For Happiness Say Yes
“Yes” creates opportunity. Saying yes a lot makes more things happen.
And research shows that lots of little good things are the path to happiness. Spending money on many little pleasures beats
rare big positives.
One researcher, for example, interviewed people of all income levels in the United Kingdom and found that those who
frequently treated themselves to low-cost indulgences— picnics, extravagant cups of coffee, and treasured DVDs— were more
satisfied with their lives. Other scientists have found that no-cost or low-cost activities can yield small boosts to
happiness in the short term that cumulate, one step at a time, to produce a large impact on happiness in the long term.
Saying yes to activities and events keeps you busy — and studies show you’re happier when you’re busy.
The happiest people are those that are very busy but don’t feel rushed:
Who among us are the most happy? Newly published research suggests it is those fortunate folks who have little or no excess
time, and yet seldom feel rushed.
So say yes to things and stay active — especially socializing, which makes us happier than almost anything else.
Having a better social life can be worth as much as an additional $131,232 a year in terms of life satisfaction.
And research shows that making more opportunities — saying yes — actually makes you luckier.
Hold on. I know what you’re thinking:
If I say yes to everything that comes down the pike, won’t more bad things happen too?
First off, I’m not telling you to say yes to armed robbery or heroin.
And studies show that as we get older we remember the good and forget the bad. So more stuff makes for happier memories.
What about regrets? Yes, we all occasionally say yes to dumb things and later regret them.
But what do you learn when you look at the things most people regret before they die?
For the most part the old saw is true: we regret the things we didn’t do more than the things we did.
Want to be happier? Make “yes” your default.
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