June 1, 2014 | Posted in: Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully

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It begins with happiness. Happiness is not the end state. Happiness is the starting point that leads to all kinds of positive things in your life including your health. Choosing to insert moments of happiness into your day (I call them holi-moments instead of holidays), is like a string of pearls of joy. Stringing together all the pearls of happiness each day creates a happy, healthier life. Here are some of the things stemming from happiness as a secret ingredient. Extensive research in the Positive Psychology movement of the past couple decades has proven that happy people:

1. Have fewer strokes and heart attacks
2. Get sick less often in general – fewer colds, viruses and flu incidents
3. Have a stronger immune system in general
4. Have less pain and inflammation
5. Sleep better
6. Develop resistance to stress and adversity
7. Enjoy improved work performance and success
8. Have more fulfilling and longer-lasting marriages
9. Attract more friends and are more social
10. Are more altruistic and have a greater positive impact on society
11. Attract more wealth
12. Are more connected and active in their communities
13. Have a larger network
14. Live longer

The research is very clear that these things don’t lead to happiness. The exact opposite is true – that happiness leads to these positive outcomes. Happiness is the first ingredient to living a better life all the way around. We’ve had it backward for many years – thinking that IF we have these other things, THEN we’ll be happy. Now we have scientific evidence that the polar opposite is true – happiness comes first to attract these other things. Happiness is something we can do right now to start attracting these other things to us. Albert Schweitzer summed it up well: Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.”