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The International Day of Happiness

The International Day of Happiness Get involved and help us make the world a happier place.March 20 has been established as the annual International Day of Happiness and all 193 United Nations member states have adopted a resolution calling for happiness to be given greater priority.In 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which recognized happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and called for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples.”The first UN conference on Happiness was held in 2012 and the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which decreed that the International Day of Happiness would be observed every year on 20 March. It was celebrated for the first time in 2013.One way to celebrate the International Day of Happiness is by creating a happiness wall. A happiness wall is a place full of fun and camaraderie, and it is a good way to remind us that small, thoughtful expressions can have a big impact on others.Here are some of the ways you can spread happiness:Participate—help us make the world a happier place.Spread Happiness—one small act can change the world. Do a #HappyAct and tell us about it! #HappyActs #LiveHappyHappiness wall—Creating your own wall is easy! Whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or a keep-it-simple kind of person, you can celebrate happiness this March in honor of International Day of Happiness. Let’s get this party started! Choose if you want to download a wall, purchase a poster or create your own! Register your wall! Tell us how you share happiness! Take a picture with your printed wall and share on social media. #HappyActs #LiveHappy #YourCityLearn—information about happiness delivered to you.Listen to our popular podcast Live Happy Now brought to you by the editors of Live Happy magazine. Bringing you scientifically proven facts and ideas to live a happier and more meaningful life through interviews with positive psychology and well-being thought leaders.Receive our email newsletters to get the latest information and articles on the website, plus announcements of upcoming events and special product offers.Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for happiness quotes, facts and news stories, as well as to engage with a community of like-minded people sharing happiness.Share—become a catalyst for positive change in the lives of others.Bring smiles all around by wearing Live Happy clothes and gear!Smile! It’s a gift that people will instantly reciprocate!The more you share happiness with others, the happier you’ll feel.  
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What People Are Saying About Live Happy

Home » What People Are Saying About Live Happy Readers weigh in about how Live Happy has affected their lives. Dear Live Happy: I love the article about choosing a word for the year and it being a great alternative to a resolution. It made me think about it and my word for 2017 is “significance.” I’d like everything I do to add significance in someone’s life; it will help me be intentional about the things I do every day to improve myself and add value to others. What a great way to make sure I’m living happy in 2017. —Eeman H. :) I like the article about choosing a word for 2017. I have done this in the past but it was like reading it for the first time, like the blinders were off and the word “focus” stuck out to me. What we FOCUS on is what grows! —Mechelle C. :) Hey there, I was on the hunt for some info about commuting and found your post "Reboot Your Commute." Great stuff! Keep cranking out the great content for livehappy.com. Thanks! —Joshna J. :) I found your fantastic website, and I have been inspired by the amazing stories and podcast. —Andrew B. :) I just picked up your magazine in the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and read it cover to cover by the time we got back to Chicago! I am in love with it. My name is Felecia, which means happiness, so the magazine title was my first attraction, and I am a huge fan of Queen Latifah gracing the cover. Every article wowed me, and I am definitely subscribing! Thank you for this experience! —Felecia G. :) I stopped in an airport lounge to have a little oatmeal and coffee before boarding my flight. It was here that I discovered Live Happy magazine. Oh my! It’s my soulmate in print and I’m in love. Every page leads to happy and joy. —Sandra L. :) My daughter and I talk about being Happy all the time. Most of our happy thoughts are centered around Nature and the outdoors. So when I saw "Live Happy" in the newsstands at the checkout line while in Whole Foods, I thought, Yeesss! It made me think so much of my daughter Nyah. She's always been such a happy girl. BTW, The article on Adult Sleep-Away Camps was awesome. Adults could benefit from getting in touch with their" inner child and finding their 'Happy' "! Thanks, Live Happy! —Ebony J. :) I just wanted to let you know that your magazine is so lovely. It puts a smile on my face when I see it in the mailbox. You will have a subscriber for a long time to come. And, I have already made a gift subscription for a friend’s birthday. Thank you so much. —Sue F. :) I’m not a very good flyer, so the positive reinforcement I get from reading Live Happy makes the flight a little smoother! —Paige S. :) I got to listen to the podcast this morning before the crazy day started. I got lots of good input that I needed for today. It really did help! Thank you Live Happy! —Joan A. :) Your recent podcasts with Amy Blankson and Laurie Berkner (my kids’ favorite singer) taught me so much about tech and parenting. —Evan M. :) Live Happy is amazing! The magazine was a welcomed delight but the podcasts are life-changing. I am able to play them at home and in the car. As a stay-at-home mom of kids that are 2 and 3 years old, I need all the focus, lessons, skills and happy time that I get from Live Happy Now. Plus my little guys listen in, too, so they are soaking up the happiness! —Rebecca P. :) OMG! I have known about Live Happy since its inception and have enjoyed the articles, interviews and ideas...and the podcasts are the best ever! I listen every morning while I’m working out. Sometimes I get lost in the subject, other times I am right there. The beauty is that I am so happy listening to good, happy, positive stuff, rather than the news or 24-hour sports commentary! —Lynda E. :) Thank You! I am 74 years old and am reading Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy. I have read many books in my day, but this book has touched me and motivated me more than I can even explain. I am savoring each page and know I will re-read it many times. I have never sent an email or letter like this, but felt compelled to. Again, thank you. —Faye W. _________________________________________________________ We want to hear from you, too! Contact us at editor@livehappy.com.
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In the News

Home » In the News August 9, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Yahoo Entertainment re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 9, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Standard Republic re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 9, 2017- Live Happy mentioned on ABC7 Chicago re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Celebrity Insider re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on E!news re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt, again. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on FOX News Entertainment re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in Cosmopolitan.com re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in IBTimes.uk re Anna and Chris. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in News.com.au re Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8. 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in Page Six re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on CNN re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on ET online re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in IMDB.com news re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned and magazine cover shown on Exttra! TV online re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Entertainment Tonight online re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on E News! regarding Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. July 31, 2017 - Live Happy and Michelle Gielan mentioned in article in Inc.com. July 21, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser and Live Happy are mentioned in an article on SheKnows.com about body image. July 20, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on KTLA newscast to discuss the Netflix film To The Bone. July 19, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on Good Day L.A. July 18, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on FoxLA.com. August 30, 2016 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on KTLA Newscast re: Making the Best of Your Empty Nest. March 16, 2016 - Live Happy and Happy Acts featured in the Kansas City Star. January 12, 2016 -SheScribes.com featured Live Happy in a piece on how to be happy in the New Year, which included reference to the magazine, website and magnetic chalkboard, recipe sign and water bottle January 5, 2016 -Good Morning Texas had Live Happy COO, Deborah Heisz, in-studio for a LIVE segment January 1, 2016 -DFW.CBSlocal.com interviewed Deborah Heisz for article "Ask a DFW Expert: 5 Best Snow Day Activities" December 30, 2015 - TODAY Show revealed online coverage of Live Happy Editor-at-Large, Stacy Kasier, TODAY show segment "How to Hang On To Holiday Joy" (Even After the Holidays) December 29, 2015 -TODAY Show aired segment with Stacy Kaiser on the topic of “joy” related to the season and carrying on into the New Year December 18, 2015 -MariaShriver.com featured article by Stacy Kaiser, "When Gift Giving Goes Wrong…7 Things You Can Do" December 11, 2015 -WPTV NewsChannel 5 at 5 NBC mentioned Live Happy's tips on giving "redeemable" gifts December 11, 2015 -MariaShriver.com posted "3 Secrets for De-Stressing The Season & Enjoying the Holidays" December 9, 2015 -Twitter.com/ToTheMotherhoodtweeted a picture of Live Happy Nov/Dec issue cover and subscription December 9, 2015 -WSVN Channel 7 News FOXMention’s Deborah Heisz's tip on giving adult coloring books December 8, 2015 -KPTV More Good Day Oregon, FOX Portland featured Deborah Heisz's clip on returning gifts December 8, 2015 - WGHP Fox 8 News (FOX) mentions Live Happy magazine in segment about subscription gifts December 8, 2015 -Greatist.com featured Stacy Kaiser's expertise in "The Best Way to Respond to Passive Aggressive People" December 4, 2015 -WSVN 7 News Miami (FOX) picked up Fox News Edge, introduced Deborah K. Heisz as Live Happy director and featured gift clip December 3, 2015 -Fox 13 News Salt Lake City (KSTU) mentioned Deborah Heisz and Live Happy magazine in a piece on gift giving this season December 3, 2015 -GQ Magazine Mexico featured article on Jeff Olson and mentioned LiveHappy.com Mexico launch December 2, 2015 - Prevention.com featured Stacy Kaiser's thoughts in article "The 2-Second Relationship Fix That Works" December 2, 2015 -The Hoda Show (Sirius XM radio) had Stacy on LIVE for her ongoing monthly segment in which she discussed holiday gift giving November 30, 2015 -Healthzette.com featured Stacy Kaiser's thoughts in article, "When Bad Habits are Good" November 30, 2015 -MariaShriver.com posted "5 Tips to Get Fit" article from magazine November 23, 2015 -ABCNews.go.com featured Deborah Heisz's tips on a piece about how to MAINTAIN HAPPINESS during the Holidays November 23, 2015 -Just Jenny (Sirius XM) interviewed Live Happy COO, Deborah Heisz, live on November 20th to discuss gift guides and happy gifts November 18, 2015 -DivorcedMoms.com featured Stacy's advice in article about domestic disputes after divorce November 18, 2015 -WomensRunning.com featured Stacy Kaiser's thoughts for a piece on "Holiday Fitness Hacks Straight from the Top". November 18, 2015 -iWayMagazine.com featured Live Happy in article about Jeff Olson in conjunction with visit to Mexico November 17, 2015 -Radaronline.com featured Dolly Parton's cover story in celeb slide show, "When Celebrities Go Out They Go All Out!" November 16, 2015 -The Steve Harvey Show introduced Stacy Kaiser as Live Happy Editor in Chief , included in her lower third, and showed the Nov/Dec issue cover in single-mom panel segment on Nov. 16 November 14, 2015 -TasteofCountry.com featured Dolly Parton's cover story in "Dolly Parton Shares Her Secret to Happiness" November 11, 2015 -Dr. Michelle Robin's Radio Show interviewed Deborah Heisz on November 9 at 12pm CST on the Nov/Dec issue and Live Happy overall November 11, 2015 -BlogTalkRadio.com featured Dr. Michelle Robin's interview with Deborah Heisz on November 9 at 12pm CST on the Nov/Dec issue and Live Happy overall November 5, 2015 -MarthaStewartWeddings.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s insight in a piece on “10 Ways to Calm Your Nerves Before You Walk Down the Aisle” November 5, 2015 -YourTango.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s thoughts in a piece on fall dating do’s and don’ts November 4, 2015 - The Hoda Show (Sirius XM) interviewed Live Happy Editor in Chief, Stacy Kaiser, for her monthly ongoing segment Link: Stacy talks about forgiveness on The Hoda Show November 3, 2015 -Twitter.com/NBC shared Dolly Parton’s cover story and image to help promote her cover story and her NBC movie, Coat of Many Colors October 30, 2015 -ScarySymptoms.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s thoughts in an article on whether it’s wrong for childless people to give parenting advice October 30, 2015 -ScarySymptoms.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s thoughts in a piece on why parents should be popular with their kids and teens October 29, 2015 - Live Happy COO, Deborah Heisz, quoted in USA Today story about clearing clutter October 25, 2015 - Editor at large Stacy Kaiser quoted in story about divorced moms October 23, 2015 - Stacy Kaiser is quoted in this article on 10 Ways to Boost Confidence August 15, 2015 - Mediapost.com Link: Interview with Live Happy Editorial Director Deborah Heisz August 1, 2015 - Inc.com Link: Deborah Heisz's advice is included in this article about vacations July 25, 2015 - The HodaShow Link: Stacy Kaiser on Hoda'sSirius Radio Show July 25, 2015 - The Kim Pagano Radio Show Link: Interview With Deborah Heisz, LH Co-Founder July 24, 2015 - Healthy Talk Radio Link: Deborah Heiszdiscusses Traveling With your Kids July 24, 2015 - Healthy Talk Radio Link: Deborah Heisz discusses Ways to Find Your Happy Place July 9. 2015 - LadyLux.com Link: Mentioned in article about The Benefits of Play July 6, 2015 TODAY ShowEditor-at-large Stacy Kaiser and contributors Adam Shell and Nick Kraft were featured on the TODAY show July 1, 2015 The Jane Wilkins Radio Show Link:Deborah Heisz Discusses Live Happy and Happiness June 29, 2015 MotherhoodDefined.com Article: Deb Heisz:Kickstart Your Day With a Dose of Positivity June 25, 2015 HuffingtonPost.com Article: Stacy Kaiser: What to Do If Mom and Dad Have Different Parenting Styles June 23, 2015 HuffingtonPost.com Article: Stacy Kaiser: How Grandparents Can Help During a Divorce June 21, 2015 HuffingtonPost.com Article: Summer Travel Round-Up (Gratitude Journal) January 23, 2015 People.com Article: Why Is Scott Foley Hiding Under the Covers Every Morning? October 31, 2014 JustJared Article: Kristin Chenoweth Gets Into Holiday Spirit for Live Happy Mag October 31, 2014 celebuzz.com Article: Kristin Chenoweth'sWickedly Happy Holidays for 'Live Happy' Magazine August 19, 2014 mydevotionalthoughts.net Article: Celebrating 31 Days of Friendship August 18, 2014 washingtonpost.com Article: Stay Happy, and You May Live Longer August 7, 2014 semmessavers.com Article:Get Positive with Live Happy Magazine (Review) August 7, 2014SheScribes.com Article:Learn how to Live Happy August 4, 2014 nypost.com Article: Replace your therapist with these psych magazines August 4, 2014 mydevotionalthoughts.net Article: “Live Happy” Magazine Review July 30, 2014 lovetoknow.com Article: Why Are Jobs Stressful? July 28, 2014 mamalikesthis.com Article: Live Happy Magazine Subscription July 9, 2014 Pblcty.com Article: Miranda Lambert Talks Life, Community, and Staying True to Her Roots July 9, 2014 CountryMusicRocks.net Article: Miranda Lambert Featured in Live Happy magazine July 3, 2014 Guitar Girl magazine Article: Miranda Lambert Graces the Cover of Live Happy and Discusses her Credo to Happiness June 30, 2014Dadofdivas.com Article:Be Part of the Movement to Live Happy #giveaway May 13, 2014 Everyday Health Article:Why You Should Make Every Meal a Happy Meal April 16, 2014Yesware​Article:The Exercise Effect: How Exercise Can Boost Your Sales Performance​ April 10, 2014 DailyWorth Article:4 Steps to Find Your Happy​ March 21, 2014 — Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Article: Pitt Celebrates Happiness with Wall of Positivity March 20, 2014 — Dallas Morning News Article: March 20 is International Day of Happiness March 20, 2014 — Forbes.com Article: Why the World Needs a Happiness Campaign to Live Better March 19, 2014 —USA Today Article:Happy, happy, joy, joy: Books, apps bubble it up March 19, 2014 —Houston Chronicle Article:Houston, Are You Happy? March 19, 2014 —Positively Positive Article:What Successful People and Happy People Have in Common March 19, 2014 Article:Happiness is the Thing March 4, 2014 — Huffington Post Article: Happiness Gets its Day January 10, 2014 —Des MoinesRegister Article: Iowa editor of 'Live Happy' magazine looks beyond bullet-point platitudes December 28, 2013 —​Mr. Magazine Article:Live Happy Magazine: Happiness Finds Its Way to Print. The Mr. Magazine™ Interview with Editor in Chief Karol DeWulf Nickell. December 23, 2013 —Albuquerque Journal Article:Positive psychology focuses on what makes us happy December 13, 2013 — ​MyFox4 Video:Good Day Dallas December 13, 2013 —95.9WATD Article:SSMN: Wednesday December18th, 2013 December 2, 2013 —Washington Post Article:What’s so bad about feeling good? November 25, 2013 —Good News Planet Article:Live Happy Magazine – 25 Ways to Give Happiness at the Holidays November 19 2013 —Wisconsin Public Radio Articles:25 Ways To Give Happiness Over The Holidays November 19, 2013 —Biz Mommy Article:If You're Happy and You Know It... November 18, 2013 —Complete Herbal Guide Article:The Most Important Secrets You Must Learn In Order to Live a Happy, Healthy & Productive Life November 13, 2013 —The Overwhelmed Brain Article:Episode 0001: Jeff Olson: The Slight Edge – The Compounding Effect of Daily Progress November 9, 2013 — Examiner Article:Read celebrity profiles in the new Live Happy magazine November 4, 2013 —EternalLizdom Article:LiveHappy November 1, 2013 —Dr.Oz Video:How to Stop Worrying October 30, 2013 — Networking Witches Article:Live Happy Magazine October 30, 2013 — The Shelly Wilson Show Article:The Shelly Wilson Show with Jeff Olson October24, 2013 —Media DailyNews Article:LiveHappy Launches
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A woman happy in nature.

Finding Joy Again

How to recover from loss and live happier now. The search for happiness is often a journey that’s filled with hurdles and detours. But, what happens when you find that life, profession or person that brings you joy—only to have it taken away? “Loss is an inherent part of the human narrative. We have to experience loss to experience the joy,” says Randi Waldman, a professional counselor and educator who specializes in helping patients rediscover happiness. “By working through the pain, we have the opportunity to grow, find purpose and, ultimately, live a fuller life.” Randi knows firsthand how daunting that journey can be. She was a divorced, single mother of three children, one of whom was severely disabled, trying to survive on a teacher’s salary when she decided to go to graduate school. Ultimately, the loss of her marriage and the need to provide for her kids were the catalysts that lead her to her true calling. “I think it’s human nature to want one, big answer to emerge right away. But, recovery typically happens with little shifts,” she says. “It’s much like weight loss. There’s real value in starting small, making incremental changes every day.” Although everyone has a different timeline, finding your way after loss means venturing into the unknown. “It’s important not to attach yourself to one outcome, as this will morph throughout life,” Randi says. “Instead of saying, ‘I will be happy when I do X, Y or Z,’ be open to the possibilities. You can’t go back to the life you had, but you do have the opportunity to add to that life—sometimes in extraordinary ways.” From Devastation to Life Purpose There’s no better example of that concept in action than Dana Donofree. In 2010, at the age of 27, she seemingly had it all—a great job as a director of design and merchandising, a fabulous fiancé and a very bright future. Then, the day before her birthday, two months before her wedding, she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma. After a 14-month blur of treatments, including a bilateral mastectomy, reconstruction and a grueling chemotherapy regimen, Dana tried to regroup and get back to normal. But, even the most basic things were no longer normal. Including lingerie. “I remember pulling out all of these wonderful things I received at my bridal shower, only to discover that nothing worked with my new body,” she says. “The only bras that actually fit were these matronly, institutional things sold at the mastectomy shop.” She had her life, but she felt like she lost her femininity in the process. “As cancer survivors, we were supposed to just be happy that we were alive. But, no one was actually thinking about us actually living our lives post-surgery,” Dana says. “I realized that I was letting this dictate the way I felt about myself, the way I was acting, everything. The more survivors I talked to, the more I was inspired to do something about it.” Dana parlayed her background in the fashion industry into AnaOno, a company that creates beautiful lingerie designed to fit post reconstruction bodies. Was she scared? Absolutely. “Being scared and facing those fears gives you some of the best opportunities to grow, expand and become the person you want to become. I didn’t want to end my life wondering what if,” Dana says. “I wanted whatever amount of life I had left to have meaning.” For the past six years, she has not only made AnaOno a success, but has also used that platform for advocacy, fundraising and, in the process, has become a go-to resource on life after breast cancer for women worldwide. In business, as in passing her own cancer-free milestone, Dana continues to beat the odds. “For all of the darkness of my cancer, there’s been five times more brightness that’s come out of it all,” she says. “I have met incredible people. I’ve learned how to live a happier life. And, I know I’m making a difference.” The Ability to Cope Why do some people thrive after setbacks while others struggle? Are some people simply born made of tougher stuff? Yes and no. “About one-third of the qualities that make people resilient are grounded in their DNA. But, two-thirds of those characteristics are acquired throughout their lifespan,” explains Rick Hanson, Ph.D., psychologist, best-selling writer and author of the new book Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness. “It’s important to know that resilience is more than recovering from loss or trauma. People who are resilient are also able to pursue opportunities in the face of challenges.” Joey Anders has always been one of those people. By age 11, he wanted to go to college. But, as the son of a single mother working two jobs, he knew that the onus was on him to find a way there. So, he decided to excel at basketball. Joey was athletic, but definitely not a basketball prodigy. “I believed, if I worked harder than everyone else, that I could become as good as any player,” Joey says. He was right. At just 6-foot-1, Joey earned a college scholarship, with pro potential. Then came the severe ACL injury at all-star camp the summer after his freshman year. Just like that, his basketball career was gone. “Sure, I cried. But then, I had to figure out how to survive,” Joey says. “If you’re in a burning house, you don’t crawl under the bed. You start knocking out windows until you find a way out. So, I started looking in every crevice of my being for any talent I thought I could develop if I worked hard enough.” He decided to pursue golf. Although he never played before, he believed that with his natural coordination and ability to solve puzzles, he would be good at the game. He started hitting balls on the driving range and logging hours on the course. In just one year, Joey accomplished the near-unheard-of feat of going from novice to pro-level golfer and was accepted into the golf management program at New Mexico State University. The thing is, he wasn’t surprised. “I think most of us are capable of more than we’re doing with our lives. We have so many more possibilities than we realize,” Joey says. “You just have to believe in yourself, and give yourself permission to dream.” Now, 19 years later, he is one of the top junior golf instructors in the country, making an impact on myriad young hopefuls every year. One of his original students was the then 8-year-old Jordan Spieth, now a top-ranked superstar on the PGA Tour. Although he still feels a rush when basketball season begins, Joey has nothing but gratitude for the way his life turned out so far. “Joey is a classic example of what Carol Dweck calls the ‘growth mindset’; he sees himself as someone who can learn, rather than someone with a finite amount of talent. He knew he could get better at things if he plugged away at them,” Rick Hanson explains. “He stayed focused on the opportunity, instead of avoiding the pain of being knocked down again.” In short, Joey achieved incredible outcomes because he was willing to take on the risk of dreaming big dreams. The Strength to Love Again Perhaps the most profound reality of human life is the fact that we all will lose someone we love. As Thomas Attig, Ph.D., wrote in The Heart of Grief: Death and the Search for Lasting Love, “The central challenge for mourners is to move from loving someone who is present to loving them even though they’re absent. Death ends a life, but it doesn’t end the relationship.” Honoring that love while still moving on is a challenge that Julie Huỳnh-Ruskunderstands all too well. From the moment she met Liam, she knew that this striking Green Beret was “the one.” Two years later, the couple was engaged with a wedding planned after he returned from a six-month deployment in Afghanistan. Yet just weeks before his deployment ended, Liam was killed by an Afghan soldier the U.S. was training. Her first day alone, Julie couldn’t get out of bed. Then, she used her love as the catalyst to move forward. “I spent a lot of time thinking about Liam, and how he might want me to recover from this,” Julie says. “He lived life with such fervor that he never had a down moment. To honor him, I had to try to make something meaningful out of it all.” She did everything she could to heal: books, therapy, grief seminars and connecting with military peer mentors who had suffered a similar loss. “I realized that, even with all the support around me, I had to find my way myself,” Julie says. Julie decided that the best way to honor Liam was to fulfill the dreams they had together. So, with an urn of his ashes in tow, she went solo on hikes, climbs and excursions, scattering a little part of him as she worked her way through their bucket list. Every adventure brought a little more healing, a little more independence. She got a new job, and in time, even became open to the idea of dating again. But, it was difficult to talk about Liam with people outside the military, or the fact that he would always be a part of her life. On a skydiving trip to mark the second anniversary of Liam’s death, everything changed. That’s when she met Shane, a skydiving expert and Green Beret who accompanied her on the jump. “He was so easy to talk to. He understood what I went through as only someone in the military could,” Julie says. The two never stopped talking. Ultimately, honoring Liam was the very thing that led Julie back to love. “So often, people are afraid that if they stop grieving for someone, they’ll forget that person, so they stay stuck in sadness,” Randi says. Julie found a way to work through her grief without ever giving up her love for Liam. She honored his life by also moving on with hers. We All Have It in Us Loss, trauma and setbacks are inherent to the human experience. But, we also have the capabilities to grow from the pain, rediscover joy and live a happy life. “We are resilient creatures, we Homo sapiens. Deep down inside, we are tough critters,” Rick says. “If you tap into your own natural sturdiness and strength of character, and look for those little things you can do every day that help you recover, heal and redeem yourself, life will gradually get better.” Sometimes, better than you ever imagined.
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Terms Conditions

Terms & Conditions Home » Terms & Conditions The following Terms and Conditions govern your use of the websites or applications provided to you by Live Happy, LLC or one of its subsidiaries, and any content made available from or through these websites or downloadable applications (the “Sites”). By using the Sites, you accept and agree to these Terms and Conditions as applied to your use of the Sites. If you do not agree to these Terms and Conditions, you may not access, visit and/or use the website. Acceptance of Terms Live Happy, LLC (“Live Happy” or “we”, “us”, “our”) provides access to the Live Happy website,located at LiveHappy.com, and the Live Happy magazine website, located at LiveHappy.com, Live Happy Magazine: Digital Edition are subject to your acceptance of this website User Agreement(“Agreement”). BY USING the Sites, YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT, UNDERSTAND IT AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. When using a particular feature of the Sites, you may also be subject to any posted guidelines,rules, privacy policies, or other contractual provision as noted. Live Happy may update this Agreement from time to time without prior notice to you. We encourage you to review this Agreement periodically for any updates or changes. Account and Password (a) You are solely responsible for all activities within your account under your password and username/email address. Your password should be treated with care and should not be disclosed to anyone. You cannot use your password or anyone else’s password for any unauthorized purpose. You indemnify Live Happy and its staff from all claims and liabilities made by a third party resulting from all activities incurred within your account. (b) In consideration of your use of the website you agree to: (i) provide true, accurate, and current and complete information about yourself as prompted by the website (the “Registration Information”); and (ii) maintain and update the Registration Information to keep it true, accurate, current and complete. If you provide any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, or we have reasonable grounds to suspect that such information is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, we may suspend or terminate your account and decline to permit your continued use of the website and future access to the website. (c) You represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years old and are of sufficient legal age to enter into the binding legal obligations you may incur as a result of creating an account. You agree to be financially responsible for any liability you may incur as a result of using the website. Rights & Trademarks Unless where otherwise indicated and excluding User Content (explained below): Copyright © 2014 Live Happy, LLC. All rights reserved. All content of the Sites (including but not limited to text, copy, articles, photographs,illustrations, graphics, artwork, audio and video), code, data, statistics and all other content,information and materials made available on the Sites are our property. You use of the sites does not grant to you ownership of any content, code, data, information or materials you may access through the sites. All trademarks, logos and service marks displayed on the sites are our property or the property of other third parties. You are not permitted to use the marks without our prior written consent or the consent of such third party which may own the marks. Licenses We grant you a non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use the sites for your personal,non-commercial use. 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Happiness Ambassador Account Activity We reserve the right to revoke, cancel or suspend any Happiness Ambassador Account, Reward and/or take other action at our discretion, at any time with immediate effect and without written notice,if we believe a Happiness Ambassador has (1) violated any of the Program Rules, (2) failed to pay any bills or accounts due to us, (3) acted in a manner inconsistent with applicable law,regulations or ordinances, (4) engaged in any misconduct or wrongdoing in connection with the Program, including without limitation, (5) violated any of the Terms and Conditions herein. Last revised on October 28, 2015
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A child holding a school book.

How Positive Education Can Help Students Flourish

When young people are given to the tools to find happiness within themselves as well as others, everyone wins Walt Disney used the noun “plus” as a verb, meaning to improve something that you are working on or already doing. I think that is what we have to do with education in all sectors. We need to “plus” it. We are living in some of the best times of humanity, as Steven Pinker has claimed in his recent book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress.“We live longer, healthier, safer, wealthier, freer, more peaceful and more stimulating lives than those who came before us,” Steven says in a recent New York Times interview. “And by ‘we’ I don’t just mean we in the West. This progress is encompassing the world.”At the same time, we live in volatile times: The future is uncertain, and the state of some of our institutions, our cities and movements is threatened globally. How do we work to ensure that we pass the baton to future generations with the best possible hope of continuing that progress? Talking to Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D.—a founder of positive psychology and positive education—a few years ago, he said, “We just need a time machine....” We were talking about how one could possibly engineer the “good life,” a life filled with meaning and purpose. How could one prospect one’s future? If you could have a time machine, you would be able to see the various moves and strategies you employed, the serendipitous path you lit out upon to thrive in later life. This is the question that educators, schools, colleges, universities, parents, students, policymakers and governments face. How do we engineer thriving, positive lives? If we could do that, we would indeed be able to change the world for the good. Positive psychology—its founding and expansion to fields such as economics, politics, neuroscience, cognitive science, sociology, anthropology and beyond—has begged the question, “Why are our institutions not positive?” This is most poignant when we think of our young people and their education. The various tragedies in U.S. schools and universities has brought this to the particular attention of our nation and the world: Why are schools not shaped with positivity, thriving and well-being at the core? Wouldn’t learning and results on standardized assessments be improved if all of our schools, public, charter and independent, focused with priority on the well-being of our students? Wouldn’t our children be safer and better prepared for their futures? The Promise of Positive Education Positive education proposes that at the center of institutions of learning are a set of interrelated components, PERMA, that have to be addressed as a matter of extreme priority in order to have educational organizations that help students thrive. PERMA stands for: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishments. Seligman suggests that if we could suffuse these elements more convincingly and intentionally in all of our educational organizations, not only would we have better learning outcomes, but more importantly, we would have better life outcomes for everyone leading to a better society. “But our schools and universities are doing a great job,” educators around the world claim. And it is true that on some metrics, schools around the world show student improvement on standardized assessments, but at what cost? Obviously, it depends on what you are measuring. At the same time, there is a massive increase in global mental health problems and opioid abuse across all ages in the United States. Even our social media platforms that claim to “do good” or “connect people” are correlated with users’ increased depression, flawed critical thinking and decreased well-being. Something seems terribly wrong. It is as though at some point we took a wrong turn that made it appropriate to define our value as human beings via a grade, a score or the number of followers we have. We have also come to believe that learning is just hard and is a game, rather than a lifelong endeavor of self-improvement and, although by necessity is “desirably difficult” at times, is also joyous. We have become distracted from seeking a capacity for a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives and have become obsessed with credentialing and capitalistic gains rather than humanistic success. Innovation to Stand the Test of Time So, how do we resolve this? I think the answer is simple. We recalibrate our entire system of education globally through positive education. This is already happening in many places all over the world. However, these are small sparks, prompted by individuals and institutions interested in how to translate valid cognitive science and social science research into everyday practices in schools and universities. For positive education to work it needs to become the norm; it needs to be just good education. Too much of what happens in our learning centers is through an ever-accelerating cycle of trends that crash upon schools like waves crashing against the shore. These “waves” have an effect, and then the effect disappears to be followed by yet another new set of waves of innovation. Positive education needs to be the norm. It needs to be a matter of a shift of assumptions and beliefs that permeate all school and university environments. We have to believe that to learn well, we need to tend more effectively to the social and emotional well-being of our young people. If we could put that at the center of what we do in all of our educational institutions, we would have better learning, better citizens, better corporations, better countries and a better world. Why is this so difficult? It is because the older generations, people like myself, in my fifties and in charge of schools and school systems, still believe that well-being is secondary to learning rather than a means to it. In order to change that view, we need to assure the elements of PERMA have primacy in the culture of all of our educational organizations. We need to prize the development of character strengths and ethical decision-making as equally important as the development of literacy and quantitative understanding. We need to ensure that our teachers and professors model the very social and emotional capacities and maturity we seek to develop in our students. We need to figure out more effective ways to provide good formative feedback to our students about the development of their moral and character development just as much as we provide feedback on their intellectual and academic development. In the past, I have felt that these issues and a global call for a positive education movement were more of a call to educators and to our students. More and more, I think that this is a matter of broader justice. It is a matter that is pertinent to all of us as global citizens. It is a way to save a world that is perhaps on an errant path. We need to work on increasing the potential of our youth in every country, which would be a worthwhile thing to do as we have seen through the young people in Parkland, in Malala Yousafzai who is fighting for girls’ education worldwide and in the activist voices of young people globally who are fighting oppression while seeking both justice and opportunity. Instead of being focused on GDP or even global happiness, we should be focused on a PERMA index with parents, governments, schools and universities seeking to work in concerted and collaborative ways to increase the PERMA in their own country and others. This is something that need not be debated infinitely since it is pragmatic, backed by science, and, I believe, within grasp for every individual and organization that has enough wherewithal to look positively to the future and ensure the thriving of our young people. We need to “plus” education, thereby “plussing” our countries and the world. We all need positive education. This article originally appeared in the October 2018 edition of Live Happy magazine. Dominic Randolph is the sixth Head of School at the Riverdale Country School, a Pre-K–12 independent school in New York City, and a founder of the Character Lab and Plussed+
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Live Happy's Positive Lessons from the Pandemic

Positive Lessons From the Pandemic

Although much has been researched and written about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected mental and emotional well-being around the globe, most of that research has looked at its negative effects. During the International Positive Psychology Association’s (IPPA) Seventh World Congress last week, held virtually for the first time, some of the world’s leading positive psychology experts shared the lesser-known ways the pandemic has had positive outcomes for individuals and for society.Dr. Antonella Delle Fave, professor of psychology at the University of Milano in Italy, offered the keynote presentation, “Eudaimonia: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” providing insight into some of the lesser-publicized effects of the pandemic. Her research looked at how factors such as resilience and social support affected individuals.The studies clearly show the importance of good mental health, she said.“Mental health was shown to play a protective role against PTSD,” she reported, referencing a study that indicated 33% of people considered themselves to be flourishing during the pandemic, while 9% landed in the “languishing” category. The rest of the survey respondents fell somewhere in between those two extremes.“People who were languishing were at higher risk of developing PTSD during the pandemic. Positive mental health was a predictor of less severe symptoms.” Building Resilience Individual resilience showed a direct correlation to such things as depression, anxiety and stress in countries around the globe. But those who practiced healthy, resilience-building skills fared far better than those who did not. For example, studies from Norway and the U.S. showed that people who participated in physical activity were less susceptible to depression and anxiety. Other factors found to bolster resilience included support from family and friends, proper sleep habits and prayer or meditation. “Resilience seems to be one of the primary resources across nations and populations,” Delle Fave noted. “Studies around the world are in agreement about the positive role of resilience in well-being and the negative correlation between low resilience and anxiety.” Discovering Happiness Based on Delle Fave’s research, the people who were able to thrive and flourish during lockdowns looked at the pandemic through a different lens. That not only allowed them to feel more at ease in the moment but often created lasting change in their lives, such as: Many people reevaluated what was important in life, such as being healthy and having social support. They also reevaluated how they spent their time and what was valuable to them. This led to rediscovering lost interests, changing their relationship with work and becoming more self-aware. A large number of people strengthened relationships with their family and friends. “People who increased their social connections saw higher levels of wellbeing in all countries,” Delle Fave said. “What this showed us was that interaction with family and friends mattered. Social support was an important contributor to wellbeing.” Steps to Well-being Other researchers looked at specific ways people maintained their well-being and built resilience during the pandemic. A study headed by Lea Waters of the Centre for Positive Psychology, University of Melbourne in Australia identified several interventions that were shown to be successful in managing the stress and uncertainty of the pandemic. They included: Finding meaning. Having meaning in life helps buffer the effects of adversity and has both physical and psychological advantages, Waters’ report shows: “People who report higher levels of meaning in life also are happier, express more frequent and strong positive emotions, endorse and use their character strengths more, have more satisfying relationships and are viewed as more desirable potential friends, help others more, feel better subjective health, report fewer health symptoms [and] have better functioning immune systems.” Practicing self-compassion. Treating oneself with kindness is an effective way to cope with high-stress situations, and that proved true during the pandemic. People who practiced self-compassion during the pandemic reported less fear and a greater sense of emotional safety. Creating a gratitude practice. One study conducted during the pandemic showed that many people were grateful even during the pandemic. Over 56% of respondents reported being grateful, which ranked higher than any other positive emotion, such as happiness or hope. And it was a strong predictor of happiness after the pandemic. “The more grateful people were, the more they reported positive self-changes. This is important because people can increase their levels of gratitude with simple practices such as journaling.” Implementing such practices can have a significant effect on how well an individual manages such adverse conditions as, say, a global pandemic, and Waters said she hoped the research would provide a path forward to help individuals increase their resilience and wellbeing in a post-pandemic world. “[We] hope that the cultivation of these outcomes continues beyond this crisis and leads to sustained positive outcomes,” she said.
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Circle of coworkers bonding.

Listening With Your Heart

Healing the world—and building your own happiness—one conversation, one breath at a time. When Vermont music teacher Sue Detweiler and her pastor husband Larry were looking for a new house, a key concern was that it have extra bedrooms. Sue, who believes in radical hospitality, wanted to make sure they had enough room to throw open their doors when people arrived on their doorstep in need. They found the house, bought it and before they’d even unpacked, a family of four filled the extra bedrooms. And just as that family got back on its feet and was ready to leave, an abused woman and her small child arrived. Sue’s house hasn’t been empty since.And when Toni Dudley, a South Carolina woman who had worked on an assembly line at the local Honda plant, discovered that a former co-worker had advanced cancer and no one to care for him, she rolled up her sleeves, cleaned his house, brought him food. Then, as he got worse, she moved into his home and cared for him every moment of every day for the rest of his life.What drives us to selflessly care for others? Plain and simple, it all comes down to compassion, that inward emotion that leads to outward acts of kindness. It’s what moves us to help one another and heal the breaches between us. And it’s key to our survival—as people, as nations, as a planet. “Despite what people think, ‘survival of the fittest’ is not something Darwin ever said,” says Emma Seppala, Ph.D., associate director of the Stanford University Center for Compassion & Altruism Research and Education in California. “Darwin’s message was more ‘survival of the kindest.’ ” We survive not because we’re the biggest, strongest or most intelligent beings on the planet, but because we live in a community of people who reach out to us in times of trouble. We are amazing, compassionate creatures. It’s what makes rescuing stray dogs on the streets of Los Angeles a passion, stuffing neighborhood food cupboards in Maine a commitment, and sending Doctors without Borders to the victims of hurricanes in the Philippines and Haiti a reality. What makes us do it? It’s part of who we are. Empathy in Action While we use the word “compassion” freely, we may be hard-pressed to come up with an actual definition. In its literal form, the translation of “compassion” is “to suffer together.” What it means in our daily lives is that we are compelled to relieve the suffering of others. The Dalai Lama is among those who say compassion is essential to overall wellbeing; he calls love and compassion necessities in life, not luxuries.  But compassion is more than just kindness to others—he says it is the sensitivity to the suffering of others, combined with a commitment to do something about it. In other words, it is empathy in action. Rev. Molly F. James, Ph.D., and an ordained Episcopal minister, understands the action side of compassion: “When I was a hospital chaplain, we referred to it as ‘getting in the boat.’ It’s being where the person in pain is, doing whatever it takes to become a companion for them and letting them know that they’re not alone. It’s letting people tell you their story and concentrating on their words, rather than thinking of your solution to their problems.” “You don’t have to be a minister to do this,” Molly says, “It’s about care and compassion—we are all born with a capacity for both.” Compassion is also a commonality among numerous religions. “Compassion is a shared value and virtue across many faith traditions,” the adjunct professor says. “It’s probably one of the strongest correlations between them.” Witnessing others in the act of compassion can have long-term, positive effects on us. When Molly needs to gather strength in her life, she calls one particular example to mind. It took place as she was helping organize a prayer service and funeral for a victim of the Newtown, Conn., shooting. Adding to the unthinkable grief and despair of the time was a troubling rumor: Picketers would try to disrupt the funeral procession. “I have a powerful image of the day,” Molly says. “When we reached the church, we saw a wall of people around it.” In the human circle she remembers Boy Scouts at attention—in their shirtsleeves even in the cold December weather. “There were boys not much older than the one who was killed. People formed this human wall around the church, and they stayed there the entire time. I saw the community do a beautiful, good, compassionate thing in light of the horrific tragedy of that dark week when so many hearts were broken.” “Sometimes compassion is about being kind and understanding,” says Monica Hanson, a senior teacher for Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. “But when it’s combined in someone with a longing to make a difference in people’s lives, it becomes a fierce compassion that can change the world.” Wired for Compassion Today, many psychologists embrace the notion that compassion is an instinct, a natural trait that has evolved over time and helped ensure our survival. Its benefits are both physical and mental, and some believe it can speed up recovery from disease and even lengthen our life. That’s because compassion provides us with pleasure. National Institutes of Health neuroscientist Jordan Grafman headed up a brain-imaging study proving the “pleasure centers” in our brain are activated by charitable acts. His research shows the great feeling that comes from enjoying dessert, spending time with friends or by spending money on ourselves can also be experienced by offering charitable acts to others The benefits, however, go beyond simply feeling good. A study from the University at Buffalo says people who practice compassion tend to be less affected by stress, while other studies have shown that compassion is directly linked to stronger social connections and improved physical and psychological health. There’s actually an underlying biological response to seeing someone in need, explains Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., science director for the University of California at Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. “We are exquisitely built to be sensitive to other people,” she says. “When you encounter someone in trouble, your chest and the back of your neck tighten, your forehead rises, and you mirror the feelings of the person who’s in need,” Emiliana says. Then the brain’s circuitry triggers other neuronal networks that appraise the situation and toss in their 2 cents about what’s going on. Dacher Keltner, also of the Greater Good Science Center and author of Born to Be Good, says we are wired for compassion. He points to studies conducted at Princeton University showing that certain areas of the brain light up when subjects were asked to contemplate harm being done to others. Study authors Joshua Greene and Jonathan Cohen concluded, based on the brain activity, humans are designed to respond compassionately to others’ suffering. “When we feel compassion, our heart rate slows down, we secrete the bonding hormone oxytocin and regions of the brain linked to empathy, caregiving and feelings of pleasure light up, which often results in our wanting to approach and care for other people,” the Greater Good Science Center says on their website. While compassion is as old as humanity, Dacher notes that scientific studies into how it affects us—and what triggers it—are relatively new. However, recent research has looked at the role of oxytocin, called “the cuddle hormone” or “the love hormone,” as a factor in compassion. In fact, studies into oxytocin indicate that our base level of compassion may be genetic. Oxytocin has four types of nucleotides—A, T, C and G—and each of us receive one copy of this nucleotide from each parent. A study published in the November 2011 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says the level of compassion an individual possesses varies based on the combination of genes, with A genes creating the least amount of empathy and compassion and G genes providing a greater amount of compassion. There are numerous combinations, but the study showed that individuals with the GG combination had a much higher level of compassion than all other subjects. However, Dr. Heike Tost of the Central Institute of Mental Health in Germany points out that even though an individual may be genetically wired to be less compassionate, empathy is “a complicated behavior regulated by more than one factor.” Another factor is the vagus nerve. Starting at the top of the spinal cord, the vagus nerve runs throughout the body and is interconnected with the oxytocin network. The vagus nerve has been associated with a stronger immune system and can regulate inflammation throughout the body, help regulate the activity between our breathing and heart rate, support our communication and, because of its connection with oxytocin, help us empathize and feel compassion. In a 2012 presentation, Dacher called it “the caretaking nerve” because it reacts to both tragic and inspiring news. He found that when people indicate they are feeling compassion, the vagus nerve has a stronger response, meaning everything in the body—from our heart and breathing rates to immune activity—are affected. “In that state of having a strong vagus nerve response, [we] feel common humanity with many different groups,” he says. “These deep ethical intuitions of common humanity are tracking a physiological practice.” Individuals with a stronger vagus nerve response have been shown to possess increased positive emotions overall, are more resilient, more sympathetic, have stronger social networks and tend to be trusted more by strangers. In children, he says, this often shows up as “the kids who intervene when [another] kid is being bullied” or will donate time at recess to help other children with their homework. What this proves, Dacher concludes, is that while we tend to think of compassion as a core emotional component, “it really is part of our nervous system as well.” He adds that a higher vagus nerve response can be cultivated by actively practicing compassion and through mindful acts, such as meditation and deliberate acts of kindness. So even if compassion is, at certain levels, a genetic and biological factor, it can be enhanced and further developed through self-awareness and practice. Creating a Compassionate Brain Even those who don’t feel they have a naturally compassionate brain can fine-tune it to become more compassionate. “If you take a deep breath and exhale slowly—breathing out longer than you breathe in—you can trigger the vagus nerve that runs from the brain to nearly every part of your body,” says Berkeley’s Emiliana. “It will immediately lower your heart rate, help you relax and give your brain’s caregiving and reward circuits the opportunity to come online. It will flood you with the feel-good chemicals oxytocin and dopamine—and the warm glow of heroism, motivated by compassion, will negate those feelings of discomfort.” You’ll hear yourself say, at the deepest level, “That person is just like me.” Few of us can remember to breathe deeply on the fly without training, so in the past few years, a bevy of researchers from Stanford and Berkeley to the University of Wisconsin and Emory have investigated whether or not we can be trained to do so—and whether or not doing so would, in fact, encourage us to become more compassionate. At each institution, researchers turned toward meditation techniques that focus on deep breathing. In a recent study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for example, researchers Richie Davidson, Ph.D., and Helen Weng found that two weeks of training seemed to double study participants’ inclination to behave in a compassionate manner toward others—to reach out and help someone, even when they had to spend their own dollars to do so. What’s more, when Richie and Helen scanned study participants’ brains, they found neural changes that supported the behavioral changes, suggesting that not only are we wired for compassion, but that we can actually change our brain’s biology to increase compassion and the acts of kindness it triggers. A second study, this one from Stanford University’s Center for Compassion, Altruism and Education Research, found that the benefits of a daily compassion meditation emphasizing deep breathing over a nine-week period enabled participants to strengthen their awareness of others’ suffering and increase their compassion. What’s more, study participants also increased a sense of self-compassion—and reported a substantial increase in happiness. Sharing the Love One of the many wonderful things about compassion is that it is contagious, meaning your simple act of kindness could have a greater effect than you will ever know. James Fowler, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego, and Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a medical sociologist at Harvard University, conducted a research project in which participants could receive large sums of money—and found that those recipients, in turn, rewarded others with generous gifts. It’s something we’ve seen over and over: Small acts of compassion, such as paying for the coffee of the person in line behind you can start a “pay it forward” chain reaction that lasts for several hours. Beyond the physical gift it provides, there’s an uplifting psychological benefit that lets us simultaneously enjoy happiness and give it to others. And, as we see the happiness of those who receive our compassion, we become happier. And the best part is, it doesn’t take a large act of compassion to make a difference; it just takes a little action. With additional reporting by Paula Felps.
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Finding Unity in a Divided World With Peter Montoya

Our world has become increasingly divided, but this week’s guest tells us how we can begin to close that divide. Peter Montoya is a thought leader, speaker and author who promotes civility and self-leadership as tools for change. His new book, The Second Civil War: A citizen’s guide to healing our fractured nation, looks at the challenges we’re facing as a society, how technology and media consumption increase our anxiety, and what each of us can do to help stop the conflict. In this episode, you'll learn: What excessive news consumption and social media does to our brains. How to reduce your anxiety and create a new way to consume media. Actionable steps to begin healing damaged relationships. Links and Resources: Facebook: @PeterMontoyaUnify Twitter: @PeterMontoya1 Instagram: @petermontoyaunify Download a free chapter of his book: www.PeterMontoya.com/cw2 Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           
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Why Happiness Studies?

A transatlantic flight, somewhere between London and NewYork City. The monotonous hum of the plane; the slow-moving clouds; the tranquil expanse of water, miles below, that somehow seems within reach—all these soothe me into a state of calm repose. My mind is clear, open. And in this meditative state a question strikes me: How is it that there are fields of study dedicated to literature, psychology, physics, business, history, and dozens of other subjects, and yet none dedicated to the study of happiness? Yes, there is positive psychology, which is the field that I had immersed myself in for almost two decades, but that’s just the psychology of happiness. What about a discipline, or rather an interdisciplinary field, that takes what psychologists have to say about happiness and combines it with what philosophers, economists, theologians, artists, biologists and others all have to say about the good life? The lack of an interdisciplinary program of happiness studies is particularly puzzling considering the almost universal agreement on the centrality of happiness in our lives. We want to be happy, and we want those we care about to be happy. Aristotle, more than 2000 years ago, argued that happiness is the “most desirable of all things … something final and self-sufficient, and is the end of action.” Even before the wise Greek, the wise King Solomon expressed similar sentiments, claiming that the highest life goal is to “rejoice, and to do good.” In The Alchemy of Happiness, Al-Ghazali, an eleventh-century Persian theologian, claimed that the ultimate prize of self-knowledge and devotion to God is happiness. The United States Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson a year into the American Revolutionary War, declared it a “self-evident” truth that the pursuit of happiness was an unalienable human right. Echoing this sentiment, Helen Keller wrote that “most of us regard happiness as the proper end of all earthly enterprise. The will to be happy animates alike the philosopher, the prince and the chimney-sweep. No matter how dull, or how mean, or how wise a man is, he feels that happiness is his indisputable right.” This focus on happiness is not restricted to Western thinkers. The Chandogya Upanishad, a Hindu text that is among the world’s oldest religious scriptures, declares that happiness is to be found not in the limited, trivial things of the world, but in the infinite. Confucius, the teacher and philosopher of China’s Spring and Autumn period (the fifth century BCE), invokes joy and pleasure in the two opening lines of the Analects. In his book The Art of Happiness, based on 2500years of Buddhist teachings, the current Dalai Lama proclaims that, “Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, the very purpose of our life is happiness, the very motion of our life is toward happiness.” The idea common to these and other thinkers is that happiness is the highest on the hierarchy of goals, the end toward which all other ends lead. Wealth or wisdom, accolades or accomplishments, are subordinate and secondary to happiness; whether our desires are material or social, they are merely means toward what I’ve come to call life’s ultimate currency. Any other currency—be it in the form of money or prestige—only has value if it can yield, or be exchanged for, happiness. If happiness is indeed the highest end, or even if it is merely one of many goals that matters to us, then dedicating effort to understanding and exploring it is a worthy pursuit. And yet, in 2015 there was not a single institution of higher learning anywhere in the world that offered a degree in happiness studies. There were a handful of positive psychology degree programs and some dedicated to the philosophy of happiness, and then there were programs that took a very specific and narrow approach to cultivating wellbeing. But in contrast to programs in economics, for instance, no academic program in happiness focused on both micro happiness (individuals and relationships) as well as macro happiness (organizations and nations). No academic program in happiness embarked on an interdisciplinary approach, analogous to a rigorous medical school curriculum, in which different fields of inquiry merged to shed light on a particular subject. One of the reasons for the conspicuous absence of happiness studies has been the difficulty of coming to a consensus on what this field ought to look like. What is happiness? What are the core principles that define the structure of the field? What topics and ideas make up its substance? Should any subject that includes the word “happiness” be part of the field, no matter the context in which the word is used or its implied meaning? Or should any word associated with happiness—such as “joy,” “flourishing,” “fun,” “purpose” or “pleasure”—be a criterion for inclusion? Which topics related to the good life—wholly or in part, directly or indirectly— should find their way into a happiness studies curriculum? These are just some of the questions I will address in this book, in an attempt to create a coherent, interdisciplinary field of life’s ultimate currency. I must point out, though, that the blueprint I am proposing in the following pages—the structure and the substance of the field—is a conversation starter, not a decree. I am inviting you to actively engage in an urgently important dialogue surrounding the good life—a dialogue that ought to be a part of this fascinating field and can itself be a source of much happiness.
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