The 12 Commandments of Happiness

*** Note this was written in March 2019 for a Life University course called The Science of Happiness. I figured I may as well share this on a public platform because what good are the writing/thoughts if I just keep them to myself?

Commandment #1: Look Inward and Reflect on Your Truth

Commandment #2: Live Authenticity Driven in Navigating Through Life

Commandment #3: Passionately Cherish the Reality of the Present Moment

Commandment #4: Let Go of Fighting What Cannot be Defeated

Commandment #5: Protect Your Mind and Overcome What Can be Defeated

Commandment #6: Act as Your Own Personal Comedian as Needed

Commandment #7: Proactively and Continuously Release Internal Tension

Commandment #8: Express Gratitude and Maintain Awe at the Moments of Life

Commandment #9: Give Yourself to the World and the World Will Give Itself Back

Commandment #10: Imagine the World Your Heart Craves For

Commandment #11: Speak Your Hopeful Reality into Existence

Commandment #12: Take Committed Action to Maximize Nourishment of Your Created Life

Every person on Earth desires to achieve true happiness – the sort of happiness that yields internal contentment, pride, and meaning. However, most people do not possess the mental toolbox to achieve this happiness. In this manual titled The 12 Commandments of Happiness, I will outline the core life principles that bring forth happiness long-term. Each of the 12 commandments include four major sections: Quote to Contemplate, Connection to Happiness, Positive Psychology Tool, & In Action. The Quote to Contemplate section will have a meaningful quote that is tied closely with the commandment, while the Connection to Happiness section will explain the quote’s connection to happiness. The Positive Psychology Tool section will explain a specific positive psychology exercise that adds value to the commandment and can be used to increase human flourishing and happiness. The In Action section will provide a practical example of the positive psychology tool used in reality and how it increases happiness in that particular scenario. Lastly, each commandment will include a section of related quotes, which encompass impactful quotes directly tied to the commandment. The journey toward long-lasting happiness includes embodying these 12 commandments and using the tools consistently. Start your journey.

Commandment #1: Look Inward and Reflect on Your Truth

Quote to Contemplate: “We are the mirror, as well as the face in it.” – Rumi

Connection to Happiness: Permanent happiness is unattainable if you are not real with reality and who you are. It is imperative to look through yourself & self-reflect, as if you are the mirror. And when you look inside, make sure to examine closely and honestly, so necessary alterations can occur. It is impossible to self-develop fully and live a meaningful life if someone is fearful of what the mirror reveals. But to the individual that is not intimidated by one’s reflection and instead decides to decode reality with precision and care, the first building block is set on the journey to happiness.

Positive Psychology Tool: A helpful exercise in discovering and analyzing one’s truth is completing the Wheel of Life activity designed by Dr. John Barletta. The activity involves rating one’s self on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is “the best you could achieve” in eight distinct life categories: Business/Career, Finances, Health, Family and Friends, Romance, Personal Growth, Fun and Recreation, and Physical Environment. The goal of the activity is to be real with one’s current reality and notice which areas potentially can be strengthened. This self-awareness activity enables someone to target specific areas to transform in order to achieve happiness.

In Action: In completing the Wheel of Life, a person named Ralph determines that he is too focused on a career and finances, and he is neglecting areas such as romance, health, and fun/recreation. This has caused monumental unhappiness in Ralph’s life. By seeing a visual of the imbalance in his life, Ralph sees that in order to achieve a life of fulfillment, he has to prioritize his mental health, romance, and fun a bit more. Due to Ralph choosing to focus on these areas in the ongoing months, Ralph becomes more content than ever. If Ralph never looked inward into his truth to start and self-reflected on his life using the Wheel of Life, his life would still be in the stagnant state that it was in.

Related Quotes: 1. “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you to where you want to go, no one else.”– Les Brown 2. ”You cannot have a meaningful life without having self-reflection.” — Oprah Winfrey 3. ”We cannot see our reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.” – Zen

Commandment #2: Live Authenticity Driven in Navigating Through Life

Quote to Contemplate: “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle

Connection to Happiness: Living in a distorted inner world will leave you with a distorted view of happiness, and in turn a shallow version if ever achieved. In order to find true happiness unique to you, it is crucial for you to understand what it is you are chasing. Once the analysis of yourself is underway, become an expert and earn a PHD in knowing yourself. Know your values, your strengths, your personality, & everything. Then, live your life wide awake un-rattled by outside pressures to conform to someone else’s view of meaning. By navigating through life with authentic desires, your actions are pure and in the long-run will lead to fulfillment.

Positive Psychology Tool: There are several exercises a person can complete to achieve a strong sense of identity. A few suggestions are the VIA Character Strength test, Myers-Briggs personality test, and the Values Clarification exercise (See links at bottom). The VIA Strengths test is useful because it identifies what a person’s character strengths are and thus, a person can make decisions where specific strengths can be best utilized. The Myers-Briggs personality test enables someone to understand their specific human nature. Given the personality type, a person can research what careers best align with the personality type as well. The Values Clarification exercise entails a person ranking their top 5 or 10 values from a list of 36 categories. Given this self-reflection, a person can make proper decisions that are in accord with the person’s most important values. By utilizing strengths, understanding personality, and aligning choices with core values, a person is well-prepared to travel on the journey towards long-lasting happiness.

In Action: A person named Asha completed the three exercises above to better understand herself. Asha was intentional in aligning her life decisions with her values. The VIA Strengths test and Values Clarification test in particular revealed that important aspects of Asha’s life include loyalty, integrity, health, and inner harmony. Upon realizing that things like money and achievement were not at the top of her list, Asha made the decision to switch up her career. She sacrificed a bit more money in order to take care of her aunt as a home health aide. Her sense of peace and health skyrocketed as she felt more purpose in her life. Asha’s happiness improved, given that her decision was backed by what was truly important to her and not what was important to someone else.

Related Quotes – 1. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson 2. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman 3. “When writing the story of your life, don’t let anybody else hold the pen.” – Anonymous

Commandment #3: Passionately Cherish the Reality of the Present Moment

Quote to Contemplate: “Live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find eternity in each moment.” – Henry David Thoreau

Connection to Happiness: A major source of an unfulfilled life is a person not living present, and instead dwelling on what was or pondering what will be. If a person does that, life is missed out on. Instead, choose to ride the waves of life and find every ounce of meaning, joy, and lessons in the moments. By being mindful and having the presence to be comfortable in any environment, the energies of happiness become attracted to you. And once that attraction is combined with you returning the favor and appreciating life back by valuing the present, your life fills with meaning and forever peace.

Positive Psychology Tool: The exercise of open-monitoring meditation will aid someone in being more mindful, aware, and alert to the present moment. This form of meditation consists of someone sitting quietly in a room and just breathing. Unlike focused attention meditation where someone thinks of a particular object or thing, a person is free to think about whatever comes to mind during open-monitoring meditation. It is important to be ok with where the mind wanders too and to learn to appreciate everything encompassing the present moment. It is encouraged to practice the open-monitoring meditation for 10+ minutes, 3+ times per week. Over time, a person’s mindfulness in thinking presently will strengthen.

In Action: Before practicing open-monitoring meditation, a person named Mark was always preoccupied contemplating about the past or the future. After doing the open monitoring meditation, Mark’s awareness and appreciation for the present moment improved. His relationships improved because he was active in conversations more and listening more effectively. His productivity also increased due to not wasting energy thinking about the past or anticipating what the future entails. Mark’s happiness jumped to a whole new level due to his positive presence in facing the present and his reduction of stress.

Related Quotes – 1. “Life can only take place in the present moment. If we lose the present moment, we lose life.” – Buddha 2. “Few of us ever live in the present. We are forever anticipating what is to come or remembering what has gone.” – Louis L’Amour 3. “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” – Blaise Pascal

Commandment #4: Let Go of Fighting What Cannot be Defeated

Quote to Contemplate: “You can’t speed up the river and you can’t slow it down; at a certain point you got to have some faith.” – Inky Johnson

Connection to Happiness: Your life encompasses so many rivers; sometimes you just watch the flow, while other times you are in the water and have to see where it takes you. Fighting the flow back is a fool’s game. Those that do are in a constant struggle mentally and become too fatigued or defeated to persevere along the journey. Happiness is a foreign concept to these individuals because by disapproving of the river’s flow, their journey towards happiness is setback. However, if you detach yourself from the uncontrollable aspects of life, practice being content with a lack of power in certain situations, and have faith in the water’s flow, you are set free to attach onto the journey that matters – the one towards your happiness.

Positive Psychology Tool: The exercise of practicing cognitive defusion on one’s own thoughts is helpful in accepting the uncontrollable aspects of life. This refers to objectively viewing one’s thoughts from a distance and losing unnecessary attachment to them. When someone has a thought or opinion, it should be written down and analyzed to determine if it is in accordance with reality or if it is an illogical perception. By practicing this exercise, a person begins to understand that one’s mind is not the essence of that person. This realization frees someone from having to control things, from thoughts to events that are happening. Understanding this lack of control liberates you to focus on what can be controlled, and reserve energy for happiness attainment.

In Action: Prior to practicing the strategy of cognitive defusion, Kimberly was always fighting an internal battle to control her thoughts, as well as outside events. Kimberly’s tension and stress levels were at high levels as a result, due to her inevitable defeat. It wasn’t until she let go of her attachment to her thoughts and instead placed them at a distance, did she notice her thoughts had a mind of their own. Kimberly began to accept that her thoughts did not define her and this understanding led to acceptance of the outside world as well. Kimberly let go of the constant battle she created and instead opted to let certain situations and people be. This freed Kimberly to put energies towards activities that do matter and contribute to her happiness.

Related Quotes – 1. “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” – Lao Tzu 2. “You only lose what you cling to” – Buddha 3. “Attachment to views is the greatest impediment to the spiritual path.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Commandment #5: Protect Your Mind and Overcome What Can be Defeated

Quote to Contemplate: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of the human freedoms; to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor Frankl

Connection to Happiness: Though relinquishing your grip on the uncontrollable aspects of life is advised, relinquishing control of your mind is a happiness death sentence. Having superb attitude control, guarding against any infiltration of your mind, and managing your emotions leads to an indestructible mindset. And once the mind is built tough and you can on-command choose your attitude, the ups and downs of life can be navigated positively to achieve a life filled with fulfillment and rich with inner values.

Positive Psychology Tool: Breathing techniques support someone in managing emotions and achieving proficient attitude control. A recommendation is for at least 5 minutes every day – it could be five minutes straight or separated throughout the day – practice controlled breaths of breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathing in and out should each be for between 4-6 seconds, and the breath should come from your stomach and not just from the chest. You can determine where the breath is coming from by placing a hand on the stomach and the chest; the stomach should be moving more than the chest if the exercise is done correctly. Breathing techniques allow someone to gain better control over body sensations and thus, better able to control situations in life due to a reduction in bodily tension. Being in charge of one’s breath leads to being more in command of the internal processing when circumstances arise. Mind control is strengthened, while negative emotions are better managed and reduced.

In Action: A person named Russell let every situation rattle him; he never could grasp the concept that his attitude was up to him. After doing the breathing techniques, Russell learned to breathe properly when adverse situation arose. He understood that the breath was the root of the problem for many feelings such as sadness, frustration, anger, embarrassment, etc. He discovered that he no longer lost his cool and was instead way more confident in being his true authentic self, and having a positive attitude no matter what. Russell’s attitude control became a major positive tool he used in filling his life with meaning.

Related Quotes – 1. “The first thing that you learn at Monk School is learning how to breathe … every emotion is experienced with a change in the breath. When you learn how to navigate and manage your breath, you can actually navigate any situation in life.” – Jay Shetty 2. “I will never let someone walk through my mind with their dirty feet” – Gandhi 3. “Take control of your consistent emotions and begin to consciously and deliberately reshape your daily experience of life.” – Tony Robbins

Commandment #6: Act as Your Own Personal Comedian as Needed

Quote to Contemplate: “A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.” – William Arthur Ward

Connection to Happiness: Life is not about waiting for the right weather; it is about learning to embrace current weather and find joy even if it’s gloomy. Those that are always on the lookout for perfect weather do not appreciate the moments of life, and in turn moments do not become fulfilled with meaning. And not demonstrating light-hearted and humorous energies during low points only digs a person deeper into the ground. No matter the life circumstances, finding humor creates positive energies that propel one forward in the direction of fulfillment and happiness. If you want to live a happy life, find reasons to laugh at the moments along the journey.

Positive Psychology Tool: A simple, but beneficial, exercise is at the end of each day write down something funny that happened on that particular day. An ideal time to do this is right before going to sleep – assuming it is not too funny and would keep you up in laughter all night! Lol. But, having a joyful demeanor before bed is helpful and contrasts to someone going to bed angry, which is detrimental. Over time, the exercise will lead to someone noticing the humor in day to day living and human interactions. It will build the light-hearted attitude necessary to go through obstacles in life on the way to achieving goals and finding meaning.

In Action: After completing this humor exercise, Keyanna noticed a monumental change in her daily demeanor. Whereas before she reacted negative to life’s daily obstacles and events, Keyanna now uses humor to work positively through difficult moments. Instead of being on edge to get offended at something or point out something wrong, she is now always on the lookout to find something funny and opportunities for joy. This mindset shift has uplifted her spirit and has enabled her to tackle her goals more efficiently and successfully.

Related Quotes – 1. “The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of a trick learned while mastering the art of living.” – Viktor Frankl 2. “A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It’s jolted by every pebble on the road.” – Henry Ward Beecher 3. “There are three things we all should do every day … #1 is laugh … #2 is think … And #3 is you should have your emotions moved to tears … If you laugh, you think, and you cry that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day.” – Jim Valvano

Commandment #7: Proactively and Continuously Release Internal Tension

Quote to Contemplate: “There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within.” – Morihei Ueshiba

Connection to Happiness: When someone has inner peace, nothing on the outside – no circumstance, no event, no person – can rattle that. Cultivating a peaceful mentality stems from accepting the uncertainties of life and focusing on what can be controlled: the power within. By eliminating any internal tension within a person, the mind is free to focus its efforts on obtaining happiness. You are well on your way to happiness if your resting state of reality is contentment.

Positive Psychology Tool: The following forgiveness exercise can release the internal tension inside of a person’s heart. First, take a piece of paper and write down the names of all the people or past events that hurt you in a column going down. You may also add a list of people that you have hurt. To the right of the names and events, write down the emotional feelings you had from that person or event. This part is about self-reflection and in a way reliving the emotional experiences. Closing your eyes and imagining how the people or events made you feel is also valuable. It is important not to short-change this part because by being fully immersed in the past experience, the power of the exercise and release at the end will be more impactful. After breathing perhaps and being mentally in a stable space, think of each name or event one by one and say out-loud, “I forgive you” if the person hurt you and/or “please forgive me” if you hurt the person. This exercise should empower someone to let go of some of the pain and hurt. An extra step is to contact some individuals that hurt you, and communicate with them openly. Accept their forgiveness. You may also contact the individuals that you have potentially hurt, and ask for their forgiveness. By releasing this inner tension, a person is mentally free and should feel unrestricted in pursuing what truly matters in life.

In Action: Prior to completing this exercise, Luka had deep hurt inside of his body. His mother was often emotionally abusive to him, past relationships hurt his self-worth, and he never forgave himself for allowing his dog to roam free one day and get hit by a car. After doing this exercise, Luka felt more empowered to finally move on. He even decided to tape the paper onto his bathroom mirror to serve as a daily reminder that he released this tension. Due to having a deep conversation with his mom, he finally forgave her and they got on positive terms. He also forgave his previous partners and forgave himself for his dog’s death. From doing this, Luka felt free to move forward. Now that his past is no longer haunting him, his productivity and confidence in his career and relationships have skyrocketed.

Related Quotes – 1. “I think the first step is to understand that forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It’s a gift you give yourself.” — T. D. Jakes 2. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr. 3. “Peace is its own reward.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Commandment #8: Express Gratitude and Maintain Awe at the Moments of Life

Quote to Contemplate: “This a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” – Maya Angelou

Connection to Happiness: Having the positive mindset that every new day is an opportunity to smile and take action towards something meaningful, is a major ingredient for happiness. The people that never have enough and are unappreciative of reality, miss out on the wisdom necessary to find meaning. A person who is not living in the past understands the potential in every moment and, given this understanding, tends to take advantage of the present moment to accomplish goals. True happiness can only be found by utilizing your wonder at life, and being optimistic about where your life journey will take you.

Positive Psychology Tool: The exercise of identifying what someone is thankful for in a journal is an uplifting exercise that evokes positive emotions in the writer. Getting in the habit of writing in this so-called gratitude journal daily can create the mood needed to jumpstart someone towards happiness. Each day, you can write multiple (perhaps three) things that occurred that you are thankful for. An option is to also include interesting events or comments that were made too, as this builds your curiosity and enthusiasm for life. You may also go a step further and express feelings of appreciation for specific people in your life, perhaps through a mailed letter, phone call, or text message. Living a life full of gratitude and appreciation makes an individual feel more uplifted and therefore, in a better state to attain permanent happiness.

In Action: Before practicing gratitude exercises, Casey lived an unappreciated and dull life. Once Casey sat down to reflect on things she was appreciative of and found interesting, she quickly realized the multiple aspects of daily living to be thankful for. Whereas she would disregard facts and experiences before such as eating a warm breakfast, her neighbor kindly greeting her every day, and her immaculate health, she began to cherish these aspects more. Instead of being on the lookout for things to complain about, Casey began to search for positive aspects of life. By expressing gratitude to people in her life through thank you notes, she found the hidden power of gratitude in that it uplifts someone in metaphorically giving them positivity contact lenses. This new outlook on life is a tool that Casey uses to achieve happiness.

Related Quotes – 1. “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” – Zig Ziglar 2. “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” – Marcus Aurelius 3. “Often people ask how I manage to be happy despite having no arms and no legs. The quick answer is that I have a choice. I can be angry about not having limbs, or I can be thankful that I have a purpose. I choose gratitude.” – Nick Vujicic

Commandment #9: Give Yourself to the World and the World Will Give Itself Back

Quote to Contemplate: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.” – Muhammad Ali

Connection to Happiness: Being on Earth is a privilege. You typically don’t get more than 100 years here, if that. For the rest of human existence, you’ll have to pay your rent elsewhere. Therefore, while here on Earth it is imperative to give back and to service others. Understanding that humanity is all on the same team leads to the motivation to uplift others and better the world as a whole. From doing this, a richer world is created. Positive energies in turn bounce around and due to some landing back to you, life fulfillment is optimized.

Positive Psychology Tool: A daily or perhaps hourly exercise that someone can do are acts of kindness or service. These can include volunteering for a noble cause, making a friend dinner, donating clothes, compliment someone with an uplifting comment, telling a joke to brighten up someone’s day, or even just smiling to a stranger. These acts of service will create a service-oriented attitude and people will want to be around you, and provide service back to you. Once kindness is practiced consistently, it becomes who you are and once that occurs, you don’t have to go searching far for meaning – it will present itself to you.

In Action: Before practicing acts of kindness, a person named Arnold was a taker and only looked after himself. Because this was not leading to a fulfilling life, he decided to switch it up and start giving himself to the world. The acts started small with Arnold just saying good morning with more enthusiasm to his elderly neighbor. But just from doing this, Arnold noticed a positive energy shift in his spirit and also in his neighbor’s spirit. Arnold eventually began consistently practicing service, offering to help his neighbor with chores and showing a more generous spirit at work. Arnold’s contributions to life led to opportunities opening up for him and as a result of his kindness, he was able to create a more purposeful life for himself.

Related Quotes – 1. “A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” – William Arthur Ward 2. “Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” – Robin Sharma 3. “The true measure of your wealth is if you got in, then you lost it – how much would you be worth?” – Inky Johnson

Commandment #10: Imagine the World Your Heart Craves For

Quote to Contemplate: “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.” – Helen Keller

Connection to Happiness: Not imagining your desired reality is a surefire way to be seen as a chicken with its head cut off when navigating life. You have to know what you want and where you are going. Because if there is no vision for the future, odds are the life actualized will not be filled with purposeful meaning and happiness. To contrast, people that look inside themselves to imagine an ideal world have achieved the first step in creating that ideal world. Therefore, lay the foundation of your happiness inside your mind prior to building the bricks in the outside world.

Positive Psychology Tool: Self-visioning is a key tactic to give someone a needed edge on the road to happiness. The exercise entails closing your eyes and imagining your ideal world and achievements. Get as specific as possible. Imagine the people around you, what they are saying about you, and what impact you’ve created. Also personify the positive feelings that you would feel in that moment. Once visualization yields your ideal world, either journal your reflection on the vision or record your initial thoughts in a video. In the future, when inspiration is lacking, read or listen to the reflection. Or in that moment of motivation deficiency, you may do the exercise again and raise your motivation to a desired level.

In Action: Shania never heard about self-visualization. But once she did the exercise, tears started to flow. Just visioning her desired life and fully immersing herself in the moment gave her chills and made her realize how badly her heart was craving for her vision. Any time she is feeling a lack of inspiration, she either re-does the exercise or looks down at her reflection in the notebook. And reading how she felt the first time she did the exercise – and seeing the tear marks on the paper – give her that extra push to activate action to achieve her goals.

Related Quotes – 1. “Where there is no vision the people perish.” – Proverbs 29:18 2. “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside awakens.” – Carl Jung 3. “Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” – Napoleon Hill

Commandment #11: Speak Your Hopeful Reality into Existence

Quote to Contemplate: “1st say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do.” – Epictetus

Connection to Happiness: The most important conversation you will ever have in your life is with yourself. Therefore, make that conversation empowering and feed your soul positive energies. The mind cannot function at its optimal level and live a life of fulfillment if it is being fed negative or destructive thoughts. Your self-talk can strengthen your belief in yourself and accomplishing goals, which can give you the true confidence necessary to live a meaningful life. So, speak your destiny into existence and trust that your mind will activate action to make your aspirations become reality.

Positive Psychology Tool: The exercise of repeating positive and empowering affirmations to yourself daily manifests positivity into your life. The directions are simple: For as little as one or two minutes per day, just speak your reality into existence. You may say broad statements such as: “I love my body”, “I will dominate today”, “I will overcome every obstacle today”, etc. Or you can get specific about a situation or goal such as: “I will speak confidently at the presentation today for work”, “I will actively listen to my partner during dinner today”, “I will graduate with a 4.0 GPA”, etc. The idea is that repeating these positive statements daily will instill a belief and eventually deep conviction. Once that is the case, the mind is strengthened and better equipped to drive on the road to happiness.

In Action: Damon thought that speaking to one’s self was corny and a fake confidence that wasn’t necessary. Until he tried it. A straight B student for all of his high school career, Damon one day decided to repeat “I will focus during class day and not be distracted by my peers” before school every morning. Just repeating that helped to get him in the zone needed to limit distractions during class. On a conscious level, Damon wanted to stay true to his word and what he said in the morning. Eventually, Damon began saying “I will get straight A’s” for two minutes straight every morning. This exercise pumped Damon up to go into school with a dominating mindset. Always a person to stay true to his word, all Damon needed was that extra commitment push to motivate him to focus just a little bit more during class. Damon eventually landed a successful career and he credits his use of positive affirmation to ignite his action and create a confident presence on his journey to happiness.

Related Quotes – 1. “I am the greatest; I said that even before I knew I was.” – Muhammad Ali 2. “Consistent positive self-talk is unquestionably one of the greatest gifts to one’s subconscious mind.” ― Edmond Mbiaka 3. “The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.” – Confucius

Commandment #12: Take Committed Action to Maximize Nourishment of Your Created Life

Quote to Contemplate: “Happiness is when what you say, what you think, and what you do are in harmony” – Gandhi

Connection to Happiness: Thoughts without deeds is dead. Although creating internal visions and talking to yourself positively is important, those two things are not enough to create long-lasting happiness. The final step is to plant your feet in the ground, come alive, and align your actions with them. Once your thoughts, words, and actions are in accord with each other, an authentic and optimized life is created. Your life becomes exactly what it was intended to become, and that leads to the ultimate happiness.

Positive Psychology Tool: Simply stated, the broad exercise is each day – if not hour – activate action that is aligned with your internal vision, goals, and values in life to create a life filled with authentic meaning. In order to achieve happiness, you cannot just dominate your life in your head. It has to be manifested into reality. For practical purpose, a more specific exercise is to ask someone constructive feedback if your actions are aligned with your goals and words. You may even have a different person for each day of the week, and each can tell you their perspective on your actions over the past week. By getting feedback from a peer, you can alter action to better align with visions. Or perhaps alter words to better align with your action. Once action matches the vision that your heart is communicating to you, happiness is inevitable.

In Action: Crystal desired to live a life of harmony, but there appeared to be a pebble stuck in her shoe on the hike upwards to happiness. Upon reading The 12 Commandments of Happiness by Life University student Brian Donato, Crystal assigned each day of the week to a person in her life and asked for constructive feedback on her actions. Her co-worker explained to her that her lengthy breaks at work were weakening her relationships with her clients and peers, while her sister recognized that her social media use was a time waster that was replacing her hobby of dancing. Given this feedback, Crystal realized that her actions were not aligning with her vision and values. Once she corrected her behavior, she became more efficient at work and also reduced her stress by more consistently participating in her hobby of dancing. Crystal achieved needed balance in her life and is confident her increased productivity and peace of mind will lead to long-lasting happiness.

Related Quotes – 1. “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson 2. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu 3. “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost, that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau

Living a life according to The 12 Commandments of Happiness outlined here drastically increases a person’s chances of achieving meaningful happiness in the long-run. However, the short-run may be different. But that is ok and must be accepted. A major barrier that people have to living a happy life is the negative perspective of perhaps living an unhappy life. This is correlated with an important idea expressed in Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, which notes that “being ashamed about being unhappy” only compounds the inevitable unhappiness that individuals experience at different points in life. As Commandment #5 advises, a person must demonstrate positive attitude control even towards potential feelings of unhappiness. You must not fall into the happiness trap of overemphasizing short-term outcomes, as opposed to playing the long-term game to achieve meaningful happiness that lasts. Therefore, have a positive perspective on whatever your current reality is and consciously aim to abide by The 12 Commandments of Happiness. If you do that, do not stress. Let your chips fall where they may, and have faith that your destiny will encompass a life filled with purposeful happiness.

Links to Resources and Quotes

Commandment #1:

Quote 1 – http://www.noelleraffaele.com/blog/we-are-the-mirror-as-well-as-the-face-in-it-rumi-13th-century-poet

Quote 2 – https://awakenthegreatnesswithin.com/27-quotes-that-will-push-you-to-take-personal-responsibility-for-your-life/

Quote 3 & 4 – https://everydaypowerblog.com/self-reflection-quotes/

Wheel of Life – http://johnbarletta.com/documents/DRJOHNWellbeingWorkbook_009.pdf

Commandment #2:

Quote 1 – https://www.holstee.com/blogs/mindful-matter/17408520-real-happiness-starts-with-you

Quote 2 – http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/X0008FA56/

Quote 3 – https://erinmcgaughandotcom.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/why-i-hate-that-howard-thurman-quote/

Quote 4 – https://www.elitedaily.com/life/motivation/writing-story-life-dont-let-anyone-else-hold-pen

VIA Strengths test – http://www.viacharacter.org/www/