From the Philippine Observer's June/July 1996 issue come these steps to being happy:

Happiness cannot be caused by someone else; it is not done to you or for you. Happiness is a choice.

Happiness is a result of effective living. Happiness is not a reward, it is a consequence. Suffering is not a punishment, it is a result.

Happy people are those who focus on what is important: other people. That might be the secret to happiness in old age right there — being loving and being loved.

You will experience happiness only as you experience more life. More living means, among other things, more accomplishment; the attainment of worthwhile goals; more love, experienced and given; more health and enjoyment; and more happiness for both yourself and others.

Happiness, like success and love, is not a destination but a lifelong journey.

Happiness, according to Oscar Levant, is not something you experience, it's something you remember.

Appreciation is like an insurance policy. It has to be renewed occasionally. Your attitude determines (establishes) your altitude, as you cannot go higher than you think you can.

Happiness is not a "when" and a "where"; it is a "here" and "now." You will not be happy when the baby arrives, when you win the trip to Hawaii, when you get the promotion, when you move into the new house, when the kids go to school, etc. The key is taking inventory of the things you should be happy about now: your health, your spouse, your neighborhood, your freedom, your education, your automobile, etc.

List the things you're happy about at this moment, then you will come to the realization that you have much to be happy about now. That will dramatically improve your chances of being even happier in the future. Take the "happy now" approach, and I'll see you at the top!

"A prune is just a plum that worried too much, so watch yourself!" — Rodney R. Weckworth

To find out more about Zig Ziglar and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Rod Waddington