Happy Tips

As holiday sales stretch earlier and earlier into the year, many have wondered what effects America's increase in materialism has been having on our nation's children. In a study recently conducted by Lan Nguyen Chaplin, a professor of marketing at the University, researchers asked children to...

19 January, 2007

Once upon a time, the hot-button issue for politicians in rich countries was "the economy, stupid." But after decades in which Western nations have gotten richer but not necessarily happier, a new performance indicator - harder to measure and more elusive to deliver - is...

19 January, 2007

A few days ago I made a blog entry referring to the "fighting spirit" of one of our sporting stars, commenting that there might be something we can learn from his efforts that's relevant to happiness. Today, I write once more on the topic of...

18 January, 2007

Today I (separately) caught up with two friends, one for an early morning coffee and the other for lunch. Both, in different ways, added to my happiness. Why? I'm not 100% sure, to be honest, but I think it had something to do with the...

18 January, 2007

Laughter is truly the best medicine to increase your happiness and life satisfaction. Go ahead and laugh at the corny joke because it just might improve your health. A recent study done by researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests that laughter is...

17 January, 2007

It is with pleasure that I copy for you the first few paragraphs of an interesting happiness article. Some months ago in this space I wrote about being happy, the desire to be happy, the pursuit of happiness, the mysterious elusiveness of happiness. We all...

17 January, 2007

Now that you've wished all a happy New Year, let me pose one of those disturbing little Socratic questions: Can you make yourself happier, or are you stuck with what you are? The debate over this question is intensifying. With each new week, a novel...

17 January, 2007

I'm not really a tennis fan but as many of you would know the Australian Open has just started and there's much interest in our local stars, as well as a few big-guns from overseas. Last night, Lleyton Hewitt won his first round match after...

17 January, 2007

Raising children is arguably one of the most challenging tasks with which any of us are faced. At the same time, enhancing the happiness of our children is one of the most important and sought after goals for most parents. Happiness for parents can,...

17 January, 2007

If you want to be respected, you must respect yourself - Spanish Proverb If you want to experience happiness, you must be happy with yourself - modern happiness version Happiness lesson? Learn to love and like yourself if you want to be happy. ...

17 January, 2007