How Do You Define Happiness?

I ran a contest in "Your Daily Dose of Happiness" to see how people define happiness. I was stunned to discover that I am the only person who defines happiness as an extra helping of cheesecake.

There were other shockers, too.

We know that money can't buy happiness ... except, of course, when we are flat broke. But I figured several people would define happiness, at least in part, as a bulging bank vault or "financial freedom". Just three people cited money in their definitions of happiness.

I also figured many people would cite health as part of their definition of happiness, as in "health, wealth, and happiness". But only four people mentioned health.

No health? No wealth? How do people define happiness?

The top rated mention goes to family. It seems that we might be flat broke and deathly ill, but a loving family will make us happy just the same.

Altruism and kindness are also key. It seems we smile by making others smile. Isn't that nice? No health and no wealth. Just smile.

Faith scores big, too. This works out very well, because we can ask our loving family to pray for a speedy recovery and a big win in El Gordo next month (assuming we recover first).

What does this mean? It means the spammers have it all wrong. They keep sending us useless emails about making money.

A typical spam message says, "Get the insider secrets to making millions on the Internet. I will give you these valuable secrets for peanuts just because I love your smile so much. You could make $5,433 in the next hour if you act now. Hurry. Don't wait. This is the real thing. You can trust me. All the others are just scammers."

Instead, spammers should be sending offers like, "Get the insider secret to building a loving family on the Internet. I will give you these valuable secrets for peanuts (and a big virtual hug) just because I love your smile so much. You could love your kids, spouses, uncles, parents, pets ? anybody! ? in the next hour if you act now. Hurry. Don't wait. This is the real thing. You can trust me. All the others are just family planners."

Spammers also waste emails on replacing body parts we never had and enhancing body parts we could never have, when what we really want is to know God better.

Here is a typical spammer email: "Hair loss? We just released the miracle cure. Grow your hair back thicker than a wooly mammoth preparing for the next ice age. This is worth a gazillion dollars, but you get it free for just pennies a day. Give me your credit card number before midnight tonight. I can't afford to offer this price for long. Beware phony products that drip funny colors in your face or make hair grow in all the wrong places. This is the real thing!"

Instead, spammers should be saying: "Faithless? Book your luncheon with the Pope, dinner with the Dalai Lama and a one-on-one chat with Moses. Reserve your seat free for just a handful of pennies. Give me your credit card number before midnight tonight. Act now. I can't afford to offer this price for long. Beware phony reservations for meetings with Michael Jackson and other fake gods. This is the real thing!"

By the way, Mother Nature was also a part of many definitions of happiness. So take your family down by the river for a prayer. And if you can lend a helping hand to a chipmunk or a duck, you'll be the perfect definition of happiness.

About The Author

The author is David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy. To receive his column weekly in your inbox, sign up at http://TheHappyGuy.com/positive-thinking-free-ezine.html . For how others define happiness: http://TheHappyGuy.com/define-happiness.html. Visit his home page at http://TheHappyGuy.com.

Info@TheHappyGuy.com

The Canadian Press
David Duval finds happiness, may have found his game at British Open
The Canadian Press,  England - 2 hours ago
SOUTHPORT, England — David Duval strolled up the final fairway on a cloudy day in dark sunglasses, waving to the cheering fans, back in a familiar place at ...

BELGIUM IN BULGARIA: Pavilion of temporary happiness
Sofia Echo, Bulgaria - 19 hours ago
We could say that it started with King Leopold II back in 1889, who, while ruling in Belgium, wished to improve the view from his window at the royal palace ...

Kajwang’s pursuit of heavenly happiness ends in a hell-hole
Standard, Kenya - 23 hours ago
Gerald Otieno Kajwang. The name brings a smile on the face. Think of the chubby cheeks, bulbous eyes and wing ears all melting into a grin, the body swaying ...

Review: The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner
guardian.co.uk, UK - 1 hour ago
At the outset, that looks like a mere narrative device, contrived to sell a ramble around the subject of happiness as a ripping yarn, doubtless with an eye ...

Hard to understand tears of happiness
Sand Mountain Reporter, AL - 1 hour ago
Then Mary began to sob – with happiness, she said. I still don’t understand that part but – take my advice – it’s getting clearer to see, even through my ...

Get High on Happiness:
Jewishinstlouis.org, MO - 7 hours ago
Anger does not have to destroy happiness, but it often does. We generally have a difficult time having two emotions at the same time. ...

MOST THINGS CONSIDERED: Happiness may be finding the right lid for ...
Manville News, NJ - 2 hours ago
By Minx McCloud Special Writer I just attended my high school class reunion – 40 years! Woo-hoo! And we all look the same as we did in high school (cough) . ...

On the path to finding happiness
MayoClinic.com - 22 hours ago
I went to the health and wellness section and was skimming books on happiness — an elusive goal that all humans seek. Let me share a quick overview of a ...

Happiness is a role called Hamlet
BirminghamMail.net, UK - 13 hours ago
DR Who returns to Planet Earth this summer, landing in the picturesque Warwickshire town of Stratford-upon-Avon – and his arrival is already causing plenty ...

Sky News
Happiness Is Outside UK
Sky News, UK - Jul 17, 2008
Britons are the highest earners in Europe - but they come out badly in the quality of life stakes. The price of fuel and other essential goods, ...

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

The Happiness of Others