Spreading joy to millions

Happiness does not heal, but happiness protects against falling ill. As a result, happy people live longer. The size of the effect on longevity is comparable to that of smoking or not.

Read the article on Science Daily about the study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies.

Feelings of happiness and optimism play a positive role against breast cancer. Research suggests that while staying positive has a protective role, adverse life events such as the loss of a parent or close relative, divorce or the loss of a spouse can increase a woman’s risk of developing the disease.

Read the article on Science Daily about the study by Ronit Peled from the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

Feeling better about the future might help you feel better for real. In a new study, psychological scientists Suzanne Segerstrom of the University of Kentucky and Sandra Sephton of the University of Louisville studied how law students’ expectations about the future affected their immune response. Their conclusions: Optimism may be good for your health.

Read the article in Science Daily.

Teaching Your Children Joy by Richard Eyre and Linda Eyre #book

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. -Albert Einstein

Time for Joy: Daily Affirmations by Ruth Fishel #book

What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong: I see trees of green, red roses too. … And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. -Buddha

Spread Joy on YouTube

Mel Minarik from Reno, Nevada, posted the link to this great video on YouTube on The Joy Team’s Facebook page last week.

It shares a great message about turning off the noise and choosing joy instead. The song is pretty catchy; watch the video and pretty soon you’ll be finding yourself singing, “Spread joy, spread it around–all around the town.”

Thanks, Mel, for passing this along!

Know of other videos, songs, movies, books, websites, and/or organizations  spreading joy? Let us know!

The Secret: Unlocking the Source of Joy and Fulfillment by Rabbi Michael Berg #book