10 Things I Learned About the Power of Good from Dr. Stephen Post

By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2010
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD
The Face of America Project
www.faceofamericawps.com 

It is good to be good and science says so.  Dr Stephen Post  

Our Face of America Journey took us to the Stony Brook University Medical Center for an interview with Dr, Stephen Post, The author of Why Good Things Happen To good People.  

Dr. Post is the director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics.  More than anyone in our country, Dr. Post knows what the pursuit of happiness is all about.

These are ten things I learned about the pursuit of happiness during our interview:

1.Thinking about others, not just living for self does make us happy.

2. People who give generously, generally speaking, live happier, healthier and longer lives.

3. We Americans should always think of ourselves as teachers of caring for others.

4. America is a land of the free, but it is also the land of the good.

5. In 1936, people were slightly happier than they are today. In 1960, people were slightly happier than they are today.

6. People have more today, but we are not happier

7. To be happy, Americans must learn when enough is enough.

8. The key to happiness is contributing to the lives of others, a simplistic thoughtfulness and moral integrity.

9. We need to learn more about how we can nurture the best in America: hope, love, joy faith, courage, nobility of purpose, awe, wonder, and gratitude.

10.No matter how difficult life can be, never give up on the power of love. It is the one thing that can carry us through the difficult times.

America is one of the few countries on the planet that guarantees its citizens the right to pursue happiness.  According to Dr. Post, give and you will be happy, give and you will be healthy, give and you will live longer, give and you will fulfill the promise of America. 

Now that’s a beautiful thought for every day.

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