Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
Introduction
Many people over the years have claimed to have
found the secrets to happiness. And many of these
have made lots of money selling products and services
which have not always proven to be of great benefit.
Not many of them, however, have had any sort of
formal training in the understanding of human thinking
and behaviour.
Before founding The Happiness Institute I spent
approximately 15 years studying psychology and
completing three degrees. I’ve written two books
and several research papers. I’ve treated over 1,000
individuals with common problems such as
depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia and all sorts of
chronic, sometimes terminal, health problems. I’ve
also worked with numerous organisations helping them
manage and maximise the productivity of their staff.
I can honestly say that I know what makes people
distressed but just as importantly, I’ve also learned
what makes people happy.
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
4
Not many others have had the education, training and
experience that I have and I’m proud to say that I’m
now at the forefront of the exciting, new “positive
psychology” movement.
What’s in this special report?
Firstly, why is this report “special”? Quite simply, this
is special because it will help you understand what
happiness is and most importantly, how you can
achieve it.
It will help you more fully understand how you can
define your own version of happiness and how you can
set about living it. It will, to cut straight to the chase
and show you what you can do to have a better life.
Based on more than a decade’s experience, and
taking in to account the hundreds of interviews and
discussions I’ve had over the years, I’ve identified the
7 most common questions about happiness.
This special report lists each of these questions and
provides an answer based on my years of experience
and incorporating decades of scientific research.
When you understand the answers to these questions
and when apply them consistently in your own life
you’ll not just be happier, but also healthier, more
motivated, more focused and therefore more
successful.
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
5
1. What is happiness?
Happiness means different things to different people
but for me, happiness is a term that covers a range of
positive emotions. As humans, we experience a wide
array of moods and feelings including “negative” ones
(such as depression, frustration, anxiety etcetera) and
“positive” ones (such as satisfaction, joy and
happiness).
In my opinion, happiness is something that
encompasses all of the positive emotions from what I
call the “low arousal” ones such as contentment, calm
and satisfaction, through to the “high arousal” ones
such as joy and excitement.
It’s important to note, that none of these emotions are
necessarily better or worse than any others but that
some people will definitely tend more towards some
than others.
Although not exclusively, “extroverts” tend to seek out
and experience more of the high arousal positive
emotions while “introverts” tend to seek out and
experience more of the lower arousal positive
emotions.
Happiness, then, is a positive state of wellbeing
characterised by these positive emotions.
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
6
2. Should happiness come naturally?
The simple answer to this question is yes, if you’re
lucky but no, if you’re like most people.
That is, for some people happiness does come
naturally and easily in the same way that for some
people, other skills or abilities (such as athletics and
sports, problem solving, and even interpersonal
relationships) come easily.
For many people, however, whether it comes naturally
or not is irrelevant. If you want to achieve greater
happiness then you can – if you find out what to do
and do it (and then practice it until you master it).
Consider the following example: how many of you
were born able to drive a car? I bet the answer is
“none of you”.
Despite this, because it’s something that can make our
lives easier to manage, most of us put in the effort to
learn how to drive and then we practice until we’re
good enough to do it easily.
Happiness can be viewed in much the same way. If
achieving happiness is important to you then whether it
comes naturally or easily or not need not stop you from
(1) finding out what to do and then (2) practicing it until
you’re really good at it.
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
7
3. Why is happiness so hard for us in this day
and age that many of us have to take lessons
on how to be happy?
Happiness is hard for many people to achieve because
they focus on the wrong variables or they’ve not been
taught the right things to do!
Despite what many newspapers, glossy magazines,
Hollywood movies and TV shows would have us
believe, happiness does NOT come from wealth or
income, or even material possessions such as fast
cars or large, plasma TV screens.
Nor is happiness directly associated with physical
attractiveness or even intelligence. And believe it or
not, happiness does not depend on the type of cola
you drink, the type of jeans you were or even the
model of mobile phone you use!
Happiness is, unfortunately, very misunderstood and
as a result, many people see it as elusive.
But happiness need not be elusive if it’s sought in an
appropriate and realistic way. As we say at The
Happiness Institute, achieving happiness requires
nothing more than practicing a few simple disciplines
on a daily basis.
Taking lessons in, or seeking help attaining happiness
is not necessarily an indication of something
problematic or of failure – no more so than needing to
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
8
see an accountant for assistance with your financial or
tax issues, a lawyer for help with legal issues or even a
dentist for help maintaining the health of your teeth!
Seeking help for, and taking lessons in happiness is
simply an indication that for whatever reason, you’ve
not adequately learned the skills and disciplines that
lead to happiness.
And just like you can get help learning to drive from a
family member (e.g. your mother or father), a friend, or
a professional; so too can you learn to be happier from
a family member, friend or from a professional (such
as the coaches at The Happiness Institute).
Taking lessons in or attending courses that are
designed to enhance happiness should, therefore, be
seen as positive things to do. After all, these lessons
will lead to improved health, better relationships and all
manner of other positive outcomes.
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
9
4. So how do I become happier?
At The Happiness Institute we believe first, that life’s
too short not to be happy; and second, that achieving
happiness requires nothing more than practicing a few
simple disciplines every day.
Accordingly, becoming happier requires first, a
commitment to making happiness a priority; and
second, a willingness to learn, practice and ultimately
master the key “disciplines” associated with happiness.
Let’s consider each in turn.
First, ask yourself whether happiness really is a priority
for you at this point in time? Are you really doing all
you can to live a happy life? Could you be doing any
more to live a happy and fulfilling life?
If you believe you could be doing more or that you
could make some improvements then carefully assess
the pros and cons of doing so. Now the pros of
making positive changes are pretty obvious, and you
might think there aren’t any “cons” but think carefully.
Living a happier life might, among other things, require
changes (small or large) to your career, to your
relationships, to your financial arrangements and/or to
the way you act on your health.
Trying to become happier at work, for example, may
(in the short-term, anyway) require financial
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
10
adjustments, learning new skills and growing a new
professional network.
Think carefully about this because doing so will save
you time later and provide you with the motivation to
really do what you need to do.
Following this, determine which of the following
strategies are most important to you and make sure
you dedicate time on a regular basis to mastering the
relevant skills.
(a) Clarify your life direction and goals.
There’s no doubt that happy people are
clearer about who they are and where
they want to go (what they want to
achieve).
(b) Live a healthy life. It’s hard to be happy if
you are, literally, sick and tired all the time.
So ensure you eat well, exercise regularly,
and get enough sleep and rest.
(c) Don’t tolerate negative thoughts.
Unhelpful and self-defeating thoughts are
the enemy of happiness. Learn how to
control your mind and especially, how to
identify and challenge worrying,
pessimistic thoughts.
(d) Plant optimistic thoughts. Happy
people look at the world differently. They
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
11
focus more on positives and they look for
opportunities in all situations (even
challenging ones). So once you’ve
weeded out the unhappy thoughts, work
on planting optimistic ones.
(e) Foster, develop and maintain key
relationships. Research strongly
suggests that happy people have both
more and better quality relationships. And
to achieve this they spend more time
working on the quality of these
relationships. So don’t take the important
people in your life for granted. Make sure
you devote enough time to reasonably
keep them flowering.
(f) Focus on your strengths. Although we
can always try to improve and although
we can all try to fix our weaknesses,
happy people tend to be far more aware
of, and far better at utilising their core
strengths, qualities and attributes. So find
out what you’re good at and find ways to
do more of this as often as possible.
(g) Live in the moment. Happiness is not
something you’ll ever achieve in the
future. It won’t come when you have
more, or when you’ve reached a goal, or
when you’re older, wiser, richer etc.
Happiness can only ever be experienced
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
12
at one point in time – and that’s now.
Happy people spend less time dwelling on
the past, and worrying about the future,
and more time living in the here and now.
(h) Enjoy the moment. Slightly different to
the point above, happiness is not just
living in the moment but also, enjoying the
moment. Happy people are more grateful.
They appreciate what they have, and think
less about what they don’t have. Often
times they appreciate small things other
people don’t even notice. Some times
they’re happy just because!
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
13
5. If I do all that will I be happy all the time?
Let me respond to this with an emphatic, no!
I must admit I get asked this question, or similar
questions a lot and I frequently find myself
emphasising that even the happiest people experience
negative emotions at times.
This is appropriate and normal!
Many argue that you can’t see the light if you’ve not
seen the darkness. This doesn’t mean you need to
have suffered depression in order to be happy but it is
certainly my experience that the light looks brighter
and more enjoyable after coming out of the dark.
And let me emphasise an important point one more
time. It is perfectly normal, healthy and appropriate to
experience the full range of human emotions, including
the so-called “negative ones”.
If you never experience frustration or anger; if you
never experience anxiety or stress; if you never, ever
feel sad, down or remorseful, then there would, quite
simply, be something wrong with you.
So, remember, practicing all of the strategies we
recommend at The Happiness Institute will not
necessarily lead to you feeling absolutely ecstatic,
100% of the time (if you were, then you might actually
be experiencing a form of mania which is just as
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
14
troubling and just as problematic as serious
depression!).
Rather, practicing the happiness skills and strategies
will allow you to experience more positive emotions,
more often.
And these skills and strategies will also help you to
bounce back from difficult situations faster, as well as
to manage negative emotions more effectively.
It is critical, therefore, to have realistic expectations
when seeking happiness and the reality is that
although you can feel better more often and feel down
less often, it is unrealistic to expect to feel happy all
the time.
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
15
6. How do I make the people around me as happy
as I am?
You can’t!
Happiness is something each and every one of us
chooses (or doesn’t choose). And we can’t make that
choice for other people.
If you review the strategies outlined in the answer to
question 4, it’s easy to see that these are things we
can only do to and for ourselves.
No one else can tell us what goals to set (and if they
do, you’ll not really be motivated to achieve them). No
one else can exercise, eat, sleep or rest for us. No
one else can think for us (positively or negatively) and
no one else can know or use our strengths. Finally, no
one else can live for us, at any point in time, and
especially in the present moment.
So, the bottom line then, is to live your life as best you
can, to be as happy as you can, and as much as
possible to set a good example for those around you.
Indirectly, then, this is the only way you can possibly
influence others and help them to be happier. You can
model for them the key strategies and encourage them
to try them for themselves.
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
16
More than this, you can (if they ask) provide them with
appropriate information (such as this Special Report)
and/or appropriate and helpful resources such as The
Happiness Institute’s books and workbooks – available
at our website:
www.thehappinessinstitute.com/products.
But please note: you can’t “force” someone to be
happy. You can’t force them to read any material or
listen to any CDs.
Unless they want to be happy, unless they express an
interest in doing what you’re doing and experiencing
what you’re experiencing, you’ll only frustrate yourself,
and possibly them, by trying to get them to do what
they’re not ready or able to do.
So focus on yourself and your own happiness and
hope and trust that others will follow on this wonderful
journey to a happy now.
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
17
7. How do you balance the desire to achieve with
living in the moment?
This is a fascinating and important question because
as noted above, happy people are people who set
clear goals. They’re also people who tend to plan
ahead and manage their time well and (although not
mentioned specifically above) are more active.
In summary, happy people tend to do more and they
tend to achieve more.
But, and at the risk of repeating myself, happy people
are also people who spend more time living in the
moment. They live in the here and now, not in the past
or in the future.
How do we reconcile these facts?
Well, to begin with it’s important to differentiate
between planning for the future and worrying about the
future. It’s also important to differentiate between
dwelling in the past, and learning from the past.
Happy and successful people are able to do this and
the concept of this balancing act is brilliantly summed
up in the following quote (from Spencer Johnson’s
wonderful little book, “The Present”):
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
18
The Present
Three ways to use your present moments.
Be in the present
When you want to be happy and successful,
focus on what is right now.
Use your purpose to respond to what is important now.
Learn from the past
When you want to make the present better than the
past, look at what happened in the past.
Learn something valuable from it.
Do things differently in the present.
Plan for the future
When you want to make the future better than the
present, see what a wonderful future would look like.
Make plans to help it happen.
Put your plan into action in the present.
What is happiness?
Dr. Timothy Sharp 2005 © The Happiness Institute
www.thehappinessinstitute.com
