Becoming a Member    When we think about remembering, we usually appreciate its importance to academic and work-related learning.  The better we commit what we learn to memory, the more effectively and quickly we learn.  We often become so involved in day-to-day activities that we simply forget to feel happy.  Remembering to feel very happy is a simple and powerful way of helping our happiness become more habitual. We often overlook the important role memory plays in creating and sustaining our level of happiness.  We can learn to evaluate the events of our lives in ways that maximize pleasure, and minimize displeasure, and thereby achieve greater happiness.  However, learning these to create these pleasant appraisals is just the first step.  In order for this learning to be most effective, we must commit it to memory so that it is available for us to unconsciously apply to all of our situations.  This process of committing beneficial learning to memory is called integration, and our aim is to have our positive appraisals, and our happiness, become habit.

Talk about HappinessWe talk about work, money, sports, other people, problems and a myriad of other topics throughout each day.  Ironically, the aspect of life most dear to us rarely gets into our conversations as a distinct topic.  Talking about happiness with our friends and families is extremely useful to us and to them as well.  It will help us understand happiness (what it is and what it isn't; what will bring it and what will take it away), and it will help us keep our happiness at the forefront of our minds, where it should be. I have personally found that most people love to talk about happiness, as long as the tone is optimistic and enjoyable. Since most of us are only marginally happy, it can sometimes be unpleasant for others to have their limited happiness called to mind.  It's usually best to talk about what we can do to become happier, and then explore what stops us from doing so.  Taking a problem solving approach to the topic of happiness can be extraordinarily productive.  Choose Your Thoughts WiselyHappiness is dependent on our thoughts - We do not have to keep thinking unpleasant thoughts simply because they come into our minds. We can choose to think pleasant thoughts instead. The more we practice stopping our unpleasant thoughts and thinking pleasant ones, the better we will become and the happier we will feel.   See Happiness as the Point of LifeHappiness is the point of life - The better we realize that happiness is the only aspect of life with inherent value (everything else is valuable only to the extent that it increases happiness) the more we will devote time and effort to our happiness and the happiness of others.   Smile ContinuouslyBecoming much happier is as easy as just smiling more. Smiling feels good, but it also reminds us to feel happy and communicates our happiness to others, encouraging them to feel happy with us. Maintain a slight smile throughout your day, and you will find it much easier to feel happier.  Consider that the happiest people you know are the ones that seem always to have a pleasant expression, and you will understand the wisdom behind smiling.   Compare WiselyWe should compare ourselves wisely, or not at all.  There is a popular expression that says “comparisons are odious.” If we must compare ourselves to others, it is wisest to compare ourselves to those whom we believe are less happy, or are less advantaged than we are. Comparing ourselves to those who are less happy can feel good, but we should also try to become happier by helping them feel happier. Be OptimisticOptimism is important to our happiness - We can see our glasses as half full, or half empty. We can hope for the best, and expect that things will turn out well, or we can dread what might go wrong, and worry about our future. Happiness research shows that worry is the number one enemy to happiness, and as we become more optimistic, we become happier. Choose Happiness over MoneyMoney has very little effect on our happiness - The better we realize that, above the poverty level, having or making more money will not make us any happier, the more we will spend our time and effort on activities that will make us happier. Like Yourself and OthersLiking ourselves, and others, is very important to our happiness - Liking feels pleasant, and not liking feels unpleasant. We should strive to like ourselves and others more and more, seeing the best in everyone as much as possible. As we do this we will enjoy ourselves more and more. Since we are with ourselves always, it is especially important for us to like ourselves very much. Make Happiness Your SuccessOur only necessary success, on a personal level, is being very happy - We can be a total failure at virtually every other aspect of our life, but if we are wise enough to succeed at being very happy, we can consider ourselves very successful.  Having succeeded at our happiness, our next greatest success should be to help other succeed with their happiness. Consider Happiness and ObligationWe have an obligation to be happy - When we are less happy we are less fun to be with, and bring down the mood of others. For the benefit of others, we should strive to be as happy as possible. Also, for those of us who are religious, it is important to understand that God want us to feel happy with all the gifts we have been given, and to the extent we refuse to be happy we are being ungrateful.

When voting, you’re not only helping to elect a candidate; you’re also making a statement about what issues are most important to you. You’re voting for your own choices and your own future. Elections have consequences far beyond simply who gets into office. Voting not only selects leaders, but it holds them accountable. The more we express our values and concerns through voting, the better our elected leaders will be able to represent us. Our leaders cannot know what’s important to us if we don’t vote. When a large percentage of Americans do not participate in elections, the future of our democracy is threatened. The decisions made by those holding elected office affect us all. Their decisions will have an impact on our finding good jobs, whether we can afford adequate health care for ourselves and our families, how good our schools will be, how
fairly taxes are distributed, and the methods to be used to ensure our own and our country’s security. All Americans should have a say in making those decisions, and we have our say by voting. Voting equals power. To use that power well, we must understand the issues that are important to us and the nation