Guest guest Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Don't Pin Your Hopes on the Lottery... By Naveen Lahori Ask most of us what would make us happy, and chances are we'll name a change in our circumstances: We'll be happy when we win the lottery, get a better job, or see a smaller number when we step on the scale. "In our society, we tend to believe that happiness is something that comes from the outside, that happens to us," says William Fleeson, Ph.D., a psychology professor who studies happiness at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. In reality, happiness comes from within and depends on how you think about your life.Sure, external events and material objects like a new car or a bigger paycheck can give you a rush. But those feelings don't last. As proof, Baker describes a poll that once asked people about their perceptions of wealth. Pollsters asked those who made $10,000 a year what salary would make them feel wealthy. They said $50,000. Pollsters then asked people who made $50,000 what amount would make them feel wealthy, and they said $200,000. Those who made $200,000 said they'd need to make millions, and so on. Money will never bring lasting contentment, Baker says. We're hardwired to fear scarcity, so we'll never be completely satisfied with what we have. For that reason, you need to look elsewhere for true happiness, Baker says.And he offers further proof of just how little your circumstances matter: Researchers once compared lottery winners to average people and to those who suffered accidents that rendered them paraplegic. Believe it or not, the paraplegic people were happiest. Over time they developed a way of looking at the world that made them happy despite their difficult circumstances. Like them, you can tweak your outlook so that you feel self-confident and serene whether or not you get that raise, win the lottery, or lose that weight. Sai Bless You.. CA.Ashvani Mathur http://ashvanimathur-spiritualworld.blogspot.com/ Love Cricket? Check out live scores, photos, video highlights and more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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