Why is happiness so important? Perhaps Aristotle said it best: Happiness is "the chief good toward which all other things aim."
To further understand how to tap into joy, famous whisky distiller Johnnie Walker commissioned University of California at Berkeley-trained psychologist and scientist Matt Killingsworth to study the connection between happiness and success. The results were revealed in Joynomics: The Study of Joy and Progress.
"Scientific studies show that when people are happier, they are more productive, more collaborative, and more creative... the more likely they will be successful," says Dr. Killingsworth who created www.trackyourhappiness.org, a scientific project that uses smartphones to study happiness in real-time during everyday life. "While we can't necessarily be happy all the time, the broad range of benefits that happiness offers gives us a new reason to pursue happiness at work and in life."
And last month, Killingsworth along with LIVE with Kelly and Michael co-host Michael Strahan, Doug Ellin (creator and screenwriter of Entourage) and Eva Håkansson, the world's fastest female motorcycle rider, spoke at the famed Explorers Club in New York City about how they find joy in their day-to-day lives.
Strahan read from his new book Wake Up Happy: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming Your Life (Atria). And what's his secret? "I love what I do. I feel I'm one of the luckiest people in the world. From what I did for a living, what I do now, the friends that I have and people I have around me everyday. I'm grateful for all that," he shared. Strahan also tries to maintain a sense of wonder about his world. "What fuels me now is what fueled me as an athlete. I like to excel and make my parents and kids proud," he explained. "What drove me as a little kid still drives me as an adult. I see how my kids freak out about going to Disney World. I think, why can't I be that excited about what I do?"
How can you be happier? According to Killingsworth, people mistakenly believe if they first focus on success, happiness will follow. But that isn't necessarily true. "Being successful appears to have only a modest relationship to happiness," he says. "How much money one makes matters far less than people expect." As Strahan said, "I focus on living in the moment. To give everything I've got and to have someone watch me on TV and get some joy from that, that is success for me -- to influence a life in a positive way," said the former New York Giants defensive end. "And I make sure that my family is OK. Because when I'm no longer here, I know that I could feel good about it."
As noted during the panel, there are basic things people can do to be happier: be more appreciative, stay focused on the present, be physically active and be kind to people.In this Parade.com story, Killingsworth offers doable steps to add more joy into your life.