10 Things Better Than Money

10 Things Better Than Money
A recent Gallup poll, quoted in The Atlantic, found that "well-being rises with income at all levels of income, across countries." In other words, as the article's title states, the poll proves that "Yes, Money Does Buy Happiness."
Except that it doesn't prove that at all. What the study actually discovered was a "strong correlation" between each nation's real GDPper capita and the sense of "well-being" among those nation's citizens.
Correlation isn't causation. The data could just as easily be interpreted the other way around: that happiness creates wealth. What's most likely, though, is that happiness and wealth are part of a cycle, each one creating more of the other.
And that's the reason for this post. Assuming you want to create both wealth andhappiness for yourself and those around you, you have two approaches: wait until you're wealthy to be happy, or become more happy now and thereby create more wealth.
I maintain that, in today's economy, it's easier to start with the happiness, because unlike wealth (which takes time to accumulate), you can increase the amount of happiness in your life within minutes, simply by taking more notice ofthings that make you happy.
With that in mind, here are ten things that can make you happy immediately, regardless of where you are in the cycle.
1. Life
It's easy to forget that the mere fact of conscious existence--that you are alive--is itself a miracle. As the old saying goes "every day above ground is a good day."
2. Health
Rather than thinking of illness as something bad that happens toyou, start thinking of health as something good that's happening to you.
3. Purpose
There is nothing more conducive (favorable) to long-term happiness than knowing that your actions are making the world a better place.
4. Friendship
Almost everyone has friends, although it's easy to lose track of them in the rush of events. Take a few minutes--today--to reconnect with some of them.
5. FamilyIf you've got a good relationship with your family, rejoice! You're experiencing one of the deepest sources of happiness on the planet.
6. Self-reliance
Feeling secure that you can count on yourself to accomplish what you set out to accomplish creates a quiet but potent happiness.
7. Community
Having the support of a wider group makes you more aware that you're part of something greater thanyourself.
8. Gratitude
Rather than focusing on what you don't have or what's out of reach, be thankful for the wonderful things already in your life.
9. Laughter
It is impossible to laugh and be miserable at the same time. Regular doses of laughter are more than medicine... it's the flavor of life.
10. Love
Create these ten things in your life and I guarantee that you'll either become morewealthy or, if not, you won't really care anyway because you'll already have what's important.

12 Ways to Survive Workplace Gun Violence
This post could save your life. Read it carefully, then forward the link to your friends and family.

By all accounts, it's easy for nutcases to obtain firearms in the United States. Since there's no shortage of nutcases, the likelihood goes up every yearthat you might get caught in workplace gunfire.
A couple of years ago I had a conversation about with two experts on workplace violence: Don Grimme of GHR Training Solutions and criminologist Park Dietz, founder of The Threat Assessment Group. Grimme primarily addressed the issue of how to prepare for a shooting and Dietz how to react when a shooting actually is taking place.
Based on thoseconversations, here's how NOT to become a casualty:
1. Understand the Risk
Depending upon who's counting (and how they count), workplace gun violence claims somewhere between 500 and 1,000 lives each year. About a third of these deaths are suicides. The rest are homicides, about a fourth of which are committed by people known to the workers (coworkers, former co-workers, family, friends, clients, and...