ReadOasis Step 2 Mr. Sully stood in front of the class. His old, blue suit looked dirty and worn. His white shirt was turning brown. And his white socks looked gray inside his black shoes. He started speaking. But the class was not listening. He waved his hands to... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 In his last year of high school, Alan didn't sleep much. Instead, he studied. Sometimes he crammed for exams all night. Sometimes he drank 3 or 4 cans of energy drinks so that he could study more. And he felt the agony of overwork. He got... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 In his last year of high school, Alan didn't sleep much. Instead, he studied. Sometimes he studied all night. Sometimes he drank 3 or 4 cans of energy drinks so that he could study more. And he suffered. He got headaches, back pain, and he became... Read more
By Dr. Richard Wiseman ReadOasis Step 2 Creative Commons photo by Benjamin Smith This exercise is all about the power of smiling. Obviously you smile when you’re happy. However, research shows the opposite is also true. Smiling actually makes you feel happier. So each day, put a smile on... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 James Inhofe stood before the top leaders in the United States, and he started his speech. Reaching into a plastic bag, he pulled out a white object, and he said, "Do you know what this is? It’s a snowball." After talking about the ball of ice,... Read more
By Dr. Richard Wiseman ReadOasis Step 2 This exercise is all about the power of gratitude. Research shows that thinking about aspects of your life for which you’re grateful will make you feel happier. So spend a few moments thinking about just one thing for which you have a... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Will walked into the large office area and looked around. He was carrying a cup of coffee, and he spilled some on his hand. “Ouch!” he said. “That’s hot!” He looked around, but all the other workers were busy. They didn’t even notice him. He walked... Read more
By Dr. Richard Wiseman ReadOasis Step 2 This exercise is all about re-living happy memories. Research shows that reflecting on what went well yesterday, no matter how trivial the event will make you feel happier. So simply think back about the last 24 hours and focus on what went... Read more
By Richard Wiseman ReadOasis Step 3 In 1884, the great American Philosopher William James had a radical idea. James argued that if you behave as if you’re a certain type of person, you become that person. Decades of research has shown that James’s idea applies to all aspects of... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Joy is late for work. She runs out the door in a hurry to catch the bus. As she runs, she sees her neighbor. The neighbor looks at Joy and smiles. He says, "Good morning Joy! Have a great day!" Joy says, "Thanks, you too!" And... Read more
ReadOasis Step 5 Do you think that having a lucky charm or carrying out a superstitious ritual is irrational? Then it’s time to think again. In 2010, researchers had people carry out a range of tasks with and without the their lucky charms. The results were remarkable. When people... Read more
Happiness in 59 Seconds (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 Jim sat into a soft, red chair. He looked down, and then he started to weep. "Am I asking too much?" he said. "I just want to be happy and fulfilled." Dr. Jones gave Jim a box of paper tissues. "Thank you," said Jim as he... Read more
Learn to Be Lucky (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 Devin woke up late. He skipped breakfast and got in his car and drove off in a hurry. But the traffic was bad. "Another bad day," he said to himself. "Maybe I will have another accident." But he didn't have one more accident. He had two... Read more
Ten Tools for Making More Happiness
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ReadOasis Step 2 Mary looked into the eyes of her new baby. "She's so beautiful," said Mary almost singing. Mary continued her song, "My goodness! I'm so happy! This is the happiest moment in my life!" And yes, it was. In fact, most couples feel the purest kind of... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 We live in the best of times. We live in the worst of times. We live in an age of wisdom. We live in an age of foolishness. We live in an age of light. We live in an age of darkness. In 1859, Charles Dickens... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Lori stopped her car at the red light. She looked down and saw that she needed gasoline. When the light turned green, she drove to the nearest gas station. She pulled up to the pump. She got out of the car, and she started pumping gas.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 The sun burned red hot in the sky. George felt the heat on his face, and it hurt. "Another extreme day," he said to himself. "It is just too hot." He looked out from the window of his living room. The sea was blue and beautiful.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 1 Viktor had just married Tilly. She was the love of his life. He was a young doctor in Vienna, Austria. Viktor and Tilly expected a good future together. But Nazi Germany was in control of Austria, and Viktor and Tilly were Jewish. In September of 1942,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Viktor had just married Tilly. She was the love of his life. He was a young doctor in Vienna, Austria. And Viktor and Tilly should have expected a bright future together. But Nazi Germany was in control of Austria, and Viktor and Tilly were Jewish. In... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Viktor had just married Tilly. She was the love of his life. He was a young doctor in Vienna, Austria. And Viktor and Tilly should have envisioned a bright future together, but Nazi Germany was occupying Austria, and Viktor and Tilly were Jewish. In September of... Read more
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