Giving is probably the single one thing that makes me feel happy most effectively, and that would be my advice to others.”Click here to read more about happiness around the world.

Lifestyle

Happiness Is Just Around the Corner

Costa Rica typically ranks high on indexes that measure happiness, and much of that is attributed to a high life expectancy and high levels of general well-being. In other words, they enjoy their lives overall. Research by the Greater Good Science Center in Berkeley, California, also found that Costa Ricans are less lonely and rank high in the area of social connection, which research shows is important for overall happiness.Official language: SpanishLife expectancy: 78.23 yearsHappiness claim to fame: Ranked No. 1 by the Happy Planet IndexCarlos Arias admits that happiness is easy to find in his country. Living in Costa Rica’s capital city of San Jose, he and his wife, Carla Araya, and 5-year-old son, Juan Jose, enjoy all the elements that make the area a magnet for vacationers and retirees from around the world. Four months out of the year, their country is blessed with clear blue skies and a cool breeze. The rest of the time, rain falls every day after 1 p.m. Fresh fruit is abundant and available yearr-ound, and the tropical warm water beaches are a constant attraction. But what makes the country even more appealing, Carlos believes, is that Costa Rica does not have a military presence.A land of peace“We are a happy country because we don’t know what it is to lose millions of people in a war. We have no army,” Carlos says. “Our happiness is easier to achieve because we are easily amazed, and maybe that has to do with the fact that we haven’t suffered any big wars, like the rest of the countries in our continent.”Carlos and Carla have known each other since they were teenagers, and married six years ago. They grew up in Desamparados, a low-income neighborhood in San José, but moved to Curridabat, a neighborhood considered by Costa Ricans to be much nicer and safer, a few years ago. The freedom to move from one social class to another and having friends with different social and economic backgrounds is part of what makes Costa Rica so special, Carlos says. “We live happily without those differences.”Weathering the stormsTheir longtime relationship is a big source of their happiness; together they have weathered storms common to any couple and have grown into adults together. They appreciate what they have learned through their struggles. “You need to go through tough times to realize that happiness is just around the corner,” Carlos says.Today, Carla works as an elementary schoolteacher, and finds it fulfilling to see her former students get into college. In addition to working as a creative director in an agency, Carlos also owns Tuanix, an online extreme sports magazine. The freedom and flexibility he enjoys as an entrepreneur further adds to his overall life satisfaction.Do what you loveThe magazine covers something he loves—extreme sports—and he also finds it gratifying to help unknown athletes get exposure while following his passion. “Another key element to being happy is doing what you love; I don’t see myself working in an office eight hours a day and wearing a tie,” Carlos says. “I love what I do. I don’t do it because I have to, I do it because I like to.”Click here to read more about following your passion.Stay curious and surprised by lifeCarlos and Carla emphasize that part of staying happy comes from never losing the ability to be surprised by the little things in life. They also perceive difficult times as a way to be reminded that happiness is about overcoming the challenges and working hard to get what you want. They have improved their own personal economy through hard work, and today their life is rich with family and friends. For them, that is plenty.“What we have, we have achieved with a lot of effort,” Carla says. “Right now we have everything we need.”Click here to read more about happiness around the world.

Positive Psychology

Want to Feel Happier?

Boosting your happiness is hard work. If you’re not careful, you can fall back into that negativity slump. Sharpening happiness skills takes practice, as does anything you want to do well. Happify.com is committed to spotting you on your wellbeing workout, and their support is backed by science.The latest research from positive psychology is delivered to you on their app and website (my.happify.com). Once you start your happiness track, each day you can participate in fun and easy-to-follow activities, like taking Savor Quest or relaxing for a few minutes in a Serenity Scene. Read inspiring stories, encourage others in the Happify community and explore different tracks to stay on course to living the good life.

Sharing

6 Reasons Why You Need More Hugs

Hugging can be described as a handshake from the heart. The simple action of embracing creates feel-good energy for both the giver and recipient. Science has been looking into its positive effects, and numerous studies related to hugging, cuddling and touching have been reaching the same conclusion: Hugging is a crucial part of human development. 1. Hugging is good for your heart Embracing activates the hormone oxytocin, which makes us feel all warm and fuzzy. In an experiment at the University of North Carolina, participants who didn't have any contact with their partners developed a quickened heart rate of10 beats per minute, compared to the five beats per minute among those who got to hug their partners during the experiment. (The slower resting heart rate is healthier, representing a person who is more relaxed and at ease.) 2. Hugging is a natural stress-reducer If you are feeling a bit drained or pressured, find someone you care about and give them a all-enveloping hug.Research has found that embracing reduces the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) in our bodies, releasing tension and sending calming messages to the brain. 3.Hugging helps babies' and children's development Touch is critical to infants, especially in their early stages of life as it helps them bond with others as they get older. A study was conducted that compared a group of adopted children whose first years were spent in Romanian and Russian orphanages where they didn’t receive physical contact, to kids who were raised by an affectionate family. Research found that the kids raised in the low-touch orphanages had significantly lower levels of vasopressin—a hormone that plays a role in familial recognition and bonding—compared to their peers. 4. Hugging is good for adults, too Physical touch and hugging can combat feelings of loneliness that arise as people get older. A retirement home in New York conducted a study in which they implemented a program called ‘Embraceable You.’ The idea was to encourage cross-generational contact and touch between residents and staff members in order to improve the residents’ well being. The results were conclusive, with residents who were touched or hugged three or more times a day having more energy, feeling less depressed, better able to concentrate and more restful sleep than their less-hugged counterparts. 5. Hugging can make you more mindful Zen MasterThichNhatHanhhas created ahugging meditation, which can be used to bring more awareness, presence and togetherness into people’s lives. The meditation aims to connect people to each other and to the present moment, with a focus on mindfulness and a powerful awareness of gratitude and love. 6. Hugging can help minimize fears A study by VU University in Amsterdam looked into the connection betweenhuman touch and reducing the fear of mortalityin some people. Researchers found that participants were more likely to have less anxiety about death when being lightly touched or hugging an inanimate object like a teddy bear.

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The 3 Secrets of Happy Employees

Shhh….Can you hear it? There’s a revolution taking place in our workplaces, and employees like you and I are leading it.Fed up with energy-draining bosses, soul-sucking jobs and the financial uncertainty that cheats us of our choices, a grass-roots campaign is underway in a growing number of workplaces that’s aimed at restoring people’s happiness—and new data suggests it’s about to hit a tipping point.What are your signature strengths?I recently partnered with the VIA Institute on Character to release the 2015 “Strengths @ Work Survey,” and here’s what we discovered:While in 2001 only 2 out of every 10 people said they had the opportunity to do what they do best each day at work, this number has increased by 30 percent to 5 out of every 10 people.Today, 56 percent of employees can name their top five strengths, compared to estimates a decade ago that only a third could.A resounding 64 percent of employees say they believe developing their strengths will make them more successful at work, compared to the 63 percent in 2006 who believed they’d grow most in their weaker areas.Even without organizational and supervisor support, 49 percent of employees can name their strengths and 26 percent still find the opportunity practice them each day.So why are these employees bothering to take time to grow their strengths? Because it makes them happier.We found that 70 percent of the employees who say they have the opportunity to use their strengths regularly look forward to going to work. Not only that, but 78 percent report feeling engaged and energized in their jobs because they believe they’re making a difference and their work is appreciated. And, most important, 70 percent of these employees describe themselves as flourishing at work over the last six months.How are they achieving these results, even without a supportive boss? Many are doing three simple things:1. Discovering their strengthsThe best way to identify your strengths is by taking the free, 10-minute strengths assessment at viacharacter.org. Then pay attention to your best moments at work—when you feel really engaged, you’re energized and you enjoy what you’re doing—to see which of your top strengths are at play so you know how to apply them to your role.2. Meeting their best-possible future selvesOnce you’ve discovered your strengths, boost your optimism and self-belief by imagining what might be possible in the year ahead if everything went as well as possible and you were using your strengths daily. Journal whatever comes to mind for 15–20 minutes a day, three days in a row. Try to detail what you’d spend your time doing, what your colleagues or clients might say and which strengths you’d be using.3. Creating a small, daily strength-development habitPick a strength to develop that will bring you closer to the future you’ve described. Think about how you could use this strength for at least 10 minutes each day as you go about your job. For example, use your curiosity to learn one new thing, your gratitude to genuinely thank a client or a colleague or you persistence to power through on a task you’ve been putting off. (For more ideas, check out this free e-book with over 70 strength-development habit ideas.)Are you ready to join the revolution? It is possible to feel more engaged, energized and happy at work—you just have to take a moment each day and do what you do best.To read more about happiness in the workplace, see our special feature section in the June 2015 issue of Live Happy magazine.Michelle McQuaid is a best-selling author, workplace well-being teacher and playful change activator. She is passionate about translating cutting-edge research from positive psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies for health, happiness and success.To learn more about Michelle visitwww.michellemcquaid.com.

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Can You Choose to Be Happy?

A life lessonMy 19-year-old son, Ryland, had recently gone through a disappointment, and we were talking about life and moving on. He said to me, “Dad, I agree with everything you’ve always told me except for one thing: You told me that I can choose to be happy, and I have to tell you, that’s just not true. I have been choosing to be happy, and it’s not working for me.”So I said, “Son, let me give you another way to think about this. Instead of choosing to be happy, replace the word happy with the words ‘an athlete.’ I remember you saying that you had decided to be a great athlete. So when you say, ‘I choose to be a great athlete,’ what does that mean to you?”Happiness takes practice—even workHis answer was all I needed. He said, “That’s simple. I know that if I want to be an athlete, I need to control my diet, work out every day, show up early to practice and stay late, and learn about what other athletes do to perform at their best level.”When you want to make anything happen in your life, it requires commitment, practice and dedication. Just saying the words, “I choose to be happy” will not make you happy; they are not a magical incantation. Happiness takes work, and that work will be rewarded.Start practicing happiness todayWe know that acts of gratitude, kindness and habits such as exercise, good nutrition, meditation and positive social interaction elevate and expand happiness and overall well-being. You can start now and begin feeling the results right away.The lightbulb went off for my son. He said, “I get it. I choose to be happy—and I choose to work toward being happy!”– Kym Yancey, CEO and Co-Founder of Live Happy

To Be Happy in Dubai

Happiness is a Choice

Secrets to a Happy Life

Be Happy in this Short Life

Great Danes

Happiness Is Just Around the Corner

Want to Feel Happier?

The 3 Secrets of Happy Employees

Can You Choose to Be Happy?

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