The Pursuit of Happiness

Robert Holden, Ph.D. is the Founder and Director of The Happiness Project and Success Intelligence. He writes about the areas in which you can make change in order to "Be Happy" – which also happens to be the name of his new book. 

He suggests that one should give up the pursuit of happiness. Instead, start following your joy. This will ultimately bring you the happiness you seek.

>Here are some ways to accomplish that feat.

1. Know, accept, be faithful to, and come to love yourself. Your overall happiness is increased when you are happy with yourself.

2. Don't put conditions on your happiness. (I'll be happy when I ....)

3. Be the person with whom you want to have a relationship, be it family member, a friend or a romantic partner.

4. Find a job that doesn't feel like work. If it's not possible for you to find a job like that, fill that need to contribute to society or to fulfill your true purpose in other ways (i.e. volunteering)

5. Choose positivity and happiness. It is a CHOICE!

6. Live in gratitude for what you have rather than ruminating over what you don't have. Gratitude needs to be practiced until it becomes an ingrained way of thinking.

7. Don't harbor resentments, regret. Forgive past grievances.

8. Invite fun and laughter into your life.

9. Treat your body as a temple. Take care of it physically, mentally, emotionally and spirtually. Nurture it every day.

10. Develop a spiritual outlook, which helps you to connect to your real self instead of the self that is ruled by your ego.