Someone sent this to me and I thought it might be interesting to you guys too. I have read the Seliman book and got alot from it.

The Psychology of Happiness

The Declaration of Independence proclaims that we have the inalienable right to pursue happiness, but it doesn't tell us how. That doesn't stop us from trying. We're sure that we'll be happier if we lose twenty pounds, make more money, get our ideal partner, job or homeâ?¦fill in the blank. But when we do, what happens? We move on to our next object of desire, believing that it will do the trick.Psychologists call this "miswanting." We're lousy at predicting what will make us happy because we don't understand how happiness works. That leads us up a lot of blind alleys.

Scientists--mostly university psychologists--have been studying happiness for about 30 years. Here's what they have to say.

Unless we're living in poverty or dire straits, things like income, job, age, sex, weight and social status have little to do with how happy we are.
We envy the rich, but scientists have confirmed the old saying: money doesn't buy happiness. Studies have found that people who win the lottery are happier than normal for a few months. Then they get used to it and settle into their former state, whether that's fairly happy or not. Once you get above poverty level, people with higher incomes aren't happier. Youth doesn't bring happiness; in fact, older people are a bit more satisfied with their lives. Seeking pleasure doesn't do the trick, although appreciating the small pleasures and gifts of life do. Psychologists call the search for more pleasure the "hedonic treadmill." Think of mice going 'round and 'round. Yet we continue to believe that we'll be happier if we can just satisfy our next desire.

Like good ones, many bad events--particularly temporary ones--don't affect us as much or for as long as we expect them to. But difficult conditions are more apt to affect our happiness than good conditions are. Taking care of someone with a chronic illness takes a big toll. Severe illness, or the death of a spouse, can make us less satisfied with life. A fraction of people who experience terrible trauma develop posttraumatic stress disorder. That's not true for everyone, though. Some widow and widowers go on to have happy, satisfying lives. Some people with severe health conditions--like many dialysis patients with end-stage kidney disease--rate their moods as high as similar healthier people do. And most people recover even from terrible trauma.

About half of happiness is set by our genes.
If you've been around babies, you know they come into the world with temperaments. Each one tends to be more or less cheerful, anxious or depressed, optimistic or pessimistic, shy or outgoing. It's a lot like the genetic tendency to be thin, normal weight, plump or obese. And our temperaments don't usually change much with age, no matter what happens to us. We each have our own range of happiness. We go only so high, or so low. But there are tools we can use to stay at the high end of our happiness potential.

Much of our happiness is determined by how we think, act, and relate to others. This is the part that we can affect.
Do you brood about the past? Are you dissatisfied with your relationships, so you don't spend much time with friends, family and loved ones? Do you eat without tasting your food? Compare yourself to other people who seem to have it better? These behaviors push you down to the low end of your range of happiness.

Do you want to be happier?
Here are some of the techniques that have worked in experiments. Everyone's different, so pick those that appeal to you.

Practice gratitude. Think of someone who has loved, helped, guided or inspired you, but whom you've never fully thanked. Visit them if you can, or call or write a letter, and tell them what they did for you and how much it's meant to you. If you can't reach them, or they have died, write a letter anyway. Feeling and expressing gratitude makes people happier.
Use your strengths instead of trying to fix your weaknesses. You won't be able to grow in your weak areas nearly as much as in your strong ones. Find ways to compensate for your weaknesses instead. If you're a small businessperson who's great at creating strategies, but lousy at details, hire an assistant who'll keep your calendar and records straight. If you love people, but get restless working alone in a cubicle, try to find a job with a lot of face contact. When you use your strengths, you'll feel energized and make faster progress toward your goals.
Create an optimistic vision of your future. Imagine yourself in 10 years, when everything has gone well and you've achieved your goals. Spend at least 20 minutes writing about how your life is at that point.
Work on your relationships. Good relationships make people happier--and happy people have better relationships. It's a "positive feedback loop." Humans are social animals, and we instinctively know that our quality of life, even survival, is linked to our social networks. When times are bad, they form a very real safety net. Make time to talk. It strengthens relationships. Happy couples talk together about 5 hours a week more than less happy ones. They also express appreciation and affection about 5 times as often as they criticize or nag. These behaviors apply to all sorts of relationships.
Notice negative thoughts and counter them. Pessimists think trouble is their fate. They figure it will continue; it's out of their control. "What's the use? This always happens to me. I give up." Optimists see bad times and figure they had a bit of bad luck that probably won't repeat itself. They don't take it personally. So they have the confidence to problem-solve the situation and move on. "Wow, that was bad luck. Oh well, things like that happen. I'll probably have better luck next time."
Recall a time when someone forgave you for something you did. How did that change things for you? Do you think it benefited them to forgive you?
Write a letter of forgiveness. You won't send it; the practice is in the writing. Think of someone who's hurt you and try to have some empathy for him or her. (It may help to recall that you've hurt people at times, too.) This can be tough. Don't start by tackling your worst emotional wound. When you forgive, you break the spell of the trauma and move out of its shadow.
Savor small pleasures. Pleasure is available--you don't have to buy things to get it. Slow down and really taste the first bite of your favorite food. Feel the warm water on your shoulders when you take a shower. Close your eyes and listen to your favorite song. Look at a favorite photo and open your heart to its beauty, or to the memories and feelings it evokes. When we savor the small things, we sink into the joys of the moment, and our tensions and cravings relax.
These practices take some work. Hopefully one appeals to you, and you can start with it in your pursuit of happiness. If you'd like to explore this subject further, we suggest these books by psychologists who study happiness:

The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubormirksy
Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth by Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener
Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman