{"id":108,"date":"2008-04-03T13:34:00","date_gmt":"2008-04-03T21:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rayivey.com\/wordpress\/?p=108"},"modified":"2008-04-03T13:34:00","modified_gmt":"2008-04-03T21:34:00","slug":"happy-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.rayivey.com\/wordpress\/happy-talk\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"rss\"<\/a>\"instagram\"<\/a>

I’m always happy to help out Patt Morrison, who has an intelligent and lively show on public matters on KPCC, my home NPR radio station out of Pasadena.<\/p>\n

Today’s topic was on happiness.\u00a0 She had a university expert who’d just done a survey and a woman who’d just written a book on the subject.\u00a0 In the interest of saving them time, I called in to the show.<\/p>\n

Naturally, I was the first caller, and I generously offered my three distilled Rules For Happiness:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Gratitude.\u00a0 <\/strong>Buddha said that all unhappiness is based on comparison.\u00a0 I just turn that around.\u00a0 If you can’t be a glass-half-full person, there’s not much point to getting up in the morning.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Having enough money.\u00a0 <\/strong>I’m not saying you have to be Donald Trump, but nothing wrecks happiness faster than money trouble (except for maybe health trouble and family trouble).\u00a0 For the record, the idea that “money doesn’t buy happiness” is a lie spread by rich people.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Identifying activities you really enjoy, then structuring your life so that you can do them<\/strong>.\u00a0 Here’s where most people mess up.\u00a0 People commonly say, “I’ll be happy playing with my kids, ” so they get a house deep in the suburbs and commute to work five hours a day leaving no time to see their kids awake.\u00a0 Plus, lots of people have lousy hobbies.\u00a0\u00a0 Find a good one.\u00a0 For me, or course, it’s sniffing glue and developing talented new underwear models, but everyone has to find his or her own niche.<\/p>\n

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As long as you have reasonable health, are not in prison, and don’t have any specific psychological challenges, these rules should work for you.\u00a0 Or your money back.<\/p>\n

Average Rating: 4.5<\/span> out of 5<\/span> based on 274<\/span> user reviews.<\/span><\/div><\/p>

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