The 4 L's of happiness are...

In my view, there are four essential ingredients to a happy life, all of which begin with the letter "L."

The 4 L's of happiness are: (1) Laughing (2) Loving (3) Living (4) Learning

Nothing puts us in a better mood -- and helps turn a frown upside down -- quite like a good laugh. Whether we're watching a comedy movie or being amused by a pet's zany antics, life just isn't as fun without a healthy dose of laughter.

But most of us would agree that funny moments aren't as memorable unless we have others around to share them with -- the people we love. While friends and family don't complete us -- we do that ourselves -- they certainly give us a good reason to wake up every morning. They're there for us (many of them, at least) in good times and bad. As human beings, we all yearn to love and be loved.

The next one is fairly straightforward: we can't be happy unless we're living -- literally and figuratively. But some would say that just because you're alive doesn't mean you're "living," as in, enjoying your life to the fullest. While it's certainly important to live responsibly and judiciously, enjoying life sometimes entails taking risks. For example, you may not be able to go on a dream vacation unless you get a better job to pay for it. And you can't get a better job without coming out of your comfort zone and leaving your current one. Life is short; in order to truly treasure life, we must extricate ourselves from the corrosive effects of negativity, chase our dreams, and expand our horizons.

And last but not least, there's learning, which is probably the least appreciated of the four L's. Many people assume that learning goes out the door the second you walk out of college with a diploma in hand. To me, however, life becomes pretty mundane unless I'm learning new things every day. Reading books, watching documentaries, exploring museums -- there's so much we can do to nourish our intellect. Our ancestors would have given anything to have the internet at their disposal; unfortunately, far too many of us take such tools for granted.

Can you add any Ls -- or any other word for that matter -- to the list?

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