8 keys to happy living

"1. Give a "gift" (like a smile, a thank you, a nod) to everyone you meet.A gift is a smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod.  How generous of these "gifts" are you?   And never pass beggars without leaving them something.   Peace of mind is worth the spare change.2.   Deflect partisan conversations with strangers.Arguments about politics and religion never have a "right" answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can't control.  When such topics surface, bow out by saying something like: "Thinking about that stuff makes my head hurt."3.   Assume people have good intentions.Since you can't read minds, you don't really know the "why" behind the "what" that people do. Imputing evil motives to other people's weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation.  Assume what they do is because they are upset or sad or tired.  Don't take anything personally.4.   Eat high quality food slowly.  SAVOR it.At least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Focus on it; taste it; savor it.  The pleasure of a good cookie.
5.   Plan and Prioritize - make lists! and cross off as you get it done. 
Most common source of depression and stress is the perception that you've got too much on your plate and its wearing you down.  Rather than letting it beat you down, pick ONE THING that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life, finishing your list.   Then do that ONE THING first.  Getting "started" is the hardest part, so instead of thinking it through, just DO IT.
6.    Let go of results, just do whatever you need to do.Don't worry about the results at all, once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do.   Focus on the job at hand rather than some weird fantasy of what might happen.7.    Turn off "background" TV noise.Many households leave their TVs on as "background noise" while they're doing other things.  The entire point of broadcast TV is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that you'll buy more stuff.   Why subliminally program yourself to be a mindless consumer, and buy, buy buy?  If you like tv for the pretty moving picture, find a channel that has pretty pictures, like the history channel, turn it on and shut off the sound.  Noise is bad.8.    End each day with gratitude.Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened.   It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again."