Meeting people, maintaining trust relationships and being of service are at the top of almost all the scientific studies as an indicator of sustained happiness.  Chemically the brain produces serotonin and oxytocin associating specific people and worthwhile activities with longer felt powerful positive feelings

Whatever creates your positive feelings, especially those associated with nurturing relationships, open you up to learning, improved health, increased problem solving abilities and higher business achievements. Areas within the brain stimulated by positive chemistry stimulate listening skills, openness, memory and optimism

So which comes first happiness or success?  All the studies and real world performance says, happiness. Happy people in short or long term studies show greater success and more fulfilling lives, measured every way possible. 

Here are ideas taken from loads of research that can create “Happy” or “Happier” in you. This short list of 5 is not about making contacts, closing deals, changing eating patterns and reading faster. Those things can make you successful, and sometimes that will make you happy. But, note that many successful people are among the saddest, loneliest and emptiest folks around.

1.  In a study entitled, “Very Happy People,” researchers found that the happiest people shared one common characteristic, the strength of their social relationships.  In another study done at Harvard with 1,600 students participating, social support was the greatest factor in deciding happiness. The point is, the more support you have the happier you are. The happier you are, the more advantages you recognize, create and have. Taking care of positive relationships lowers blood pressure, reduces the stress producing brain hormone cortisol and in corporate studies is shown to even lower health care costs. 

2.  At the end of your day write at least 3 good things that happened that day. The making of a gratitude list forces your brain to focus, process and, to an extent, relive and reinforce the best of your actions.  It also guides you to want to create those positive experiences and memories again.  Positive expectations prompt you to make better choices you’ll feel great about. Speaking of gratitude, how about emailing or texting a little note of gratitude each day to 2 or 3 people, commending them on something they did well. It will help to “make” their day and contribute a good feeling of happiness to you, as well.

3.  Weekly, write a list of the good things about your life, your family, your health and your business/job. Many spend loads of time telling their dreary stories of what’s negative to neutral (reinforcing it) instead of focusing on what’s going on that’s right. If your positive list is disappointing, this could be the wake up call to make some better decisions. Life and happiness are created from the inside, out. Sometimes writing down your thoughts can be more powerful than just re-thinking and dismissing them.

4.  Everyday, pass forward some random act of kindness. Good for you, good for them, good for us all. As John Lennon sang, “Imagine.”

5.    If you are tolerating or hating what you are doing, with whom you are doing it or where you are doing it…what the heck are you doing there? Not every fit is the right fit. You wouldn’t want your kids to “settle” for mediocrity and tolerate it for the rest of their lives. Search, do your homework and find a place/work/company that aligns with your values and sensibilities. Evaluating that by yourself comes with a bias and self imposed limitations. Get help from friends and relatives you can trust and really talk to, mentors, employment counselors, coaches or therapists. If you have to spend money to get clarity, look at the value of the investment, not the cost.

                                                                         Is happiness worth it?