1. Happiness by Choice..
Prof. Christopher Abraham

2. Happiness
by
CHOICE

3. In our pursuit of happiness…

4. What Makes Us Happy?

5. Some say
it’s
where you
are

6. If that’s true…

7. Where would you rather be?

8. Here?

9. or Here?

10. Bet it was the first
option…

11. did you know
somebody actually
researched where
some of the happiest
places are?

12. Like this guy

13. He traveled the
world to find the
happiest places on
earth…

14. And wrote about it…

15. You’ll find out about his travels to
happy places like…

16. You’ll find out about his travels to
happy places like…

17. You’ll find out about his travels to
happy places like…

18. You’ll find out about his travels to
happy places like…

19. The common thread was that
these happy countries were
relatively

20. Healthy

21. Wealthy

22. and Wise

23. But Eric Weiner’s book included
the country Bhutan.
It wasn’t relatively healthy,
wealthy or wise

24. Then maybe it’s not where you are
that makes you happy.

25. Maybe it’s your state of mind

26. Happiness…..

27. Your state of mind depends on
your willingness to change or
adapt

28. History has shown how powerful
the human will is

29. It was Gandhi’s will that helped
change the future of India

30. It was Dr King’s will that helped
change American civil rights

31. Want to be happy?

32. Only
YOU
can
make it
happen

33. So maybe it IS your state of mind

34. It just takes small steps and
willingness to try stuff*

35. And the pursuit of happiness is
worthwhile and takes work.

36. Happiness comes from your core
sense of who you are, it doesn’t
depend on your circumstances but
definitely DOES affect them.

37. Pursuing Happiness takes work,
but it might be the most
rewarding work we’ll ever do. –
Sonya Lyubomirsky, 2008

38. By being aware of and promoting
your own happiness, you can build
resilience and help influence the
ways people cope with adversity.

39. Can We Make Ourselves Lastingly
Happier?

40. YES!
•Martin Seligman taught one happiness
enhancing strategy to a group of severely
depressed people.
•The exercise involved writing down
3 good things that had happened
every day

41. YES!
•Within 15 days their depression lifted to
mildly or moderately depressed and 94%
experienced relief
How does this compare with anti
depressants!

42. Happiness is a Serious Issue
Most of us are not flourishing
WHO predicts that by 2020 depression
will be the 2nd leading cause of morbidity
in the world, affecting 30% of all adults

43. What is Happiness to You ?
Experience of joy, contentment, positive
well-being, with a sense that life is good,
meaningful and worthwhile.
-Sonja Lyubomirsky

44. What is Happiness to You ?
Matthieu Ricard notes it is "a deep
sense of flourishing that arises from
an exceptionally healthy mind. This
is not a mere pleasurable feeling, a
fleeting emotion, or a mood, but an
optimal state of being.
Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill, Matthieu
Ricard

45. What Does Make us Happy?
Research consistently shows us the
things that makes us most happy are
these:
•Strong relationships with family and
friends
•Having a sense of meaning or
purpose
•Contributing to the lives of others
•A sense of control in our lives

46. What Doesn’t Make Us Happy?
What is not associated with
happiness?
• Age
• Gender
• Cultural background
• Education
• Urban or rural place of residence
• Wealth

47. What Doesn’t Make Us Happy?
Set point for happiness
Within one year of a very positive or
very negative event, happiness
returns to previous levels

48. 3 Major Myths about Happiness
1. Happiness must be “found out there”
40% of happiness is in our own hands

49. 3 Major Myths about Happiness
2. The myth of more….I would be happy if
…. Or when….. advertising feeds on this
Happiness lies in changing our
circumstances.

50. 3 Major Myths about Happiness
3. You either have it or you don’t
We CAN overcome our genetic
programming !!!

51. Happiness is determined more by
our state of mind than by external
events

52. States of Happiness
We can be:
•Unhappy
•Happy for bad reason
•Happy for good reason
Or
•Happy for no reason – this is what we are
aiming for

53. What are some of the I’ll be happy
when … statements you might have or
hear?

55. Happiness Set - point
•50% of our happiness is determined by
our genes our “happiness set-point”
•10% is determined by life circumstances
•40% by our intentional activities.
Your happiness set-point will remain
the same unless you make a concerted
effort to change it

56. Happiness Set- point
That’s the exciting bit, we can
change things

57. Happiness Set Point
•Studies have tracked people who
won the lottery - what many people
think of as the ticket to happiness.
•Within a year, these winners
returned to about the same level of
happiness they'd had before their
win.

58. Happiness Set Point
•The same was true for people who
became paraplegic. Within a year or so of
being disabled, they also returned to their
original happiness level.

59. Moving to Happy For No Reason
•This state of happiness is universal
and refers to a state of
enlightenment or peace within
•“It is not that your life is always
perfect – it’s just that however it
looks, you’ll still be Happy”

60. Moving to Happy For No Reason
Happy people don’t have special
powers they have different
habits.
-Marci Shimoff, 2008

61. Moving to Happy For No Reason
Our routines hide the “plasticity of
our brains” like ruts in a road. The
brain is capable of the changing its
circuits and is always doing so.
-Norman Doidge, The Brain That
Changes Itself 2007

62. The Brain That Changes Itself!!

63. Our Brain’s Ability to Change
Scientists have discovered that
habitual thoughts and behaviors
create specific neural pathways in
our brains, just as water flowing
downhill creates a groove
in the earth.

64. Our Brain’s Ability to Change
When we think or behave a certain
way over and over, the neural
pathway is strengthened and the
groove becomes deeper.

65. Our Brain’s Ability to Change
Unhappy people tend to have more
negative neural pathways -- their minds
are literally stuck in a rut.
Scientists used to think these neural
pathways were set in stone.

66. Our Brain’s Ability to Change
New research shows that when you
repeatedly think, feel, and act in a
different way, the brain actually rewires
itself. This means you can change your
happiness set point.
Richard Davidson, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin-
Madison quoted by M Shimoff, 2008

67. We always have the potential to
grow and change – we can change
our brain by transforming our
mind.

68. The Wilma Rudolf Story

69. The Wilma Rudolf Story

70. & Now is the TIME for CHANGE
A Few Scientific Tips…

71. Relationships are number one.

72. Go beyond yourself - Commit to
doing things for others.

73. Gratitude is a vital – Count your
blessings each night.

74. The Nick Vujicic Story

75. Stop Over Thinking
•Thinking is terribly over rated – you must
stop it.
•We create chaos in our minds with over
thinking
•We can’t always fix or change everything
– acceptance and allowing is enough, we
don’t need to have all the answers

76. Stop Over Thinking
•Come back to your senses
•Feel the body, hear, smell, look
•The body is the anchor to the present

77. Blessings Activity
Write 3 things down every night
before you go to sleep the things
that went well – your blessings

78. Patterns of Happy People

79. Patterns of Happy People
Devote much time to family and
friends and enjoy those
relationships.

80. Patterns of Happy People
Are comfortable expressing
gratitude for all they have

81. Patterns of Happy People
Are often first to offer a helping
hand to others

82. Patterns of Happy People
Practice optimism when imagining
their futures

83. Patterns of Happy People
Savour life’s pleasures and live in
the present.

84. Patterns of Happy People
Exercise regularly

85. Patterns of Happy People
Are deeply committed to life long
goals/activities

86. Patterns of Happy People
Feel alive, vital, energetic

87. Patterns of Happy People
Have a sense of flow, openness

88. Patterns of Happy People
Feel love and compassion for self
& others

89. Patterns of Happy People
Have passion about life and its
purpose

90. Patterns of Happy People
Are at peace with life

91. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood

92. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Breathe deeply

93. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Laugh

94. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Savour momentary experiences

95. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Enjoy your environment

96. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Find positives in your life

97. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Support, help, cheer up someone

98. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Be physically active

99. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Daydream

100. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Use one of your strengths
(VIA strengths )

101. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Tend something you care about

102. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Remove guilt, remorse and regret

103. Ways to Enhance Positive Mood
Think & Behave like a happy
person

104. And Finally…………….

105. Thank You & God Bless…
Prof.Chris Abraham