Research of interest III

I've been reading a lot lately about happiness and joy. You know why if you've been reading my blog for a few weeks. What makes a person happy? What influences happiness and what leads to joy? There are certain external factors and many internal factors that influence our level of happiness. But there is no "one size fits all" in regards to happiness and how to get it. There are a few common elements however. This study points out some of the important factors that influence happiness:

Studies show that money can buy happiness, but only until the point where you have enough to cover expenses for food, shelter, health care, and transportation. After that, more money brings diminishing returns. So, where to put your energy and resources if you want to maximize your happiness?

INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH – Health is a prerequisite to happiness. In other words, You can't be happy if you're unhealthy. Eating wisely and moving naturally are the best way to get fit
CREATE QUALITY FRIENDSHIPS – When it comes to a social network, quality is more important the quantity. Having two good friends who care about you – whether your chips are up or down – is more important than a huge network. We often forget that friends rarely come on their own accord: they require effort, time and nurturing.
EXPLORE YOUR RELIGION – World surveys show that religious people are more happy than non-religious people. Religious people are more likely to have a strong social network and to be at peace with their lives and mortality. What to do: if you have a religion, make and effort to reconnect with it. If not, visit four new religous communities in the next three months and see if any of them align with your values.
SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR HOBBY – Build a model, knit a sweater, climb a cliff, cook a gourmet meal. The point is to spend time engaged in activities wherein you are optimally challenged, you get immediate feedback, you lose sense of time and you do it because it's intrinsically rewarding. It is perhaps the best way to achieve authentic sustainable happiness.
IF YOU'RE UNHAPPY, MOVE – Where you live has a bigger impact on your happiness than your marital status, income, or even education level. If you are not happy where you are, consider moving. World-wide studies show that the happiest places on earth are not tropical islands but place where you feel secure, people around you have the same level of status as you do and it's easy to find a job that is interesting.

Do you have other items to add to the list?

A heart stopper

Jet Blue

We flew down to CA last weekend on Jet Blue. First time to try that airline. We loved it and we'd fly with them again. Jet Blue definitely had some good perks, such as more leg space (which is a real plus for our long legs), a much lower price than Delta and Southwest for this trip, no crowds to check in at their counter in the airport, great services and help with Vern who needed special assistance, a full can of soda instead of just a cup, and cable TV with 36 channels along with XM radio at each individual seat. We watched "The Office" on the way down. Nice. Oh, and this perk was the best of all:
Pat and Vern had a good chat with this young man. They were sitting in the front row and he came along and sat down after they were seated. Vern leaned over to Pat and said, "You're sitting next to David Archuleta." She said, "Are you sure?" and Vern said "perfectly sure." They had a nice chat with him although she said he mostly wrote in his journal and read. When Rick and I went up to the front of the plane I saw David and said, "your mother is sitting next to David Archuleta." he said, "are you sure?" and I said, "100% sure." We said hello to him waited to be the last ones off the plane with Vern who was waiting for a wheel chair. The pilots came out and asked David if they could have a picture with him for their daughters. Pat got his autograph.
What a nice young man. As we waited for our luggage, several people went up to him and asked to take his picture. He was very accommodating and patient. He said he was in LA to help with fundraising for Haiti relief. You never know who you'll see when visiting California. Fun.

Welcome home Elder E.

We took a little weekend trip down to California to welcome our nephew R home from his mission. He is a great young man and he served a wonderful mission in Philadelphia, PA. We're so proud of him. It was a tough mission, unsafe and just plain grueling with hard areas, weather extremes and some unfriendly people. He put his head down and dug in and he came home with a precious gift - a love for and a testimony of Jesus Christ. He learned some life lessons that can only be learned while serving others. He is a great young man and we're anxious to see what he does next. He has a ton of potential and he has a real gift with people. He gave a wonderful talk and shared his love of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't think there is another time that is sweeter as a parent than seeing a young man or young woman return honorably from a service mission after two years. It's incredible to see their growth, maturity and to feel of their great spirits. While they are missed terribly, it's such an overwhelming feeling to see them again and to know that they have been doing some good in the world. Welcome home Elder E. we love you!
Robyn and Bob were wonderful hosts. They have a beautiful home and a great life carved out in their community. Dr. Bob has a thriving practice and he loves to teach institute to young adults and to bike long distances when time allows. Robyn is a wonderful homemaker, mother, RSPres and community service volunteer. It's always wonderful to visit them, to chat and catch up and to spend some time together. On Friday, we got to celebrate Robyn's 57 birthday with her. I don't think we've ever been in the same place to celebrate her birthday with her in all our years in the family. We started the day attending the Redlands temple after a rain storm. It was interesting to see snow in the mountains and green grass and palm trees up close in the valley. It was a fun day to eat lunch at Claim Jumper, to go a movie and to make her a birthday treat as requested - chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies with a Hershey kiss on top. Robyn is a wonderful sister-in-law and I appreciate her friendship and love. I love to talk to Bob and share ideas. He is a great conversationalist and it's always a pleasure to spend time with him. They are loyal family members and we only wished that they lived closer so that we could have more interaction with them on a regular basis.

Victory in MA!

Can I just say how happy this makes me? Maybe there is some hope for our country!
Scott Brown's victory gives Republicans 41 votes in the Senate, upending the Democrats' ability to stop filibusters and other delaying tactics. Hooray for the voters of Massachusetts!

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