The secret to happiness.

Byline: Faisal Saleem Rathod

Happiness is the purpose of life. Despite this, only handful people around us say they are very happy. We are so quick to take for granted the remarkable things going on in life, rather than being reactive to what is going on around us, happy people take control of their lives and emotions. If you are unhappy in your life, who else can you blame other than yourself? And if you can blame someone or something else, how is this blame game going to make your life any better?

Bad things happens to everyone. But life isn't about what happens to you. It is about how you proactively respond. Many people believe that by working long hours they might get successful and result in happiness in our lives. According to a research by Stanford University's Centre for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education - working harder and longer hours will not necessarily make you happy or successful. In fact, hundreds of neuroscience and psychology studies suggest that the opposite is often the case. The key is to find happiness first. When you are happy, then you will find the success you are looking for.

Top selling book, The Happiness Track, author says, "Happiness - defined as a state of heightened positive emotion - has a profound positive effect on our professional and personal lives. It increases our emotional and social intelligence, boosts our productivity, and heightens our influence over peers and colleagues."

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the following behavioral traits, if applied, will change your life. Let me make it clear, if you do these things, you will be an incredibly happy individual resulting in a successful person.

1- Be Thankful

Make gratitude a daily habit. Every day, jot down 10 great things that happened to you or that you are grateful for. Keeping your focus on the positive will really make a difference. Become involved in a cause that is important to you. As you become aware of other people who are less fortunate than you, you will start to feel a deeper appreciation for what you do have.

2- Surrounding

Focus on your relationship with people you admire and are close to. Cultivate appreciation for others and let them know regularly that you are grateful to them and for what they do for you-whether it be helping around the house or going out for dinners. Spend your time wisely with people who matters to you, instead of spending over time in your workplace, go out with your...