The Parents' House

www.countryliving.com

It's the only house where you can go to dozens of times without an invitation.

The only house where you can put the key in the door and enter directly.

The house that has loving eyes that stare at the door until they see you.

The house which reminds you of your care-free days, stability and your happiness during your chîldhood.

The house in which your presence and look at your mother’s and father’s faces is for you a bliss and your conversation with them is a reward.

The house that if you do not go, the hearts of its owners will shrink, and if you hurt them,  they will be angry.

The house in which two candles were burnt to light up the world and fill your life with happiness and joy.

The house where the dining table is pure for you and has no hypocrisy.

The house that if the food time arrives and you don't eat, the hearts of its owners will be broken and annoyed.

The house that offers you all the laughs and happiness.

Oh children, find out the value of these houses before it's too late.

Lucky are those who have their parent’s house to go to!

A Christian's Possessions

A tax officer came one day to a poor Christian to determine the amount of taxes he would have to pay.

The following conversation took place:

"What property do you possess?" asked the assessor.

"I am a very wealthy man," replied the Christian.

"List your possessions, please," the assessor instructed.

The Christian replied:

First, I have everlasting life, John 3:16

Second, I have a mansion in heaven, John 14:2

Third, I have a perfect conscience and peace that passes all understanding, Philippians 4:7

Fourth, I have joy unspeakable, 1 Peter 1:8

Fifth, I have divine love which never fails, 1 Corinthians 13:8

Sixth, I have a faithful wife, Proverbs 31:10

Seventh, I have healthy, happy obedient children, Exodus 20:12

Eighth, I have true, loyal friends, Proverbs 18:24

Ninth, I have songs in the night, Psalms 42:8

Tenth, I have a crown of life, James 1:12"

The tax assessor closed his book, and said, "Truly you are a very rich man, but your property is not subject to taxation."

I pray that all of us will have this kind of tax free "wealth."

What Makes Men Happy?

COURTESY: FASTCOMPANY.COM

Seventy-five years in the making, costing over $20m Harvard study concludes: "Happiness is love. Full stop."

In 1938 Harvard University began following 268 male undergraduate students and kicked off the longest-running longitudinal studies of human development in history.  The study's goal was to determine as best as possible what factors contribute most strongly to human flourishing. 

"At a time when many people around the world are living into their tenth decade, the longest longitudinal study of human development ever undertaken offers some welcome news for the new old age: our lives continue to evolve in our later years, and often become more fulfilling than before.  Begun in 1938, the Grant Study of Adult Development charted the physical and emotional health of over 200 men, starting with their undergraduate days.  The now-classic 'Adaptation to Life' reported on the men's lives up to age 55 and helped us understand adult maturation.  Now George Vaillant follows the men into their nineties, documenting for the first time what it is like to flourish far beyond conventional retirement.  Reporting on all aspects of male life, including relationships, politics and religion, coping strategies, and alcohol use (its abuse being by far the greatest disruptor of health and happiness for the study's subjects), 'Triumphs of Experience' shares a number of surprising findings.  For example, the people who do well in old age did not necessarily do so well in midlife, and vice versa.  While the study confirms that recovery from a lousy childhood is possible, memories of a happy childhood are a lifelong source of strength.  Marriages bring much more contentment after age 70, and physical aging after 80 is determined less by heredity than by habits formed prior to age 50.  The credit for growing old with grace and vitality, it seems, goes more to ourselves than to our stellar genetic makeup."

In Triumphs of Experience, Vaillant raises a number of factors more often than others, but the one he refers to most often is the powerful correlation between the warmth of your relationships and your health and happiness in your later years.

Vallant notes that the 58 men who scored highest on the measurements of "warm relationships" (WR) earned an average of $141,000 a year more during their peak salaries (between ages 55-60) than the 31 men who scored the lowest in WR.  The high WR scorers were also 3-times more likely to have professional success worthy of inclusion in Who's Who.

One of the most intriguing discoveries of the Grant Study was how significant men's relationships with their mothers are in determining their well-being in life.  For instance, Business Insider writes: "Men who had 'warm' childhood relationships with their mothers took home $87,000 more per year than men whose mothers were uncaring.

On the other hand, warm childhood relations with fathers correlated with lower rates of adult anxiety, greater enjoyment on vacations, and increased 'life satisfaction' at age 75

In Vallant's own words, the #1 most important finding from the Grant Study is this: "The seventy-five years and twenty million dollars expended on the Grant Study points to a straightforward five-word conclusion: Happiness is love.  Full stop."

NEW YEAR'S WISHES

www.psdgraphics.com

What shall I wish thee?
Treasures of earth?
Songs in the spring-time,
Pleasure and mirth?
Flowers on thy pathway,
Skies ever clear?
Would this ensure thee
A happy new year?

What shall I wish thee?
What can be found,
Bringing thee sunshine
All the year round?
Where is the treasure,
Lasting and dear,
That shall ensure thee
A happy new year?

Faith that increaseth,
Walking in light,
Hope that aboundeth,
Happy and bright;
Love that is perfect,
Casting out fear:
These shall ensure thee
A happy new year!

Peace in the Savior,
Rest at His feet,
Smile of His countenance
Radiant and sweet;
Joy in His presence!
Christ ever near!
This will ensure thee
A happy new year!

selected from Poems of Dawn

THE WISE OLD MAN

Happiness does not depend on something around us, it depends on how we choose to see, feel and live life!

A man of 92 years, short, very well presented, who takes great care in his appearance, is moving into an old people's home.

His wife of 70 has recently died, and he is obliged to leave his home.

After waiting several hours in the retirement home lobby, he gently smiles as he is told that his room is ready.

As he slowly walks to the elevator, using his cane, I describe his small room to him, including the sheet hung at the window which serves as a curtain.

"I like it very much", he says, with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old boy who has just given a new puppy.

"M.Gagne, you haven't even seen the room yet, hang on a moment, we are almost there".

"That has nothing to do with it", he replies.

"Happiness is something I choose in advance. Whether or not I like the room does not depend on the furniture, or the decor - rather it depends on how I decide to see it".

"It is already decided in my mind that I like my room. It is a decision I take every morning when I wake up".

"I can choose. I can spend my day in bed enumerating all the difficulties that I have with the parts of my body that no longer work very well or I can get up and give thanks to heaven for those parts that are still in working order".

"Every day is a gift, and as long as I can open my eyes, I will focus on the new day, and all the happy memories that I have built up during my life".

"Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw in later life what you have deposited along the way".

Deposit all the happiness you can in your bank account of memories.

Thanks you for your part in filling my account with happy memories, which I am still continuing to fill...

Remember these simple guidelines for happiness :

~Free your heart from hate

~Free your mind from worry

~Live simple

~Give more

~Expect less

HAPPINESS

Unhappiness is in not knowing what we want and killing ourselves to get it. - Don Herold

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are we able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges.

What makes us so bitter against people who outwit us is that they think themselves cleverer than we are. - Francios de LaRochefoucauld

It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with...and remember that time waits for no one. 

So, stop waiting....
--until your car or home is paid off
--until you get a new car or home
--until your kids leave the house
--until you go back to school
--until you finish school
--until you lose 10 lb.
--until you gain 10 lb.
--until you get married
--until you get a divorce
--until you have kids
--until you retire
--until summer
--until spring
--until winter
--until fall
--until you die

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a Journey, not a destination. So - work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching.

The happiness of a person is directly linked to the most important thing in his life.

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open.

It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about. - Dale Carnegie

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. - Abraham Lincon

Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene. - A.C. Benson

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. - James Matthew Barrie

WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

Decide to be happy today, to live with what is yours - your family, your business, your job, your luck. If you can't have what you like, maybe you can like what you have.


Just for today, be kind, cheerful, agreeable, responsive, caring, and understanding. Be your best, dress your best, talk softly, and look for the bright side of things. Praise people for what they do and do not criticize them for what they cannot do. If someone does something stupid, forgive and forget. After all, it's just for one day.


Who knows, it might turn out to be a nice day.

I'LL BE HAPPY WHEN....

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are. After that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation or when we retire. The truth is there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. 

It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with…and remember that time waits for no one.


So, stop waiting… Until your car or home is paid off.



Until you get a new car or home.
Until your kids leave the house.
Until you go back to school.
Until you finish school.
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married.
Until you get a divorce.
Until you have kids.
Until you retire.
Until summer.
Until spring.
Until winter.
Until fall.
Until you die.


There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

THE WORLD'S HAPPIEST COUNTRIES

by Francesca Levy

By and large, rich countries are happier - and that's no coincidence

Quantifying happiness isn't an easy task. Researchers at the Gallup World Poll went about it by surveying thousands of respondents in 155 countries, between 2005 and 2009, in order to measure two types of well-being.

First they asked subjects to reflect on their overall satisfaction with their lives, and ranked their answers using a "life evaluation" score from 1 to 10. Then they asked questions about how each subject had felt the previous day. Those answers allowed researchers to score their "daily experiences"--things like whether they felt well-rested, respected, free of pain and intellectually engaged. Subjects that reported high scores were considered "thriving." The percentage of thriving individuals in each country determined our rankings.

Rank	Country	Region	Thriving	Struggling	Suffering	Daily Experience
1	Denmark	Europe	82	17	1	7.9
2	Finland	Europe	75	23	2	7.8
3	Norway	Europe	69	31	0	7.9
4	Sweden	Europe	68	30	2	7.9
4	Netherlands	Europe	68	32	1	7.7
6	Costa Rica	Americas	63	35	2	8.1
6	New Zealand	Asia	63	35	2	7.6
8	Canada	Americas	62	36	2	7.6
8	Israel	Asia	62	35	3	6.4
8	Australia	Asia	62	35	3	7.5
8	Switzerland	Europe	62	36	2	7.6
12	Panama	Americas	58	39	3	8.4
12	Brazil	Americas	58	40	2	7.5
14	United States	Americas	57	40	3	7.3
14	Austria	Europe	57	40	3	7.7
16	Belgium	Europe	56	41	3	7.3
17	United Kingdom	Europe	54	44	2	7.4
18	Mexico	Americas	52	43	5	7.7
18	Turkmenistan	Asia	52	47	1	7.5
20	United Arab Emirates	Asia	51	48	1	7.7
21	Venezuela	Americas	50	48	2	8.0
22	Ireland	Europe	49	49	2	7.5
23	Puerto Rico	Americas	47	45	8	7.6
23	Kuwait	Asia	47	50	3	7.0
23	Iceland	Europe	47	49	4	8.2
26	Colombia	Americas	46	47	7	7.7
26	Jamaica	Americas	46	49	5	7.7
28	Cyprus	Asia	45	50	5	6.6
28	Luxembourg	Europe	45	54	1	7.3
30	Trinidad and Tobago	Americas	44	51	5	7.9
30	Argentina	Americas	44	50	6	7.8
30	Belize	Americas	44	50	6	6.8
33	Germany	Europe	43	50	7	7.4
34	El Salvador	Americas	42	51	7	7.7
35	Chile	Americas	41	52	7	7.3
35	Uruguay	Americas	41	54	5	7.5
35	Qatar	Asia	41	58	1	6.8
38	Guatemala	Americas	40	50	10	7.7
38	Malta	Europe	40	48	12	6.6
40	Czech Republic	Europe	39	51	9	6.6
40	Italy	Europe	39	54	7	7.1
42	Honduras	Americas	37	49	14	7.5
43	Spain	Europe	36	58	6	7.0
44	Dominican Republic	Americas	35	54	11	7.3
44	France	Europe	35	60	6	7.0
46	Bolivia	Americas	34	59	7	7.0
46	Ecuador	Americas	34	52	15	7.6
48	Paraguay	Americas	32	59	9	8.3
48	Bahrain	Asia	32	45	23	7.0
50	Guyana	Americas	31	64	5	7.0
50	Greece	Europe	31	57	11	7.0
52	Nicaragua	Americas	30	53	17	7.4
52	Jordan	Asia	30	61	8	6.7
54	Belarus	Europe	29	59	12	6.5
54	Kosovo	Europe	29	65	6	6.2
56	South Korea	Asia	28	61	12	6.9
56	Poland	Europe	28	61	10	7.1
58	Saudi Arabia	Asia	27	69	3	6.7
58	Pakistan	Asia	27	50	23	6.2
58	Slovenia	Europe	27	57	16	6.8
61	Croatia	Europe	26	60	14	6.2
61	Montenegro	Europe	26	58	16	6.2
63	Malawi	Africa	25	64	10	8.0
63	Peru	Americas	25	65	11	7.2
63	Moldova	Europe	25	62	13	6.1
63	Lithuania	Europe	25	57	18	6.2
67	Libya*	Africa	24	68	8	6.0
67	Botswana	Africa	24	65	11	7.3
67	Cuba*	Americas	24	66	11	6.7
70	Kazakhstan	Asia	22	72	6	7.2
70	Taiwan	Asia	22	64	14	7.5
70	Portugal	Europe	22	61	17	7.1
73	South Africa	Africa	21	71	8	7.3
73	Lebanon	Asia	21	64	15	6.3
73	Russia	Europe	21	57	22	7.0
73	Ukraine	Europe	21	53	26	6.6
73	Romania	Europe	21	56	23	6.6
73	Slovakia	Europe	21	60	19	6.5
79	Thailand	Asia	20	75	5	8.0
79	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Europe	20	59	20	6.2
81	Iran	Asia	19	66	14	6.3
81	Hong Kong	Asia	19	65	16	7.1
81	Singapore	Asia	19	75	6	6.9
81	Japan	Asia	19	69	12	7.4
85	Somaliland	Africa	18	77	5	7.1
85	Algeria	Africa	18	77	6	6.7
85	Nigeria	Africa	18	78	4	7.3
85	Uzbekistan	Asia	18	75	6	7.8
85	Indonesia	Asia	18	72	10	8.2
90	Estonia	Europe	17	62	21	6.8
91	Myanmar*	Asia	16	82	2	7.1
91	Bangladesh	Asia	16	71	13	6.9
91	Serbia	Europe	16	63	21	6.2
94	Malaysia	Asia	15	80	5	8.1
94	Philippines	Asia	15	68	18	7.2
96	Cameroon	Africa	14	77	9	7.0
96	Tunisia	Africa	14	77	9	6.8
96	Zambia	Africa	14	78	8	7.6
96	Yemen	Asia	14	62	24	6.3
96	Vietnam	Asia	14	76	10	6.9
96	Palestinian Territories	Asia	14	70	15	5.8
96	Macedonia	Europe	14	54	32	6.8
103	Turkey	Asia	13	67	20	6.0
103	Kyrgyzstan	Asia	13	81	7	7.3
103	Azerbaijan	Asia	13	70	17	6.6
103	Hungary	Europe	13	53	34	6.9
103	Albania	Europe	13	67	19	5.6
108	Central African Republic	Africa	12	75	13	6.4
108	Ethiopia	Africa	12	67	21	6.4
110	Namibia	Africa	11	79	10	8.1
110	Angola	Africa	11	81	8	6.8
110	Armenia	Asia	11	55	33	5.9
110	Iraq	Asia	11	71	18	5.2
110	Latvia	Europe	11	64	25	6.5
115	Mozambique	Africa	10	78	11	7.2
115	Egypt	Africa	10	71	19	6.1
115	Mauritania	Africa	10	83	7	7.2
115	Zimbabwe	Africa	10	73	17	7.3
115	Morocco	Africa	10	80	10	7.0
115	Sri Lanka	Asia	10	66	24	6.9
115	India	Asia	10	69	21	6.9
115	Syria	Asia	10	66	24	6.8
115	Georgia	Asia	10	56	35	6.2
115	Afghanistan	Asia	10	69	21	6.2
125	Kenya	Africa	9	78	13	7.5
125	Ghana	Africa	9	83	8	7.5
125	China	Asia	9	77	14	7.6
128	Congo (Brazzaville)	Africa	8	73	20	6.9
128	Guinea	Africa	8	89	3	7.1
130	Sudan	Africa	7	81	12	7.4
130	Djibouti	Africa	7	86	8	7.5
130	Madagascar	Africa	7	84	10	7.0
130	Nepal	Asia	7	82	11	7.4
130	Mongolia	Asia	7	81	12	7.0
130	Laos	Asia	7	89	4	7.1
130	Tajikistan	Asia	7	74	19	6.5
137	Uganda	Africa	6	71	23	6.8
137	Tanzania	Africa	6	70	24	7.5
137	Senegal	Africa	6	88	6	7.3
137	Bulgaria	Europe	6	58	36	6.5
141	Chad	Africa	5	88	7	7.1
141	Liberia	Africa	5	90	5	6.7
141	Mali	Africa	5	77	18	8.0
144	Ivory Coast	Africa	4	84	12	7.2
144	Congo (Kinshasa)	Africa	4	85	11	6.4
144	Benin	Africa	4	80	16	6.7
144	Haiti	Americas	4	60	35	6.2
148	Niger	Africa	3	86	11	7.9
148	Rwanda	Africa	3	75	22	7.8
148	Burkina Faso	Africa	3	71	26	6.5
148	Sierra Leone	Africa	3	74	23	6.3
148	Cambodia	Asia	3	75	22	7.6
153	Comoros	Africa	2	75	23	7.7
153	Burundi	Africa	2	58	40	7.5
155	Togo	Africa	1	67	31	5.0

In the wake of their World Cup loss, residents of the Netherlands may be feeling depressed. But there's reason to believe they won't be done in by the agony of defeat: According to a recent poll, the country is one of the happiest in the world.

Championship-winning Spain, on the other hand, was swept with euphoria and national pride, but that may have been an unfamiliar feeling. The country ranks No. 17 of 21 European countries in terms of happiness.

The fact is good times probably have more to do with the size of your wallet than the size of your trophy shelf. The five happiest countries in the world--Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands--are all clustered in the same region, and all enjoy high levels of prosperity.

"The Scandinavian countries do really well," says Jim Harter, a chief scientist at Gallup, which developed the poll. "One theory why is that they have their basic needs taken care of to a higher degree than other countries. When we look at all the data, those basic needs explain the relationship between income and well-being."

Behind the Numbers

Quantifying happiness isn't an easy task. Researchers at the Gallup World Poll went about it by surveying thousands of respondents in 155 countries, between 2005 and 2009, in order to measure two types of well-being.

First they asked subjects to reflect on their overall satisfaction with their lives, and ranked their answers using a "life evaluation" score between 1 and 10. Then they asked questions about how each subject had felt the previous day. Those answers allowed researchers to score their "daily experiences"--things like whether they felt well-rested, respected, free of pain and intellectually engaged.

Subjects that reported high scores were considered "thriving." The percentage of thriving individuals in each country determined our rankings. For a complete list of countries surveyed, including the percentages thriving and their daily happiness scores, click here.

Money Matters

The Gallup researchers found evidence of what many have long suspected: money does buy happiness--at least a certain kind of it. In a related report, they studied the reasons why countries with high gross domestic products won out for well-being, and found an association between life satisfaction and income.

Courtesy: Forbes.com