Wichita Eagle | 03/03/2005 | C'mon, get happy

Wichita Eagle | 03/03/2005 | C'mon, get happy:

"Happiness is in, say trend-spotters and psychologists. Much of the happiness talk is scientific, coming chiefly from the field of psychology, which for decades uttered few words on the topic. Psychology journal articles over the years mentioned depression or anxiety more than 150,000 times, noted psychologist David G. Myers in a new book. Happiness and 'life satisfaction?' About 12,000.
Now happiness is all the rage: what it is, where it comes from and the $64,000 question, can you get more of it? The ballooning field of 'positive psychology' emphasizes human strengths rather than weaknesses as a way forward in life.
'There's more and more emphasis on what's right about a person rather than what's wrong,' said Marita Wesely-Clough, trends expert for Hallmark Cards. 'The focus is on their good qualities rather than dwelling on mistakes of the past.'
Rick Snyder, psychology professor at the University of Kansas, delved into positive psychology in the late 1980s. His longtime research interest has been 'hope.' Snyder realized early on that happy people are 'high-hope' people, and his ongoing research has led to strategies to enhance hopefulness.
'I've been amazed at how powerful hope is,' he said.
Researchers have learned a lot about the "