Create Happiness.

Don't pursue happiness—create it.

Today's Marketing Cookie reveals an important secret to happiness in life, marriage, and career. Notice I said "being happy," not "getting" or "obtaining" happiness; "being" suggests the present tense, emphasizing that happiness is a state you control right now.

Try it. Be happy for three seconds. I'll wait.

Did it work? Were you able to feel happy? You possess the power to choose your state of being—be it disappointment, empathy, anger, or happiness.

Many things might momentarily offer happiness—like a great meal, that new car smell, or a bonus check—but they can't sustain happiness. That's up to you. With that great meal, do you choose happiness or worry about calories? With the new car, do you enjoy the smell or stress over payments? With the bonus, do you revel in joy or resent the taxes? These are choices.

Interacting with customers, we can influence their happiness. Faced with a complaint, we can respond with dignity and help them find happiness again, or we can be defensive. Your response can prompt them to choose how they interact with you. If you're skilled with people, you understand this.

Happiness is always available; it's a constant choice.

One morning, while driving at seventy miles per hour, I hit a traffic jam and discovered my brakes had failed. Despite no effective brakes, I managed to navigate to safety using the emergency brake and some aggressive maneuvering.

At first, I was relieved to be alive, but soon anger set in. I blamed the car manufacturer for the brake failure, the garage for not checking the brakes, and even AAA for their slow response. But then, I chose to switch my mindset—I chose gratitude and happiness. I was safe, no one was hurt, and I'd see my family again. I chose happiness, and it transformed my experience on the highway side. As today's fortune advises, don't chase after happiness—create it.