Happiness - Peter Varholak

Dear toastmaster, ladies and gentleman, do you have New Years resolutions? I don´t have. I have plans for this year. I decided that for every important part of my life one major goal would be appropriate. Goals that are tough enough but still achievable. For relationships it is creating my own social circle of at least 20 people, for work and money creating my own bussiness that would pay my bills and about health actually I wasn´t sure till I started to think about my speach.

1. What have happy people in common:

Researches found that happy people have good health. What other happy people share? They are very social with stronger relationships, they are more energetic, decisive, creative, trusting, loving and responsive, they have more philosophical view of life, more funny, have problem-solving skills, engaging meaningful pursuits and leisure activities, living in positive environment, and generally have well balanced lifestyle.

2. Some facts about happiness:

Researches found that you as a personality has 40% of your happiness directly in your hands. 60% is in your genes and environment.

Our happiness influences the people we know and the people they know. Research shows that the happiness of a close contact increases the chance of being happy by 15%. The happiness of a 2nd-degree contact (e.g. friend's spouse) increases it by 10% and the happiness of a 3rd-degree contact (e.g. friend of a friend of a friend) by 6%. Most people think that if they become successful, then they'll be happy. But recent discoveries in psychology and neuroscience show that this formula is backward: happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we're positive, our brains are more motivated, engaged, creative, energetic, resilient, and productive.

Happy workforce raises sales by 37 percent, productivity by 31 percent, and accuracy on tasks by 19 percent.

Immigrants tend to acquire the happiness characteristics of the nation to which they move, not the nation from which they were born.

3. What you can do to increase happiness:

A mere 20 minutes of exercise, three days each week will increase your happiness by 10 to 20 percent after six months.

Get rest: Research has consistently linked lower sleep to lower happiness.In one study researchers found that getting just one more hour of sleep each night might have a greater effect on happiness than a 35,000 pounds raise.

If you take 8 sessions of mindfulness meditation training you will on average be 20 percentage points happier one month later.

The most powerful way to increase your short-term feelings of happiness is to perform random acts of kindness to others, or to send a letter of gratitude to someone you care about. Five such acts in a week will increase your happiness for up to three months.

The most powerful way to increase your long-term feelings of happiness is to understand your strengths and talents, or life purpose, and to work on sharing those parts of yourself with others.

So ladies and gentleman I wish you to be more social, more productive, healthier, more energetic, well balanced year with more sleep, meditation and exercise, all to be kind to each other and we will see clearly life purpose. I wish you happy new year!