Reading and speaking one, read the following speech and choose the best answers. The pursuit of happiness. Welcome everyone to my seminar the pursuit of happiness. Today, we're going to examine the factors that can contribute towards our levels of happiness, and then I am going to reveal to you all my special five point plan to become a happier person. great. So let's begin. Firstly, how would you all define happiness? It's simple, right? IT can be conceived as just a reflection of the pleasure and excitement that we all experience in life. But we could also say that IT stems from our relationships with the people and things around us. And some people might also say that happiness can manifest itself through our faith or beliefs. Let's take a look at what studies on happiness can tell us. We usually become happier as we age, although I must confess this hasn't happened to me yet. And for every one of us here, family and social relationships are important to our happiness levels. Now who's married here? Studies suggest that being married makes us happier than being single, divorce or widow. That's because being married and having kids is the key to happiness, right? Well, as for parent hood, IT doesn't necessarily increase happiness. Some studies actually show a higher level of happiness among people without children. Similarly, many of us presume that attractive people need a really happy life, but in reality, our looks only have a slight effect on how happy we feel. Actually, concentrating on our inside and maintain a positive attitude is a much more proven way to boost our happiness, which in turn improves our study and work performance. Now let me ask you all a question. How many of you believe that money can buy happiness? Raise your hands, please. Well, interestingly, study show that money, to an extent, can indeed influence happiness. Generally speaking, at both individual and country level, we're happier when we're rich than when we're poor. In fact, some say our income correlates directly with our happiness, meaning we get happier as our salary increases, which is something I think we can all relate to. However, there is a cut off point for this effect. Once people start earning over a certain amount of money, they can begin to lose appreciation for the simple things in life that previously made them happy. Of course, not all of these factors will be relevant to all of us here. But luckily for us, modern psychology offers a theory that can apply to everyone regardless of their status. The three elements of happiness, let's take a look. The first element of happiness is known as the pleasant life. IT means enjoying everyday pleasures that add fun and positivity to our lives, like meeting with our friends are taking a nice walk. The second element is called the good life, which means using our skills to make our lives Better. It's like when we find work that uses our talents or interests, or we pursue a hobby that really satisfy es us. The final element is the meaningful life, giving something of yourself to others or the world around you. For example, many of us might help our family and friends, and maybe even our local community, now that you know about the three elements, ask yourself, how much do they apply to you in your life? According to this theory, we will be the happiest when we incorporate a baLance of all three elements into our lives. So how can I use all this to make me happier? I hear you ask. Well, i'd like to end with my five point planned, a happiness which includes the three elements. If you follow these realistic steps, you will almost certainly increase your happiness levels. Everyone ready first, happiness is a frame of mind, so we must concentrate on the positive, become accustomed to occasional problems, and treat them is just a Normal part of life, learn to look on the bright side and filter out negative thoughts. By doing this, we will eventually find our general outlook changes for the Better. Secondly, commit to making ourselves and others happy. If we're not happy with our current job, we should find work in a field that interests us, even if that means retraining. As the same goes, do what you love. And when we help others, IT makes us feel happy, and they'll be more likely to help us in return. Thirdly, build and cherish relationships. We may feel exhausted each night, but making new friends in keeping in touch with old ones will consequently lead to an increase in our happiness levels. Fourth, treat ourselves every now and then. However, we need to spend wisely. That means making sure our money is spent on special experiences rather than luxury goods. We should avoid import spying. Skipping the fancy clothing in favor of a trip to the theater, preferably with relatives or friends, as IT will strengthen our relationship with them, further increasing our happiness in the process. Last but not least, the content with what we've got and live a little. We should not compare ourselves to others whatsoever. Instead, we must be happy in ourselves. And let's always live for the moment, be spontaneous and do something unprecedented. IT will make us feel much more alive. So there you have IT my five tips to a happier life. Now how about some spontaneous applause to mark the end of my presentation? Thank you, everyone. Stay happy.