7 Factors of Happiness

I took "The Happiness Test" on Tickle, and I have to say, the result has been very informative for me. This particular test breaks down "happiness" into seven "keys" (outlined below):

Gratitude -- one's sense of appreciation for life's blessings; acknowledging the good and beneficial things in one's life.

(I scored 9 out of 10 in this area, with 10 being the strongest level. That's according to Tickle's so-called Psychology PhD's. =))


Contentment -- general sense of peace and satisfaction with life; the feeling that "life is good."

Says Tickle: "By increasing your contentment, you can begin savoring the beauty in more everyday moments. You can also gain a greater sense of connection with your surroundings, other people, and even a higher power. Contentment is the quality that can help you develop an expanded worldview and real insight."

(My score: 7 out of 10)


Personal Growth -- measures how focused and proactive you are about exploring who you are and expanding your life's impact.

When people are committed to personal growth, they're dedicated to being the best that they can be. They also put effort toward exploring what life has to offer. By increasing your focus on personal growth, you can feel a greater sense of personal control over what happens to you. Personal growth can also nurture your spirit, develop your willpower, and increase your strength and focus.

(My score: 8)


Optimism -- a feeling that good things are here to stay and bad things will improve in time.

By increasing your optimism you can strengthen your belief in yourself. You can also start to see all the wonderful possibilities in life, rather than simply dwelling on the potential problems. By harnessing the power of positive thinking, optimism can help you steer clear of worry so that you can take life-enriching chances. Optimism is simply a matter of taking on a positive perspective; this is a skill that can be acquired and nurtured.

(My score: 7)


Self-Confidence -- the extent to which you like yourself and feel satisfied with who you are.

When people are confident, they are self-assured and truly like themselves, believing that they are people of quality. Having increased confidence can help you to both take on challenges without fear and act without hesitation. Confidence is really a state of mind, a positive self-perception that you project to others. If you can see confidence as a skill rather than an innate characteristic, you'll be able to move more easily in the direction of increased confidence.

(My score: 7)


Relationships -- This scale measures the extent to which you are positively affected by the people in your life who make up your social support network.

When people have positive personal relationships, they have a base of support that they can turn to in happy and sad times. Over time, increased social interaction can help you relax into the knowledge that you can be who you are. This assumes, of course, that you are choosing to be around people who truly validate and support you. Having positive personal relationships can help you to develop more self-confidence, a sense of belonging, and greater ease in relating with all kinds of people.

(My score: hmm... I'll reveal that later! =))


Cheerfulness -- This scale measures the extent to which you have a good-natured disposition and experience blissful delight in even the smallest things.

When people are cheerful, they possess a jovial state of being in which pleasure comes easily to them. Becoming more cheerful can help you to explore your surroundings, enhance your relationships, and stretch your imagination because cheerfulness opens your mind and heart. You might be surprised to learn that cheerfulness can also be the key to developing increased knowledge and creativity. This is likely due to the ways being cheerful expands and alters your perspective.