The Joy Guide: Keys to Happiness, Health, and Prosperity

By Linda Anderson and Seth C. Anderson

Enrich your life with the information, anecdotes, and humor found in The Joy Guide: Keys to Happiness, Health, and Prosperity, written from a Christian perspective by Linda Slaton Anderson and Seth C. Anderson. Explore such topics as happiness, friendship, love, forgiveness, health, and finance; and discover how they can help you to find a full and rewarding life. The Andersons have also included the results of intriguing yet practical research, such as the effects of church attendance on longevity, the health benefits of laughter, the impact of money on happiness, and much more.

By making the Scriptures come alive with practical applications for daily living, the Andersons have developed a great resource for group discussions, such as Bible study programs, book clubs, Sunday school, and Christian formation classes. A suggested format for group discussion is included in the last chapter of the book.

In weaving the Christian wisdom of the ages with the findings of modern research, The Joy Guide seeks to enhance the quality of your daily life and provide you with tools necessary to build a joyful future for you and your family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inspiring Voices
• Release date: Apr 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781462401130

Linda Anderson

Allen and Linda Anderson are speakers and authors of a series of twelve books about the spiritual relationships between people and animals. Their mission is to help people discover and benefit from the miraculous powers of animals. In 1996 they co-founded the Angel Animals Network to increase love and respect for all life through the power of story. In 2004 Allen and Linda Anderson were recipients of a Certificate of Commendation from Governor Tim Pawlenty in recognition of their contributions as authors in the state of Minnesota. In 2007 their book Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster won the American Society of Journalists and Authors Outstanding Book award. Allen and Linda's work has been featured on NPR, the Washington Post, USA Today, NBC's Today show, The Montel Williams Show, ABC Nightly News, Cat Fancy, Dog Fancy, national wire services, London Sunday Times, BBC Radio, Beliefnet, ivillage, Guideposts, and other national, regional, and international media and news outlets. The Andersons both teach writing at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. They share their home with a dog, two cats, and a cockatiel. They donate a portion of revenue from their projects to animal shelters and animal-welfare organizations and speak at fundraisers. You are welcome to visit Allen and Linda's website at www.angelanimals.net and send them stories and letters about your experiences with animals. At the website you may enter new contests for upcoming books and request a subscription to the free email newsletter, Angel Animals Story of the Week, featuring an inspiring story each week.

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Copyright © 2012 Linda Slaton Anderson and Seth C. Anderson

Photographer for author photo on back cover: Bob Sanders © Image House 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4624-0112-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4624-0113-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012936895

Inspiring Voices rev. date: 5/11/2012

Key to Biblical References

All biblical references were accessed online. Unless otherwise noted, all biblical references are to the New International Version Bible. The key below provides abbreviations of other versions used:

ESV           English Standard Version

KJV           King James Version

NAB           New American Bible

NLT           New Living Translation

Disclaimer: The Joy Guide: Keys to Happiness, Health, and Prosperity is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it is not a replacement for the medical counsel provided by your personal physician.

Contents

Preface

Section I:  Happiness

Chapter 1 Happiness: Finding Joy in Daily Living

Chapter 2 Love: A Many-Splendored Thing

Chapter 3 Friendship: The Spice of Life

Chapter 4 Worry Less and Enjoy Life More

Chapter 5 Keys to a Positive Attitude

Chapter 6 Kindness Is a Boomerang

Chapter 7 Something to Smile About

Chapter 8 How to Deal with Difficult People

Chapter 9 Words of Wisdom

Chapter 10 Finding Comfort during Times of Loss

Section II:  Health

Chapter 11 Keys to a Long, Healthy Life

Chapter 12 Discovering the Fountain of Youth

Chapter 13 Laughter: The Best Medicine

Chapter 14 Music: A Prescription for Health

Chapter 15 Techniques for Improving Memory

Chapter 16 Living Conscientiously

Chapter 17 Good Night, Sleep Tight

Chapter 18 Sunshine Brightens Your Day!

Chapter 19 The Healing Power of Forgiveness

Section III:  Prosperity

Chapter 20 Budgeting Your Money

Chapter 21 Investing for the Future

Chapter 22 Sharing Your Financial Resources

Chapter 23 Providing for Others after Your Death

Section IV:  Tying It All Together

Chapter 24 Conclusion

Chapter 25 Format for Group Discussions

About the Authors

Endnotes

To our children,

Lela, Frank, and Richard

You can have peace of mind, improved health

and an ever-increasing flow of energy.

Life can be full of joy and satisfaction.

~ Norman Vincent Peale¹

Preface

Your job is to make us happy! These words were spoken to me one day by a participant in a counseling program I was leading, and, in a nutshell, this directive reflects my objective in writing The Joy Guide: Keys to Happiness, Health, and Prosperity. Although I can not make you happy, God can. The chapters that follow will provide you with suggestions that promote a joyful future for you and your family.

Do you know that God’s plan is for us to be joyful? In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we are told, Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. This mandate leads us to the awareness of the joy that comes from God’s loving presence within us, regardless of what is happening around us.

As part of my work as a counselor, I present talks on self-improvement topics. This book is a compilation of the research I have done for many of these talks. Written from a Christian perspective, sections I, II, and IV include suggestions on techniques that can enhance our spiritual, psychological, and physiological well-being. My husband, Seth, generously contributed his expertise as a finance professor and consultant in writing about prosperity in section III. Each chapter in the first three sections is self-contained and independent of the others, so you may read the chapters in any order you choose.

Seth and I hope you will find all four sections of The Joy Guide to be helpful in enriching your own joyful journey. Of course, considering the vastness of the subject matter, this book is not comprehensive. We hope the material presented will be as enjoyable and interesting for you to read as it was for us to write.

By making scriptures come alive with practical applications for daily living, The Joy Guide is a reader-friendly resource for group discussions, such as book clubs, Bible study programs, Sunday school, and Christian formation classes. A suggested format for group discussion is included as the last chapter.

Throughout our marriage, I have provided editorial support for Seth’s academic publications. However, this time the tables are reversed, and he has helped to edit my own writing. I am forever grateful to him for sharing his insights, wisdom, and time with this endeavor. I also appreciate the helpful suggestions offered by our daughter, Lela.

Many thanks to Ryan Carlberg, Amanda Parsons, Lisa Worman, and the entire publishing team at Inspiring Voices for their guidance. It has been a pleasure working with them.

Depression and mental health issues may be caused by factors beyond the scope of this book. In such cases, consultation with a physician or therapist may be helpful.

It is our hope that your spirits will be uplifted by the information, anecdotes, humor, scripture, and words of inspiration that await you in this book. In weaving the wisdom of the ages with the findings of modern research, The Joy Guide will enhance the quality of your daily life and will provide you with tools for finding joy.

We welcome your feedback. Please contact us at [e-mail] with your comments. We look forward to hearing from you.

Linda Slaton Anderson

April 6, 2012

Section I:  Happiness

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Chapter 1

Happiness: Finding Joy in Daily Living

Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again: Rejoice!

~ Philippians 4:4

Happiness has been pursued throughout the ages, though some have found it to be elusive. Authentic happiness is not a state of mindless bliss, for it is perfectly normal to experience a range of emotions over the course of our lives. Rather, it is the attainment of balance in life, characterized by inner peace and joy. It is an awareness of God’s loving presence within us, not the absence of life’s difficulties.

Learning to appreciate the simple pleasures of each day can help us discover God’s plan for living abundantly. The suggestions that follow may enhance our quest for joy.

Nurture Relationships: Comedian George Burns quipped, Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.² Yet, in reality, the quality of our relationships with our family and friends is a significant predictor of happiness.³ Research indicates that the cultivation of satisfying interpersonal relationships is a key component of happiness.

Go to Church Religiously: Numerous studies show that people who are religious are healthier and happier than those who are not.⁴ In fact, churchgoers are about twice as likely to report being very happy as those who do not attend religious services.⁵ Spiritual people suffer significantly less depression and have lower incidences of substance abuse and suicide than do secularists.⁶

During the first two decades of my marriage, I thought of myself as a Sunday widow. My husband, Seth, was supportive of my own spiritual journey, and although he encouraged me to take our children to church, he rarely attended church with us. However, once