How is Happiness Contagious?

We have heard that laughter is contagious, but did you know that happiness is contagious as well? I just read about a 20 year research study that showed a person is 15 percent more likely to be happy if they have a close friend or family member that is happy. It also showed that happy people tend to stick together. This makes perfect sense. I notice that the more I commit to being the best I can be and living a lifestyle of true happiness, the more I am drawn to positive and happy people. It is so nice to be around optimistic people with a good attitude.

Were you ever around someone who points out what is wrong with everything and everyone, gives reasons to worry and fear, and complains about how unfair life is? Or, someone who tells you why you should give up on your goals and dreams because you don’t have what it takes. Negative people can put fear and pessimism in you if you let them. It can be difficult being around them because they tend to create a negative atmosphere as they focus on everything they don't like or that is wrong. Just as happiness and a positive outlook are contagious, so is negativity. It is no wonder that happy, positive people stick together. They try to avoid negative influences because they know how destructive and hopeless they can be.

Positive and happy people are like lights in the world. They brighten our days and bring encouragement and hope wherever they go. I am so thankful for people with positive outlooks. They remind me that life is good. They remind me to enjoy life, laugh more often, appreciate my blessings, believe for the best, trust God, stay full of faith and hope and give thanks always. Being a positive, happy person is a lifestyle. We can develop the habit of being optimistic as I describe in The 9 Habits of Happy People. I am thankful that I can be positive, hopeful, and happy, and make it a habit for life!


A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.  ~Hugh Downs


Happiness is contagious...when you reflect happiness, then all others around you catch the happy bug and are happy, too. ~Jennifer Leese

Happiness is contagious, spreading to friends and neighbors like a virus. You can give the gift of happiness just by being happy yourself.  ~Susan McMillin






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Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved. Written by Krystal Kuehn.
New Day Family Marriage Counseling & BeHappy4Life.com





Krystal Kuehn, MA, LPC, LLP, NCC is a psychotherapist, author, teacher & musician. She is the cofounder of New Day Counseling, a family marriage counseling & individual and couples counseling center and BeHappy4Life.com, an award-winning, self-help and inspirational site where you can find hundreds of free resources, insights & inspiration.


The BeHappy4Life mission is to empower people to develop a lifestyle of health, happiness & love with self-help tools, activities, resources, insights & inspiration that will change your life.



New Day Family Counseling provides professional counseling services for individuals, couples, and the entire family. We specialize in all areas of mental health and well-being including depression counseling, anxiety counseling, alcohol, shopping, eating addictions, substance and sexual abuse, transitions, stress, divorce.  We also offer anger classes and parenting classes. Go to NewDayCounseling.org today for more information or call us at 248-649-8050. We are here to help, and we look forward to hearing from you.

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The Best Way to Make Yourself & Others Happy

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ~Winston Churchill

We live in a give-and-take society. When we give, we usually expect to get something in return. But sometimes we give for the sheer joy of giving. We don’t expect anything in return. It just makes us feel good to know that our giving has made a positive impact; it has helped in some way or it has made someone happy.

A devastating tornado hit close to where David and his family lived but they were very fortunate that they didn’t get much damage. However, only miles away there was severe destruction along the path the tornado touched. David and a few volunteers quickly went to see if they could offer their help to the families in need. They spent the next couple weeks cleaning, painting, rebuilding homes and lives. David sacrificed many hours of his time but when he looked into the teary eyes of those they helped and saw such gratitude and hopefulness, it was all worth it.


When we give freely and what we are able, we usually find that we have more to give than we had realized. We might have our service and help to give, as well as our time, attention, or finances. When we give our best and we give it willingly, we can’t help but get something in return and often that something is happiness.

Affirmations:

No matter how big or small my giving is, it enlarges my capacity for happiness.

I will PRACTICE happiness today….by giving freely and cheerfully.


Empowering Thoughts:

Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you. ~Madeline Bridges

Give cheerfully and freely. It is the energy behind the giving that matters so do not give grudgingly. ~David Gikandi

There is more happiness in giving than receiving. ~Acts 20:35






Copyright © 2011 Krystal Kuehn and Violet James, New Day Family and Couples Counseling Center. All Rights Reserved. 

Happiness is Found in Giving was taken from 55 Words of Inspiration for a New Day  by Krystal Kuehn and Violet James



Krystal Kuehn, MA, LPC, LLP, NCC is a psychotherapist, author, teacher & musician. She is the cofounder of New Day Counseling, a family marriage counseling and child teenage counseling center, BeHappy4Life.com, an award-winning, self-help and inspirational site where you can find hundreds of free resources, insights & words of inspiration to change your life, and Baby-Poems.com where you can find beautiful baby poems, baby quotes, cute sayings & baby videos that will touch your heart & increase your joy & gratitude for the children you love & enjoy! Krystal is also author of The 10 Keys to Happy and Loving Relationships and several blogs: Give Thanks Journal, Baby Poems blog & Be Your Best blog.




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