【英文原文】

We all know that money can’t buy happiness … but many times we act as if we’d be happier with a bit more money. We are conditioned to want to be rich (when we know the rich aren’t happy either); we are trained to want the latest gadget or style that television tells us to want; we want to earn more money because then we’ll have the good life.

But none of that will bring us happiness. No matter how much we earn, no matter how much we have in the bank, no matter how nice our clothing or cars or toys, none of it will make us happier. And the sad thing is that it could take us decades of pursuing wealth and luxury items before we realize this.

So what will bring us happiness? Luckily, it’s three things that don’t cost a thing. These three things have been proven by research ― surveys of hundreds of thousands of people about what they have, what their lives are like, and how happy they are.

Here they are, the Three Secrets to Happiness:

1. Good relationships. We have a human need to be close, to be intimate, with other human beings. Having good, supportive friendships, a strong marriage or close and loving relationships with our family members will make us much more likely to be happy. Action steps: Take time, today, to spend time with your loved ones, to tell them what they mean to you, to listen to them, and develop your relationship with them.

2. Positive thinking. I’m obviously a big proponent of positive thinking as the best way to achieve your goals, but it turns out that it can lead to happiness too. Optimism and self-esteem are some of the best indicators of people who lead happy lives. Happy people feel empowered, in control of their lives, and have a positive outlook on life. Action steps: Make positive thinking a habit. In fact, this should be one of the first habits you develop. Get into the habit of squashing all negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones. Instead of “I can’t” think “I can”. It may sound corny, but it has worked for me, every time.

3. Flow. This is a popular concept on the Internet these days ― the state we enter when we are completely focused on the work or task before us. We are so immersed in our task that we lose track of time. Having work and leisure that gets you in this state of flow will almost undoubtedly lead to happiness. People find greatest enjoyment not when they’re passively mindless, but when they’re absorbed in a mindful challenge. Action steps: Find work that you’re passionate about. Seriously ― this is an extremely important step. Find hobbies that you’re passionate about. Turn off the TV ― this is the opposite of flow ― and get outside and do something that truly engages you.

You’ve been given the Three Secrets to Happiness. Don’t waste them!

【中文譯文】

我們都知道金錢(qián)買(mǎi)不來(lái)幸福，但我們都表現(xiàn)出如果我們的錢(qián)再多點(diǎn)就會(huì)更幸福的樣子。我們習(xí)慣于向要變的更有錢(qián)(當(dāng)我們知道富人也并不快樂(lè));在電視看到些最新的玩意兒或是最潮的風(fēng)格，我們也想要賺更多的錢(qián)因?yàn)槟菢游覀儗?huì)擁有更好的生活。

但那些都不會(huì)帶給我們幸福。不管我們掙多少錢(qián)，不管我們?cè)阢y行擁有多少存款，不管我們的 衣服汽車(chē)玩具有多好，它們都不會(huì)讓我們更快樂(lè)。令人難過(guò)的是在我們明白這一點(diǎn)之前，它會(huì)讓我們一直追求財(cái)富和奢侈品。

那么，究竟什么能帶給我們幸福呢?幸運(yùn)的是，有三樣?xùn)|西，它們不需要花費(fèi)其他任何。這三樣是被研究證明的――這項(xiàng)研究調(diào)查了數(shù)以十萬(wàn)的人們，包括他們擁有什么，他們的生活怎么樣以及他們有多快樂(lè)。

那么，下面就是幸福的三個(gè)秘密：

1、良好的關(guān)系。我們同他人的親近、親密是人類(lèi)的需求。擁有良好的、支持性的友誼、牢固的婚姻或是同家庭成員緊密有愛(ài)的關(guān)系會(huì)使我們更可能快樂(lè)。

動(dòng)作步驟：今天就花時(shí)間同你愛(ài)的人在一起，告訴他們他們之于你的意義，傾聽(tīng)他們所說(shuō)的，進(jìn)一步發(fā)展同他們的關(guān)系。

2、積極的思考。積極思考是達(dá)成你目標(biāo)的最佳方式，我很顯然是這一想法的強(qiáng)烈支持者，但同時(shí)它也能指引你走向幸福。樂(lè)觀和自尊是快樂(lè)生活的人們的最佳寫(xiě)照?？鞓?lè)的人們感到充滿活力，能夠控制他們的生活，同時(shí)積極看待生活。

動(dòng)作步驟：把積極思考培養(yǎng)成習(xí)慣。事實(shí)上，這應(yīng)該是你首先培養(yǎng)的習(xí)慣之一。養(yǎng)成粉碎你的負(fù)面想法并用積極的想法替代它們的習(xí)慣。用“我能”的想法替代“我不能”。盡管聽(tīng)起來(lái)毫無(wú)新意，但對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)每次都很奏效。

3、流動(dòng)。這是最近網(wǎng)絡(luò)上一個(gè)流行的概念――當(dāng)我們?nèi)褙炞⒂谘矍暗墓ぷ骱腿蝿?wù)時(shí)我們進(jìn)入的狀態(tài)。我們太過(guò)沉浸于我們的任務(wù)以至于沒(méi)了時(shí)間觀念。擁有工作和休閑會(huì)讓你出于流動(dòng)的狀態(tài)，這幾乎毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)會(huì)讓你幸福。當(dāng)人們被動(dòng)地沒(méi)有意識(shí)時(shí)不會(huì)找尋到巨大地愉悅感，這種感覺(jué)只有當(dāng)他們專(zhuān)注于挑戰(zhàn)時(shí)才能獲得。

動(dòng)作步驟：找一份你熱愛(ài)地工作。這是至關(guān)重要地一步。在找一個(gè)你有興趣地愛(ài)好。關(guān)掉電視機(jī)(這是流動(dòng)的反面)，走到戶(hù)外，進(jìn)行些你能夠真正參與進(jìn)去的活動(dòng)。