The recent December issue of Palm Beach Illustrated featured an interesting piece on ‘A Practical Guide to Happiness‘. The writer Liza Grant asked an intriguing question on how Max’s financial background informed his strategy in discovering happiness.
PBI: How does your background in finance influence your approach to the subject of happiness?
Ansbacher: On Wall Street, everything is very precise and measured. If you buy a stock, it either goes up or down, so that is how you gauge your results and success. I took that type of thinking into studying the art of happiness. The gold standard is the 85-year Harvard Longitudinal Study on Happiness, where hundreds of people were interviewed over decades to uncover the secrets of their mental and emotional wellness. Their findings, along with my own, formed my approach, which has resonated with readers.
Additionally, in his book, Max maps out the three keys to finding happiness. It’s not magic, it’s common sense.
- Want What You Have
- Be True to Your Own Values
- Treasure Your Friendships
The last golden rule to being happy, to treasure friendships, is one of the most important. In the world’s longest scientific study of happiness, conducted by Harvard, it was concluded that good relationships keep us healthy, happy and help us live longer.
