To be happier make 10 valuable improvements.

Depression is the second leading cause of mortality and effects 30% of all adults worldwide. The consequences are devastating both emotionally and economically.

To help mitigate the effects of depression, having a realistic idea of what constitutes happiness is essential.

Many people have "erroneous" notions of "genuine happiness". That’s why defining happiness and success on “your terms” is critically important for creating a satisfying life.

The first misconception of happiness is predicated on the idea that "happiness is something we find". If we only got married, had a better job, made more money or had a bigger house.

However, happiness is a state of mind! It’s a condition that provides insight for viewing the world and our position in it. - Steve Wohlenhaus Anatomy of Success

Research consistently demonstrates that major life events account for only 10% of overall happiness.

A University study in 1976 of Young adults that identified material aspirations as their primary source of happiness were found to be "less happy" several decades later.

Do you think being more beautiful is the answer? No. When we contemplate our happiness, appearance is seldom relevant to the perception of happiness.

The fact is, happy people have a propensity to perceive everything about their lives in a more optimistic fashion. Appearance is just one of those attributes.

A University of Illinois study found that people who earn the most (more than $10 million annually) are only "slightly happier" than the average people that work for them.

In addition, psychologists from the University of California found that genetics and life circumstances only account for 50% of a person’s happiness.

What does this all mean? Happiness is ultimately up to you.

Want more happiness?  Focus on these 10 things:

Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it, but to delight in it when it comes. Charles Dickens

The gift of gratitude

Being grateful reduces invidious behavior and unhealthy comparisons. When you are focused on the things that matter most—family, friends, health, stimulating work, you’re less inclined to be consumed with envy, greed and jealousy. Your positive attitude nullifies the effects of bitterness, disdain and anger. This minor adjustment can create far more happiness than circumstances alone.

By focusing on being grateful, you devote energy to appreciating your blessings and less time ruminating on your current circumstances. In addition, expressing gratitude stimulates self-worth and self-esteem.

Gratitude is also a natural remedy for stress and trauma.

Although loss and adversity can be difficult, expressing gratitude can make moving on easier.

Gratitude is critical for developing a healthy relationship with money. It reduces the proclivity for adapting to good fortune by "always wanting more". 

Happy people express gratitude.

The gift of less control. 

The need to always be in control is a liability that can limit peoples personal and professional growth.

Happy people are always prepared and informed, but they resist the temptation to lament over things they can’t control. They realize the futility of expending energy on trying to manipulate a situation outside their control. Instead, they focus on things they can “control”.

Perseverance is endurance. Endurance requires hunkering down and forging ahead despite the obstacles.

Death is a perfect example of where these principles can be applied.

When you recognize mortality is unavoidable, you receive a sense of serenity that negates the need to ruminate over death, and your inability to control it. 

Happy people aren’t controlling.

Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it. Lou Holtz

The gift of fighting less.

Needing to be right isn’t a prerequisite for being successful. Learning to let go of our penchant for embellishment to validate our ego is essential for personal growth.

Squabbling over trivial details, insinuating guilt or making inflammatory remarks only result in undesirable consequences. Realizing nobody needs to be right, is the first step toward amicable resolution. Sometimes things just don’t work out and we move on! When relationships turn sour, most people feel the need to vindicate their innocence. We you can admit “it just didn’t work out”, you let go and move forward. - Steve Wohlenhaus Anatomy of Success

Happy people argue less.

The gift of adequate rest. 

The importance of sleep is well documented. It improves your mood, focus, and self-control. When you sleep, your brain literally recharges, eliminating toxic proteins that accumulate during the day. As a result, when you wake up you feel alert and clear-headed. Your energy, attention, and memory are adversely affected by inadequate sleep. Sleep deprivation also increases stress hormone levels without the contribution of stress factors.

Happy people make sleep a priority.

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Confucius

The gift of intuition. 

Most people learn to dismiss their intuition because it lacks the evidence we demand to appease our rational predilections.

We value analysis and validation. Success becomes a formula that prescribes a method of achieving happiness.

This way of thinking fails to appreciate intuition as an essential ingredient for success.

Once we learn to avoid our intuition and emotional intelligence, we become too dependent on rationality. We ignore that both can coexist harmoniously and should.

Our appetite for ease and simplicity contradict this beautiful dichotomy. We default to a conventional way of thinking that exploits our preference for “simple solutions”. 

Happy people follow their intuition.

The gift of moving your body. 

Establishing a connection with your body is critical. It creates awareness. It promotes movement. It energizes your soul. It restores confidence. It releases stress. It stimulates your mind and encourages personal growth and development.

Find activities that awaken your soul. Make health a top priority and eliminate every distraction in your life that prevents you from being healthy. 

Happy people are healthy.

Sanity and Happiness are an impossible combination. Mark Twain

The gift of constantly growing. 

A growth mindset is the belief that someone has the capacity to shape their future in a positive way. Setbacks and limitations are only temporary distractions that can easily be overcome with hard work and dedication.

A fixed mindset sees setbacks as insurmountable hurdles that create indolence and inactivity. It’s literally debilitating.

Once you embrace a growth mindset, you recognize your personal culpability in self- improvement.

The danger with fixed mindsets is they promote a feeling of infallibility.

A certain arrogance occurs that creates a sense of superiority. When this belief isn’t validated, through failure and disappointment, a fixed mindset creates obstacles for growth.

A growth mindset in a similar situation sees opportunity for improvement. Disappointment and setbacks are the motivation that inspires growth. 

Happy people have a growth mindset.

For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. Ralph Waldo Emerson

The gift of forgiveness. 

When your pain is the product of someone’s carelessness—a broken heart, ruptured trust, a damaged soul—embrace amelioration. Forgiveness is hard but essential for closure.

Forgiveness isn’t reconciliation. It doesn’t require mending the relationship with the perpetrator. Forgiveness isn’t extending a pardon or justifying a person’s behavior. It’s letting go of the grief and releasing the animosity to liberate yourself from the shackles of vindictiveness, bitterness and retribution. You forgive so you can heal. Buddha said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.”

Learning to let go is liberating and essential for personal growth.

Happy people forgive.

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. Albert Einstein.

The gift of giving.

In our society, success is a product of motivation, ability and opportunity. However, there is one other quality that often gets overlooked—generosity.

Research shows that when people begin giving, it inspires a feeling of cooperation that culminates in assiduousness. This propensity to give extricates feelings of cynicism and selfishness. When you give it elevates others around you and stimulates generosity.

At work creating a dynamic where people give more than they receive, takers are generally moved toward a spirit of giving. It diffuses their natural inclination to take. When this exercise is conducted in public, takers seem to relish the opportunity to demonstrate their kindness.

Happy people give.

Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be. Abraham Lincoln

The gift of optimism. 

I honestly believe optimism is a prerequisite for success.

Most people over analyze everything, expending unnecessary energy contemplating their feelings, problems, cause and effect.

In the process, people descend into a self-induced state of despair that culminates in “indecision” and “inactivity”.

Sadness, disappointment, loss and heartache will come. If you lament about your misfortune, you will be inundated with feelings of pessimism, negativity, powerlessness and discontentment.

We tend to accentuate past pleasure at the expense of enjoying the present. This propensity can make you lose faith in the power of opportunity. 

Optimism is the ability to perceive obstacles as something you can overcome, and they are motivated to solve their problems. An optimist believes they can change their circumstances with hard work and enough time. 

Happy people are optimistic and live for today.

Happiness depends upon ourselves. Aristotle

What increases your happiness? Please Like. Share and leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Steve Wohlenhaus CEO Weatherology Author & podcast host Anatomy of Success.