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This makes me happy

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its good to see your friend after a long time

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Adult E-Cards 18+. 689,884 likes · 359,678 talking about this. Media/News Company

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this makes me happy

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@ the nail salon 😂 Who remembers this? Like Globe Emporium for more!

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https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/choosing-to-be-happy#1

You can choose to be happy by making the effort to monitor the workings of your mind. Research shows that to a large degree your talent to happiness is determined by your genes. Happiness is more like an achievement. You aren’t just born happy. You have to put in effort.

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Try to stay SERIOUS -The most popular CAT videos

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2. Sleep More: You'll Be Less Sensitive to Negative Emotions

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this video also makes me happy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7wbAbc9PFk

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Train horn prank on the public! 😂😂😂 Credit: youtube.com/ViralBrothers & youtube.com/tdwpplaya To get a horn please visit: Hornblasters.com

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turbooo

https://www.facebook.com/ItsAllThingsCars/videos/1082508068546760/?hc_ref=ARQDd-xKcCWZOOYUhXKs4GN-d_AoiblSQf8h_zVdYOY4nHORwmgIt6SdcS-vf5lv8U4&pnref=story

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This song makes me happy because I just love crossfade and also it is in one of my favorite games.

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Crossfade - So far away: Lyrics I've been changin' but you'll never see me now (I've been changin' but you'll never see me now) Now I'm blaming you for everything No more holding it in How many years can I pretend Nothing never goes the way it should No more

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GOOD SAMARITHAN (Mark Angel Comedy) (Episode 124)

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How to Be Happy: 26 Strategies Backed by Research

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Want to become happier? Look no further. Here are 26 science-based strategies guaranteed to raise your level of happiness...

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45 ways to be happy that everyone can do, so many choices. :Like listening to music really helps me be calmer and more happy.

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Sometimes it can feel hard to keep up a happy state of mind. The emotion, like all the others, isn't always permanent. But there are ways to keep it up or boost it when you need it ― and luckily, they're simpler than you think.

In honor of the International Day of Happiness, we've culled expert tips, research and just a few feel-good suggestions of ways to boost your mood. Take a look below:
1. Log some time with your furry friends.
Play fetch with Fido or sneak in a few cuddles with your kitten. Interacting with your pets can release oxytocin in the brain ― you know, the "warm and fuzzy" hormone ― resulting in that joyous feeling.

There's nothing like a little thankfulness to boost your mood. Research shows expressing gratitude can make you happier. Try writing down three things you're thankful for at the end of each night.
3. Remind yourself how great you are.
PSA: You are awesome - you just gotta believe it for yourself. Studies show self-acceptance is crucial to a happier life, but it's a habit we barely practice.
4. Call your mom.
Pick up that phone. Research suggests hearing your mom's voice can help reduce stress. And less stress means a happier you.
5. Meditate, meditate, meditate.
The list of meditation benefits seems endless, but perhaps one of the more positive perks is what the practice can do for your mood. Research shows that allowing yourself a few moments of zen-like escape each day may make you happier.
6. Listen to music.
Admit it: There's nothing quite like a solo jam session, and apparently science agrees. Research shows that trying to boost your mood while listening to music actually can help lift you to a more positive state. Press play ASAP.
7. While you're at it, listen to sad music.
No, really. Studies also suggest listening to sad music can help boost positive feelings. (We just see this as another excuse to listen to Adele on repeat.)

We didn't get to where we are without a little help, so why not extend that same generosity to someone else? Not only will your kindness influence others, studies show it'll also make you happier, too.
9. Hang out with someone who is happy.
Joy really is contagious. Research shows the more you surround yourself with positive people, the happier you'll feel. Time to go catch up with your BFF?
10. Watch a funny video.
Find something that tickles you, watch and let the giggles ensue. Laughter can reduce stress, after all.
11. Plan a vacation.
The anticipation for a trip is almost as good as the trip itself. Prepping for a vacation has been shown to increase our happiness levels, the New York Times reported. The warm sun or exciting slopes are just an added bonus.
12. Whip up a good meal.
Feeling blue? Tap into your inner chef and hit the kitchen. Researchers say people who employ creative process in small ways ― like coming up with a new pasta recipe for dinner ― feel happier overall.
13. Get in a good workout.
Consider this our love letter to exercise. Not only is it good for your body, but it's equally as beneficial to your brain. When you work up a sweat, you release endorphins, immediately upping your happiness levels. Go ahead, get moving.

14. Spend money on experiences.
A fulfilling life doesn't lie in our possessions, it's found in the experiences we have and the people we share them with. If you're going to spend a little moolah, spend it on a trip, a concert or any other experience that will bring you joy. Science says you'll be happier in the long run.

Work for that promotion or take on that marathon. It's a lovely treat for your mind, according to Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project. " Challenge and novelty are key elements of happiness," Rubin wrote in Real Simple. "The brain is stimulated by surprise, and successfully dealing with an unexpected situation gives a powerful sense of satisfaction."
16. Fake a smile.
We get it - smiling may be the last thing you want to do when you're in a sour mood, but it could help to turn that frown upside-down. Research shows faking a smile can help elevate our mood, even if we're not genuinely into it right away. Talk about the power of suggestion.

Take advantage of your backyard or stroll a park you've never been to before and thank yourself later. One study found that going for a brief walk in nature can help improve your mood and alleviate stress.
18. Make some new friends.
Research shows making friends increases our happiness and well-being. Join a club, talk to your coworker or strike up a conversation in the grocery line - you never know what kinds of new connections you can make.

19. Drink a glass of milk.
Dairy contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid that helps create serotonin, the "happy" chemical in the brain. Milk: It not only does the body good, it does the brain good too.
20. Take a cozy bath (like Barry the dog).
If that isn't the look of happiness, we don't know what is. Plus, research suggests that warm baths make us feel warm on the inside, too.
21. Get enough sleep.
More sleep = A happier you. Too little shuteye slows down our cognitive processes and increases the risk of depression. Try hitting the pillow 30 minutes earlier each night or taking a nap in the middle of the day.
22. Embrace the aging process.
Most people wish they could avoid aging, but studies show that we're happier as we get older. Experts theorize this could be because the older we get, the more we reflect on positive experiences. Sounds like a great reason to love those birthdays.
23. Have a good cry.
It sounds counterintuitive, but it may actually work. Research has found that crying can lead to positive increase in mood following the flow of tears. Those in the study reported feeling better than they did before they had a reason to cry.
24. Follow the "golden ratio."
This theory, developed by positive psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, holds that for every one negative experience you have, you should have three positive ones in order to achieve happiness. Makes sense to us!
25. Show your appreciation for someone else over email.
Technology isn't all bad. Take a break from your overflowing inbox and switch gears to a different kind of email. " We fight so hard against the negative and we forget to tell people how powerful a two-minute positive e-mail could be," Harvard-trained researcher and Before Happiness author Shawn Achor told Oprah in 2014.
26. Give someone else a compliment.
Your generosity will make your day and their's. Looking for a way to give praise that isn't superficial? Here are some ideas.
27. Find the perfect temperature.
The weather outside has a direct influence on how we feel on the inside. One study found that happiness is maximized at an approximate 57 degrees Fahrenheit.
28. Keep a one-sentence journal.
Sometimes the most mundane moments turn out to be the loveliest source of happiness. Research shows recording these everyday events may make us happier later on because we appreciate them a lot more when they're revisited. In other words, if you ate a scrumptious chocolate brownie on Wednesday, write it down.
30. Stop to smell the flowers, literally.
Eau de Happiness? One study on how scent affects joy found that participants who were in a floral-scented room selected three times as many happiness-related terms than negative terms.

Here's a good excuse (not that you need one) to hit the sheets: Research suggests having sex can reduce stress. Of course, how much is up to you. But worth a try, eh?
32. Just TRY being happy.
Can you think yourself to joy? Some researchers believe so. According to two experimental studies, taking happiness into your own hands can boost your well-being.
33. Try to cut back on work.
Residents of Denmark, one of the happiest countries in the world, spend less time than most Americans in the office. Only 2 percent of Danes work long hours, which is categorized as 50 hours per week. And full-time workers still devote 66 percent of their day to self-care, like eating and sleeping. Maybe do as the Danes do?

Spirituality and religion have been linked to higher happiness and well-being, according to a review of studies on spirituality and health. Sometimes it helps to know you're connected to something greater than yourself.
35. Celebrate little victories.
There's power in small moments. Whether it's getting an answer correct at trivia or catching your favorite song on the radio, indulge in the little "wins" of your day. "I think when we take time to notice the things that go right - it means we're getting a lot of little rewards throughout the day," Susan Weinschenk, author of How to Get People to Do Stuff, previously told HuffPost. "That can help with our moods."
36. Think of happy memories.
Research shows nostalgia makes us happier and more optimistic. Time to dig out those old yearbooks?
37. Skip the small talk and go deep.
Anyone can talk about the weather. Let yourself get a little more connected and have a substantial conversation with someone - research shows it will boost happiness and well-being.
38. Recite a positive mantra.
You can either create your own or find one online (personally, we like these encouraging words). Search for a phrase that's going to bring meaning to you. Research shows having a mantra can help with bad feelings. Find yours!
39. Spend money on someone else.
Investing in other people really does pay off - for them and for you. According to one 2008 study, spending money on others promotes your own happiness.
40. Become a better listener.
How much do your really pay attention to your conversations? Researchers theorize the more we listen, the happier and more meaningful our lives are - particularly within our relationships. As Epictetus once said, "We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak."
41. Take a selfie.
The next time someone judges you for taking one of those infamous front-facing photos, show them this: A 2016 study found that selfies actually increase confidence and make you happier. Boom.

42. Talk to someone IRL.
Put down that phone and log some real FaceTime. Human beings are social creatures (and not just on the internet), so it's time we tap into those resources. Research shows we simply feel better when we're around other people.
43. Lower your expectations.
Raise your hand if you've ever had a lackluster New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day. It's no secret that expectation can lead to disappointment if the bar is set too high (in fact, research backs this up). We're not implying that you should set the bar low, but sometimes realistic ideas make you happier in the long run.
44. Look on the bright side.
There are perks to seeing life through a glass half full. Try looking for a silver lining in any situation. Optimists are not only more joyful, they also may live longer. That's a lot of extra time to be happy.
45. Finally, just look at this smiling face.
Give one (or several) of these a try the next time you're feeling low. Happiness looks good on you.
A previous version of this article appeared in March 2015.

ALSO ON HUFFPOST

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Sometimes it can feel hard to keep up a happy state of mind. The emotion, like all the others, isn't always permanent. But there are ways to keep it up or boost it when you need it ― and luckily, they're simpler than you think.

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Reading through the article I found that it talked a lot about being with your friends and family is one of the best ways to be and stay happy.

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I like the nba because I get to watch it with my older brother and sometimes with my family

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These were the NBA finals that the Golden State Warriors were losing last year, and yet they acted as if the whole thing was a joke. They were supposed to be practising in Cleveland's arena, trailing the Cavaliers 2-1 in the series, but this hardly looked like basketball practice.

Music boomed from mini-speakers the team brings on all road trips as players kicked balls around like they were on a soccer field. Several of them lined up for half-court shots. They were laughing. Anyone who walked into the arena that day would have gazed at the spectacle, more open gym at the Y than NBA workout, and decided the Warriors didn't care.

And suddenly everything made sense to the team's general manager Bob Myers.

"Sitting in the stands I had this epiphany," Myers says now. "I said: 'I get it!'"

Basketball was supposed to be fun.

For months, he had tried to grasp the gentle frenzy of Steve Kerr, the rookie head coach he hired the spring before to help his team reach missed potential. Kerr was different from every coach Myers had known. He didn't scream or push, yet his team had dominated the Western Conference. Finally, in the franchise's most important series in decades, he understood that Kerr's brilliance came not from how hard he coached, but how content he made his players.

"Steve had kept those guys relaxed all year round," Myers says. "Ask anybody if they can perform better at their job if they have a level of joy around their job. They will say yes. And if you can create joy while working with people you like, then you can do an either better job."

Want to understand how Golden State could come back from 3-1 down to the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the Western Conference Finals? Want to know why the Warriors are on the verge of a second-straight NBA title even as their best player, Steph Curry, struggles to hit his jump shots? The reason lies in that Cleveland morning. They have made their team the happiest place in sports.

You hear the word "joy" a lot around the Warriors, who are two wins from a second straight NBA title. This is not a common sports term. The longstanding narrative says championships are earned through a relentless fire, not morning playtime. What was it Vince Lombardi once said to his Green Bay Packers? "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender." The Warriors set an NBA record for victories this year, winning 73 of 82 games. By that imperfect measure they are the best team in NBA history, but they rarely speak in war metaphors. Their motivation is not the fear of losing, but the jubilance of winning together.

All the old gimmicks of conjuring enemies don't apply with this team. There are no bulletin boards with dismissive quotes pinned to the front as a way to inspire anger. Several times in the last two years, Bruce Fraser, the Warriors shooting coach, has expected Kerr to explode at his players the way coaches do when things go wrong -and he is always surprised when the storm never comes.

Unlike most huge superstars, Curry wants everyone to bask in the same sunshine as himself

So, yes, just two wins from a second-straight title, that morning in Cleveland last June, where his players played soccer on the floor and took half-court shots, now makes perfect sense to Bob Myers. It is the justification for hiring an unproven head coach for the carefree Curry and the other players who had lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2014.

"We felt, as an organization, that if we put two positive people together they would bloom," he says of Kerr and Curry.

But none of them could have imagined this. And that, everyone agrees, is because of Curry.

"Our best player is also our best person," Myers says.

This is not the kind of thing basketball people say about superstars. Nobody called Michael Jordan the Chicago Bulls' best person. Kobe Bryant was never adored by his Lakers team-mates. Their leadership was the kind we have become familiar with in sports. They were propelled by rage, driven by anger. They fed off criticism, parsing their opponents' words, searching for the merest hint of a slight that could ignite a blaze. They pushed, harassed and humiliated team-mates into winning, freezing out those they felt unworthy of their outrageous lust for victory.

Curry does not rage. He does not stare down team-mates or bully them in practice. His leadership comes from the happiness of seeing everyone succeed. His press conferences are rarely about himself, even in a year when he became the league's first unanimous MVP. Several times this season he has stopped conversations about his game to remind people that his fellow guard, Klay Thompson, is as valuable to the team as himself. Unlike most huge superstars who have an uneasy relationship with their so-called sidekicks, jealous of any attention that player gets, Curry wants everyone to bask in the same sunshine as himself.

"Steve said it best: Steph plays with intensity but joy," Myers says.

It's hard to imagine another player like Curry pushing his team to titles with happiness. The closest might be San Antonio center Tim Duncan, who has never been a furious player. But Duncan has never looked like he is having the fun that Curry has, laughing as he launches shots from center court. His contentment defies every principle we hold sacred about superstars. Men of his stature are supposed to be angry. They demand perfection in in furious tones. Curry almost seems sad if everyone else doesn't have the same exhilaration as him.

"Steph's a pleaser," says Fraser. "He wants to please people. It's an incredibly redeeming quality."

A few weeks ago Fraser, who works the most with Curry of any Warriors coaches, asked the MVP how many of the off court things he did - the charity appearances, the interviews, the favors for friends of friends of friends - were because he simply didn't want to say 'no." Curry paused. "The fact you are thinking about it means that it exists," Fraser said to him.

Curry shrugged off the conversation, as Fraser expected he would. And telling the story now, on the side of the Warriors practice court one recent afternoon, he laughs and shakes his head.

"How do your guys remain happy? We have guys like that," Fraser says. "How do you not stay happy around a guy like Steph? We have good pieces that complement the whole. It's a great place to start if you are going to build something really good.

Fraser has been around the NBA long enough to see how great players act. Most big stars come off jerks, he says. They are self-absorbed, which is a natural byproduct of their fame. He understands how this can happen. He won't judge such behavior harshly. Narcissism is often the driver of athletic potency. Belittling others to conjure success is something most big stars on most champions do. They demand their team-mates are burning to win as much as them.

Even after an NBA title and two MVP awards Curry remains the cheerful player who giggles with team-mates, takes 100 shots after practice, and performs an elaborate home pre-game ritual that involves a number of Oracle Arena playing starring roles.

He is the first huge superstar who doesn't mind being a huge superstar, but doesn't want to act like one.

"That's what's so miraculous about it all," Fraser says.

When Kerr first took over the Warriors in May of 2014, he and Fraser met for coffee nearly every day to plot the culture they wanted to create with their new team. They wanted to do this right. Eventually all the coaches went on a retreat to Napa to discuss their vision even more. They came back with a list of four values that has served as the base for what they have become: competition, mindfulness, compassion and joy.

"And when we hit all four of those things, we are not only very tough to beat, but we are very fun to watch - and very fun to coach and to be around," assistant coach Luke Walton says.

The easy assumption is that Kerr is a copy of Phil Jackson, who coached him for five seasons with the Chicago Bull,s back when the Bulls owned the basketball universe. This is partially true. Kerr has clearly pulled from Jackson, who was known more for his unorthodox motivational tactics with players like Jordan and Bryant than his in-game coaching maneuvers. You can see evidence of Jackson in the way Kerr handles players, encouraging them to try things like yoga and meditation.

Sometimes Fraser will look at the team, sense they are tired, like he did one time on a road trip to Minneapolis, and say to Kerr: "Let's do something Phil would do." And sometimes when Fraser suggest this, Kerr will listen and do something like he did that day, in Minneapolis, when he canceled practice and took the Warriors bowling.

But Kerr has taken things from every coach and every team he was involved with as a player, from Lute Olson at Arizona to San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. His approach is a confluence of ideas and experiences, both good and bad, that have been melded into a style he embraces.

"Steve has been able to balance our players," Myers says. "You can still hate to lose, but that doesn't have to be everything. It can't be about hating to lose. Somewhere this team has found the joy of winning, too."

Perhaps this has a lot to do with how Golden State survived the conference finals, after they looked certain to be done when Oklahoma City blew them out in Games 3 and 4. Curry was struggling, and the Warriors seemed lost, yet their confident rhetoric never wavered. Curry kept as each big game approached. Kerr repeatedly spoke of staying on the same path. There was strangely little worry on a team that had set a record for victories in a season and was suddenly facing their first adversity and didn't seem to have the answers.

Then, when the Thunder did panic, throwing up wild shots in Game 6 and 7 collapses, the happy Warriors chugged merrily along, riding big games from players like Thompson and Andre Iguodala, showing that unlike Jordan and Bryant's championship teams, their culture does not demand that Curry carry them.

"We don't look at the instant result," Fraser says. "Some teams look at the instant result, and if we stumble that doesn't detract from the ultimate goal. I think that this is a unique team. The day-to-day doesn't affect us. That process is our day and as long as the process is productive and has joy to it then we feel we have been successful."

How many other teams could shrug at the loss of their head coach at the start of the season the way Golden State did when Kerr missed four months after back surgery? Instead of stumbling through the opening weeks, the Warriors won their first 24 games and were 39-4 when Kerr returned in late January. Who, too, could overcome the loss of a player like Curry for much of the playoff's first two rounds and continue to win when he has still not been himself against the Thunder and Cavaliers?

Imagine the Bulls winning championships with a hobbled Jordan or the great Lakers teams of a few years back marching through the playoffs without Bryant. But the culture Kerr set up with the Warriors demands the next-man-up should be ready to thrive. Walton seamlessly replaced Kerr in the same easy way that Shaun Livingston and Iguodala picked up for the fallen Curry. Nothing changes, the winning keeps happening.

Much of that is Kerr's ability to make every player and coach feel important to the success, regardless of their role. He didn't start for much of his NBA career and can relate to the frustration of not playing as much as some players. "I have a lot of empathy for bench players having been one myself," Kerr said after Game 2. Jackson was great at getting people to accept lesser places on clubs that are winning; Kerr has embraced that too.

"If you look at the history of our season, and seasons, you'll see this guy didn't play for three games, and then he comes in and has a big night for us or does something," Fraser says. "I think once players understand they are not left out and they will be involved, they stay involved, and their minds become active, and their bodies become active.

"You don't lose at the end of the bench, and that helps the joy, too, because if you are losing guys (then) that's human nature to just not care. All of our guys care, and that's a powerful thing."

Unlike Jordan and Bryant's championship teams, the Warriors' culture does not demand that Curry carry them

After the Warriors lost the first game of the Oklahoma City series, Myers was amused when he heard Curry say in a postgame press conference that he thought it would be fun to see how the team responded in Game 2. This was a jarring thing to come from a player of Curry's level. Fun? Could anything be fun after a playoff loss?

Looking back, he chuckles.

"Who says that?" he asks.

He loves that Golden State's best player doesn't obsess over himself which means he doesn't berate his teammates after a defeat. Instead he stays measured, trying not to seem frazzled when things don't work well. He doesn't rattle so the Warriors don't rattle.

"Steph has a quiet confidence, and Steve does too," Myers said. "Both lead with confidence and a sense of humility. You are under such great scrutiny as a player and a coach. It can be hard. But both these guys are very confident in their ability to lead without arrogance."

Yes, there is rage on Warriors. Kerr, for instance, smashed his clipboard during a timeout the other night. And star forward Draymond Green has exploded so much at officials and opposing players, famously kicking the groin of Thunder center Steven Adams in the last series, that he is precariously close to a league suspension. But even his fire fits Golden State's system, complementing Curry's gentle approach when the team needs someone to scream.

"Steph gives us our culture, Draymond gives us our voice," Fraser says.

Sometimes Fraser worries that he sounds "sappy" talking about Kerr and Curry and the rest of the Warriors. He imagines no one else can believe what it is like because it's like nothing he has been around in his coaching life. It's like nothing any of them have been around. It's just what it has been for the last two seasons and maybe a for a little bit longer...

The happiest place in sports.

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The Golden State Warriors, the happiest team in sports

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These were the NBA finals that the Golden State Warriors were losing last year, and yet they acted as if the whole thing was a joke. They were supposed to be practising in Cleveland's arena, trailing the Cavaliers 2-1 in the series, but this hardly looked like basketball practice.

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I missed my connecting flight in Charlotte, and I didn't want to sit in anger all night long, so instead I did what makes me happiest...DANCE!!!! Oh, and I made some really great friends along the way! Thank you for dancing your troubles away with me!!!

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This article provides ten tips for being happy. The author decided to research happiness after realizing, that despite having what she thought would be a perfect life, she was unhappy. So she did some real research and came up with a list of ten things that I think are super helpful. One of my favorites, AND one of the hardest is  "I often remind myself to “Enjoy the fun of failure” and tackle some daunting goal." Most of us are terrified of "failure" but most times failure is not what we think and actually leads to amazing growth and opportunities. I would add that the hard times we fear are actually what makes us who we are in the end.

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How happy are you―really? If there's room for improvement, finally learn how to be happy with these suggestions.

A few years ago, on a morning like any other, I had a sudden realization: I was in danger of wasting my life. As I stared out the rain-spattered window of a New York City bus, I saw that the years were slipping by.

"What do I want from life?" I asked myself. "Well...I want to be happy." I had many reasons to be happy: My husband was the tall, dark, handsome love of my life; we had two delightful girls; I was a writer, living in my favorite city. I had friends; I had my health; I didn't have to color my hair. But too often I sniped at my husband or the drugstore clerk. I felt dejected after even a minor professional setback. I lost my temper easily. Is that how a happy person would act?

I decided on the spot to begin a systematic study of happiness. (A little intense, I know. But that's the kind of thing that appeals to me.) In the end, I spent a year test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and tips from popular culture- happy planner, happy color, happy stuff, and all. If I followed all the advice for how to feel happy, I wanted to know, would it work?

Well, the year is over, and I can say: It did. I made myself happier. And along the way I learned a lot about how to be happier. Here are those lessons.

1. Don't start with profundities. When I began my Happiness Project, I realized pretty quickly that, rather than jumping in with lengthy daily meditation or answering deep questions of self-identity, I should start with the basics, like going to sleep at a decent hour and not letting myself get too hungry. Science backs this up; these two factors have a big impact on happiness.

2. let the sun go down on anger. I had always scrupulously aired every irritation as soon as possible, to make sure I vented all bad feelings before bedtime. Studies show, however, that the notion of anger catharsis is poppycock. Expressing anger related to minor, fleeting annoyances just amplifies bad feelings, while not expressing anger often allows it to dissipate.

3. Fake it till you feel it. Feelings follow actions. If I'm feeling low, I deliberately act cheery, and I find myself actually feeling happier. If I'm feeling angry at someone, I do something thoughtful for her and my feelings toward her soften. This strategy is uncannily effective.
RELATED: How to Avoid Spoiling Your Kids
4. Realize that anything worth doing is worth doing badly. Challenge and novelty are key elements of happiness. The brain is stimulated by surprise, and successfully dealing with an unexpected situation gives a powerful sense of satisfaction. People who do new things―learn a game, travel to unfamiliar places―are happier than people who stick to familiar activities that they already do well. I often remind myself to "Enjoy the fun of failure" and tackle some daunting goal.

5. Don't treat the blues with a "treat." Often the things I choose as "treats" aren't good for me. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt and loss of control and other negative consequences deepen the lousiness of the day. While it's easy to think, I'll feel good after I have a few glasses of wine...a pint of ice cream...a cigarette...a new pair of jeans, it's worth pausing to ask whether this will truly make things better.

6. Buy some happiness. Our basic psychological needs include feeling loved, secure, and good at what we do. You also want to have a sense of control. Money doesn't automatically fill these requirements, but it sure can help. I've learned to look for ways to spend money to stay in closer contact with my family and friends; to promote my health; to work more efficiently; to eliminate sources of irritation and marital conflict; to support important causes; and to have enlarging experiences. For example, when my sister got married, I splurged on a better digital camera. It was expensive, but it gave me a lot of happiness.

7. Don't insist on the best. There are two types of decision makers. Satisficers (yes, satisficers) make a decision once their criteria are met. When they find the hotel or the pasta sauce that has the qualities they want, they're satisfied. Maximizers want to make the best possible decision. Even if they see a bicycle or a backpack that meets their requirements, they can't make a decision until they've examined every option. Satisficers tend to be happier than maximizers. Maximizers expend more time and energy reaching decisions, and they're often anxious about their choices. Sometimes good enough is good enough.

8. Exercise to boost energy. I knew, intellectually, that this worked, but how often have I told myself, "I'm just too tired to go to the gym"? Exercise is one of the most dependable mood-boosters. Even a 10-minute walk can brighten my outlook.

9. Stop nagging. I knew my nagging wasn't working particularly well, but I figured that if I stopped, my husband would never do a thing around the house. Wrong. If anything, more work got done. Plus, I got a surprisingly big happiness boost from quitting nagging. I hadn't realized how shrewish and angry I had felt as a result of speaking like that. I replaced nagging with the following persuasive tools: wordless hints (for example, leaving a new lightbulb on the counter); using just one word (saying "Milk!" instead of talking on and on); not insisting that something be done on my schedule; and, most effective of all, doing a task myself. Why did I get to set the assignments?

10. Take action. Some people assume happiness is mostly a matter of inborn temperament: You're born an Eeyore or a Tigger, and that's that. Although it's true that genetics play a big role, about 40 percent of your happiness level is within your control. Taking time to reflect, and making conscious steps to make your life happier, really does work. So use these tips to start your own Happiness Project. I promise it won't take you a whole year.

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How to Be Happy-10 Ways to Be Happy (or at Least Happier)

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How happy are you-really? If there’s room for improvement, then Gretchen Rubin has some suggestions for how to be happy. A few ways to be happy can't immediately fix everything, but they can give your happiness boost and help you move closer to a happy life.