Very Happy Phil

Interesting research showed lottery winners were no happier one year after they win than before. Research carried out also showed able bodied people who became paraplegic wheel chair users were positive within eight weeks and within a few years returned to only slightly less happy than they were before.

Humans have the ability to adapt quickly to a positive or negative set of circumstances (Psychologist call it ‘Hedonic adaptation’). In other words we adapt to winning the lottery quickly and return to our pre-change mindset quickly, whether we were happy or unhappy.

Advice to lottery winners; be aware of what DOES increase your happiness and what doesn’t. If unaware, don’t make any drastic changes or spend any money or risk decreasing your happiness. I will give you an example; The founder of Direct Line made millions when he sold the company and he bought a new big house for his family. Soon after the family moved, the wife and kids wanted to move back to their old house so he had to repurchase their old house! Close loving relationships (friends/family/neighbours) makes you happy. Billionaire Tom Hunter almost moved his family from Scotland to Monaco to avoid tax when he sold Sport Division but his wise and happy wife stopped him!

I will tell you a little story;
Elizabeth Dunn, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia led an experiment to note the difference between people spending money on themselves or others. She found “Regardless of how much income each person made, those who spent money on others reported greater happiness, while those who spent more on themselves did not."

“The lottery is a tax on people who can't do math’s”

People buy a lottery ticket every week hoping to increase their happiness.
People can be happier now if they spent their lottery ticket money on other people.

Gallup World Poll (2006) shows a strong link between a countries average level of happiness and average incomes. Denmark is one of the happiest and Burundi one of the unhappiest. The study also showed that being rich in a poor country boosts happiness more than it does in a rich country.

Gallup Poll (USA 2004) showed a clear link between income and personal satisfaction but no clear link between income and happiness.

“Money has little or no effect once you are comfortable enough to buy this book”-Martin Seligman PhD, ‘Authentic Happiness’

I will tell you a little story; Professor Martin Seligman PhD gets calls from people who’ve made millions on Wall street because you’ve got the yacht in the Bahamas and they realise they’re not happy and don’t know why.

In conclusion, what does boost happiness;
Enough money to live comfortably
Living in a rich democratic country
Spending money on others

Here are a few of my favourite quotes which inspire me;

“Everyone thinks there are different. They think ‘If I won the lottery I WOULD be happier’. No you wouldn’t.” –Dan Gilbert PhD, Harvard Professor and author of ‘Stumbling on happiness’

“If money actually made you happy then the wealthiest people in the world would be the happiest and that I know, personally I know, is not true. It’s just not true.”-Rick Warren, author of ‘The purpose driven life’ one of the best selling books in the world

Listen to this inspirational man;
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/rick_warren_on_a_life_of_purpose.htm

“What I know now for sure: If you can get paid for doing what you love, every paycheck is a bonus.”
-Oprah, Billionaire

“I get calls from Partners that have just made millions and (sitting in yacht in Bahamas) aren’t happy”- Prof Martin Seligman PhD, Happiness Expert

"Ultimately, the most important determinant of happiness is the extent to which people have free choice in how to live their lives."-Professor Ronald Inglehart, Ph.D. University of Michigan

“There is good evidence that political freedom and human rights protection do contribute to a greater enjoyment of life” -Professor Ruut Veenhoven, psychologist, Erasmus University, Amsterdam

“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.” –Sophie Tucker

“The best thing you can do is to make money as early as possible and get the house, the car and the girlfriend and realise it doesn’t make you happy.”-Charles

"Happiness does not depend on outward things but on the way we see them"-Leo Tolstoy

“Money gives you choices. Just because you can jump on a plane to the Caribbean tomorrow doesn’t mean you do.” –Freddy Heineken, former president of Heineken

“(This book is dedicated)- To my family and friends who make me the richest man in the world.” –Gary McCausland, ‘How to make a million from property’

"Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop."- Gertrude Stein

If you’re rich and unhappy you don’t know how to spend your time and your money.

Wishing you a joyful, meaningful and love filled life full of challenges,

Keep positive!

Phil McNally
Author of ‘Winning Mentality’
:)

Remember,
“Being VERY rich doesn’t automatically make us VERY happy! We can’t buy happiness.”
– Phil McNally, Author of ‘Winning Mentality’

PS “I want to be like my dad and these men when I grow up”- Those were the moving words of an eight year old boy attending his Dads graduation ceremony on Wednesday night for men that completed the UK weekend New Warrior Training Adventure run by staff and volunteer members of the ManKind Project. If you are a man or woman (or eight year old boy!) unsure whether the weekend is worthwhile or beneficial or inspiring and uplifting or transforming, attend a Warrior graduation ceremony and decide for yourself! There is a course for women and course for men. It is one of the best things I have ever done and if you do the weekend and don’t find it useful MKP will refund your fee for the weekend. MKP is a charity. I volunteer to help run the weekends. I am only informing you about it because I know from experience and those of others that the weekend and weekly meetings are a happiness booster. I don’t make money from recommending the courses to you but I will get a heart warming happiness boost if you do it! Priceless

www.mkp.org
www.womenwithin.org

PPS Buy my first book and I’ll give you your money back if you are unhappy!