In a special article for CNN, Shawn Achor, an expert on optimism, happiness, etc, discusses the secret to success. Happiness may bring rewards more than previously thought.
"Some people think if you are happy, you are blind to reality. But when
we research it, happiness actually raises every single business and
educational outcome for the brain." (CNN Article)
Achor goes on to discuss how our genetic happiness preset level can be fought. The CNN article also provides a number of helpful methods of acquiring a higher happiness quotient. One of them is meditation.
A meditation teacher, Mantak Chia, teaches a form of meditation based on smiling. While similar in content to other forms of meditation: upright seated posture, relaxed breathing, concentration on a single object -- Chia adds a twist. When meditating, he suggests a small closed mouth smile. This may encourage additional inner peace through facial feedback. When facial feedback occurs, even forced facial expressions may head back into the brain. Just as a meditation phrase (or mantra) may key one into the subject of contemplation, a subtle smile may also encourage positive feelings through this mechanism.
Anchor describes a great many more practices for maximum happiness in the article, and also in his book, The Happiness Advantage.
