Is happiness a learned skill? Or are some people just born happier than others? If people are to believe the words of Abraham Lincoln, “Most people are just about as happy as they make their minds up to be,” then perhaps it is a learned skill.

Although moments of happiness depend largely on circumstances, there are actions that can be taken to increase happiness and a sense of well-being. The following ideas can help increase the overall feeling of happiness in any individual’s life.

Spiritual Happiness

Revitalizing the spirit is one way to promote happiness. Spiritual happiness is vital to a human’s sense of well-being. Taking the necessary steps to gain closeness to a personal higher power, spending time in meditation, prayer, reading, and communing with that higher power, and cultivating a relationship with something bigger than oneself, all play a part in creating calmness. Calmness is the first step to relieving stress and building a base for happiness.

Soul searching is another method that can be used to attain happiness. For some, soul searching can be a difficult task. Begin the search by looking inside and identify areas that hinder happiness.

Situations and the actions of others affect an individual’s level of happiness only as much as one allows. The balance of responsibility for happiness is up to the individuals themselves. Finding and changing those habits that bring a person down will have a permanent effect on that person’s happiness in general. Replacing any negative with a positive will set aright any deep spiritual imbalance.

Achieving Emotional Happiness

An effective way to achieve emotional happiness involves spending time on enjoyable pursuits.

Jobs, family, and other responsibilities can take up a great deal of time and these activities are necessary for everyone. However, taking a little time out, whether daily, weekly, or monthly, to do something enjoyable significantly increases personal happiness. The key here is to make it habit. Once the time is chosen, an individual needs to commit to it and begin enjoying that time.

Smiling more often can also have a powerful effect on a person’s entire outlook; a bad mood can be overhauled by the simple act of smiling. A smile has astounding effects on the "smiler" and the "smilees." This is an instant mood enhancer that does not cost anything and takes very little time to put in place.

Helping others can also bring happiness. This may be a relatively new concept to some people in a world that is increasingly self-serving. But the act of helping others gives the heart an instant jolt of happiness and a sense of self-worth. No act of charitableness ever goes unrewarded. Not every act is seen and rewarded openly, but it is true that what goes around comes around.

Building positive relationships can also bring about happiness, whether it is with a spouse, children, extended family, or friends. Saying "I love you" and building positive relationships can bring about positive effects in terms of an individual's happiness. Simple enough? Like smiling, saying these words will impact the overall mood and happiness for those that receive and those that give.

Strengthening the connection with loved ones will boost an individual’s emotional health by leaps and bounds.

And like smiling, laughing out loud is a bit like jogging for the mind – it brings about health and the more frequently you laugh, the easier it becomes. Watching a comedy is a great way to get laughter flowing, if TV or movies are something a person enjoys. If not, checking into laughter, humor, or vivation therapy may be a good option. Laughter brings happiness from the inside out by first reducing stress. Many negative emotions such as, anger and emotional pain, can be dispelled by a rousing round of belly laughs.

The power of happiness is the responsibility of each individual. With tools and information in hand, crafting happiness in every day life is possible.