By Chad Ingram
Published May 1 2018

Happiness may not be a fish you can catch but we can each enjoy increased happiness in our lives if we learn some new mental habits and adopt a more appreciative perspective.

Peter Jennings’s latest book is entitled Why Being Happy Matters and the writer was at the Haliburton Legion on April 29 to talk about it with members of the Haliburton chapter of the Canadian Association for Retired Persons which was holding its annual general meeting.

The book combines five years of research plus nearly 40 interviews with people in Canada the U.S. Europe Asia and Australia and looks at how we go about cultivating genuine joy and contentment in our lives.

Some of the more well-known interviewees include John Robbins of the Baskin Robbins family Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell Oscar-nominated film director Roko Belic Time magazine columnist Joel Stein and “happiness expert” Dr. Christine Carter. A number of Jennings’s interviewees were PhDs working in the area of “positive psychology.”

What was one of the most common findings in his conversations?

“Money doesn’t buy happiness” Jennings told the crowd. “Some of them were wealthy some of them had no money at all.”

Jennings said happiness seems to stem from being grateful for what one’s got.

“Focus on what you have not what you don’t have” he said.

Jennings shared some of his own happiness breakthroughs with attendees.

“We are responsible for our own happiness; it’s up to us to take control of how we feel” he said. “We have the power to choose happiness for ourselves. We can absorb the habits of others to become happier ourselves.”

Not taking ourselves too seriously learning to treasure relationships and realizing that if life is only about material possessions that happiness will remain elusive were other pieces of advice.

You can learn more about Jennings’s book at www.whybeinghappymatters.com/about.html.