I'm living another glorious summer day. The sun smiles with shine, birds serenade, and the sky is a joyful blue. I am feeling happy and content. How are you doing today?

Psychologist Dan Baker's new book, What Happy People Know, outlines the 12 tools for happiness: Love, Optimism, Courage, Freedom, Proactivity, Security, Health, Spirituality, Altruism, Perspective, Humor, and Purpose. Happiness grows from the inside out.

Baker said, "Physical health is feeling great. And mental health is feeling happy."
•••••

HAPPINESS IS...
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Writer Albert Camus said to "find your happiness in yourself." Happiness glows from within. It's an inner state of well-being and balance. Happiness grows with passion and enthusiasm, and thrives with purpose, goals, and satisfaction. It is a celebration of what you have, all your blessings.

Make up your mind to be happy. Believe in yourself: You have the power to look at life brightly.

We are never so happy or unhappy as we think. Studies by Bless, Clore, Schwarz, and Golisano (1996) showed that happy people are not immune to negative events, but are able to think about other things after negative events occur.

•••••

COUNT YOUR JOYS...
"Count your joys instead of your woes
Count your friends instead of your foes." ~ Irish Proverb

Want to share your happiness with others? If you're interested, there's a Secret Society of Happy People out there with the goal of encouraging happiness and discouraging parade raining. Visit them at www.sohp.com.

Happiness is contagious. Spread it around.