Beautiful Picture of Denali National Park in autumn, Alaska, USA, North America

I have read many books on the subject of happiness.  They cover a wide range of factors that can either enhance or diminish living a happy life.  So many things contribute to our happiness like our home, job and relationships.  What I have found common to all of them is the development of guiding “happiness” principles.  I have always set personal priorities that have helped me to stay close to the things I know make me happy and avoid the things that drain my mental and physical energy.  Year to year, they have not changed, though some new ones have been added to my commandment list.  Depending on life’s activity, some commandments became more important than others.  For example, if I’ve been putting in long hours at work during one week, then my principle of getting enough rest becomes the focus for the following week.  God, my family and faith have never moved from my most important guiding principles.

These are my personal happiness principles.  You probably have your own.  Write them down.  Our wonderful founding father Benjamin Franklin developed his 13 virtues http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/pop_virtues_list.html that helped him lead a happier life.  He went as far as creating a chart to track how well he was living up to them.  I don’t think we need to do as Ben did, but I do think having them visible so that you can check in and look for the things that may be weighing you down or lifting you up is a good thing.

My personal commandments:

• God First
• My husband, children and family matter the most
• Be real, be authentic, Be me
• Organization is a must
• Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and the ones you love
• Work hard; Get Rest
• Stay within your means
• Music is key
• Keep moving, Keep up
• Learn something new everyday, read read read
• Pray all the time
• Stay modern, stay hip, stay fit
• Reinvent yourself as often as you need to
• Be generous with your love and patience
• No complaining
• Study the greats (great saints, leaders, inventors etc.)