Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I: Defining Happiness 9

Chapter 1: Anyone Can Be Happy 11

Chapter 2: The Recipe for Happiness 27

Chapter 3: Knowing What Happiness Isn’t 39

Chapter 4: Seeing Happiness as a Sign, Not a Symptom 49

Part II: Personality Attributes That Lead to Happiness 59

Chapter 5: Optimism 61

Chapter 6: Hardiness 73

Chapter 7: Conscientiousness 87

Part III: Behaving Your Way toward Happiness 97

Chapter 8: Getting into Flow 99

Chapter 9: Finding Benefit in Life’s Challenges 113

Chapter 10: Living a Coherent Lifestyle 125

Chapter 11: Making a Daily Confession 137

Chapter 12: Putting On a Happy Face 147

Part IV: Striking the Right Balance 159

Chapter 13: Hassles versus Uplifts 161

Chapter 14: Structure versus Freedom 171

Chapter 15: Work versus Play 183

Chapter 16: Socialization versus Solitude 197

Chapter 17: Selfishness versus Generosity 207

Part V: Achieving Happiness in Key Relationships 217

Chapter 18: At Work 219

Chapter 19: At Home 239

Chapter 20: In Intimate Relationships 251

Part VI: The Part of Tens 265

Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Raise a Happy Child 267

Chapter 22: Ten Roadblocks to Happiness 279

Chapter 23: Ten Things You Can Do Today to Foster Happiness in Your Life 289

Chapter 24: Ten Thoughts That Lead to Happiness 299

Appendix: Resources 307

Index 313

About the Author

W. Doyle Gentry, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, a distinguished Fellow in the American Psychological Association, and the Founding Editor of the Journal of Behavioral Medicine.