He scored off the chart on every objective measurement tested. As
Charlie Brown and the ""Peanuts"" gang told us, happiness could be a
warm puppy, pizza with sausage, five different crayons - or anyone, or
anything, that's loved by you. And, although it's true that many special
moments are inspired by such happenstance, scientific research contends
that people actually can condition themselves for genuine happiness,
much as occasional joggers condition themselves for marathons. Truly
happy people are able to, for example, recall special moments and use
them as psychological tools to deal with adversity. And that's just one
of many skills they tap into to ensure a high level of satisfaction in
their lives. So why is this important? Because it's clear that happiness
is a key contributor to our overall personal health - it's even been
linked to longevity, scientific studies show. With that in mind, USA
WEEKEND Magazine hatched what they called the Ultimate Happiness
Challenge: Why not pair the world's leading authority on happiness with
America's happiest person and see if their expert can make him even
happier? Or, on a more scientific level: How can the leading expert
apply his core principles to boost the happiness quotient for someone
who's already as happy as a person gets? Explore the happiest man in
America's state of contentedness and, as a result, discover ways we all
can better cultivate happiness in our lives. As for the happiest man in
America, J.P. ""Gus"" Godsey, he's a story in himself.
