IS HAPPINESS IS IMPORTANT
It seems like an odd question, but is it? Do you know how to define happiness? Do you think happiness is the same thing to you as it is to others?

What’s the point of it all? Does it even make a difference in our lives?

In fact, happiness does have a pretty important role in our lives, and it can have a huge impact on the way we live our lives. Although researchers have yet to pin down the definition or an agreed-upon framework for happiness, there’s a lot we have learned in the last few decades.

This article will dive into the science of happiness, what it actually is, and why it matters.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Meaning and Valued Living Exercises for free. These creative, science-based exercises will help you learn more about your values and goals and will give you the tools to inspire a sense of meaning and happiness in the lives of your clients, students or employees.First, let’s take a look at the definition of happiness so we’re all on the same page. Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of “happiness” is a simple one: “The state of being happy.”

Not exactly what we were looking for, was it? Perhaps we need to dive a little deeper. Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of “happy” is a little more helpful: “Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.”

That’s better! So, happiness is the state of feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. From this definition, we can glean a few important points about happiness:

Happiness is a state, not a trait; in other words, it isn’t a long-lasting, permanent feature or personality trait, but a more fleeting, changeable state.

Happiness is equated with feeling pleasure or contentment, meaning that happiness is not to be confused with joy, ecstasy, bliss, or other more intense feelings.

Happiness can be either feeling or showing, meaning that happiness is not necessarily an internal or external experience, but can be both.
Now we have a better grasp on what happiness is—or at least, how the Oxford English Dictionary defines what happiness is. However, this definition is not the end-all, be-all definition of happiness. In fact, the definition of happiness is not a “settled” debate

Meaning of Happiness in Positive Psychology

The meaning of happiness in Positive Psychology really depends on who you ask.

Happiness is often known by another name in positive psychology research: subjective wellbeing, or SWB.

Some believe happiness is one of the core components of SWB, while others believe happiness is SWB. Regardless, you’ll frequently find SWB used as a shorthand for happiness in the literature.

And speaking of the literature, you will find references to SWB everywhere. A quick Google search for the word “happiness” offers over 2 million results (as of January 6th, 2019). Further, a scan for the same term in two of psychology’s biggest online databases (PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES) returns 19,139 results from academic and other journals, books, dissertations, and more.

Is it difficult to define scientifically?
With so many takes on happiness, it’s no wonder that happiness is a little difficult to define scientifically; there is certainly disagreement about what, exactly, happiness is.

According to researchers Chu Kim-Prieto, Ed Diener, and their colleagues (2005), there are three main ways that happiness has been approached in positive psychology:

Happiness as a global assessment of life and all its facets;
Happiness as a recollection of past emotional experiences;
Happiness as an aggregation of multiple emotional reactions across time (Kim-Prieto, Diener, Tamir, Scollon, & Diener, 2005).
Although they generally all agree on what happiness feels like—being satisfied with life, in a good mood, feeling positive emotions, feeling enjoyment, etc.—researchers have found it difficult to agree on the scope of happiness.

However, for our purposes in this piece, it’s enough to work off of a basic definition that melds the OED‘s definition with that of positive psychologists: happiness is a state characterized by contentment and general satisfaction with one’s current situation.

HONESTY
Honesty is the Best Policy
A major component for developing moral character is Honesty. Honesty helps in developing good attributes like kindness, discipline, truthfulness, moral integrity and more. Lying, cheating, lack of trust, steal, greed and other immoral attributes have no part in Honesty. Honest people are sincere, trustworthy and loyal, throughout their life. Honesty is valuable and it is the habit of utmost importance. There are famous quotes, said by a great personality like “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom”. It holds good due to its ability to build, shape and motivate integral values in one’s life.

Benefits of Honesty
Honesty is always admirable in the family, civil society, friends and across the globe. A person with honesty is respected by all. For one to build the character of Honesty entirely depends on his/her family values and ethics and his/her surrounding environment. Parents showing honest behavior and character in front of their children create an impact on the children and we say “Honesty lies in their genes”. Honesty can also be developed practically which requires proper guidance, encouragement, patience, and dedication.

An honest person is always known for his/her honesty just like a sun is known for its eternal light and unlimited energy. It is a quality which helps a person to succeed in life and get much respect. It gives identification to the moral character of a person. Dishonest people may easily get trust and respect from other people. However, they lose that forever whenever they get caught.

Being dishonest is a sin in all the religions, however, people practice it for their short time benefits and selfishness. They never become morally strong and their life becomes miserable. An honest person moves freely in society and spread his/her fragrance in all directions. Being honest is never mean to bear the bad habits of others or bear ill-treated activities. Everyone has rights to reveal and take action against what is going wrong with him.

Conclusion
Moral ethics of a person is known through Honesty. In a society, if all the people seriously practice getting honest, then society will become an ideal society and free of all the corruptions and evils. There will be huge changes in the day-to-day life of everyone. It can happen very easily if all the parents and teachers understand their responsibilities towards the nation and teach their children and students about moral ethics.

People should realize the value of honesty in order to manage social and economic balance. Honesty is an essential requirement in modern time. It is one of the best habits which encourages an individual and make capable enough to solve and handle any difficult situation in his/her life. Honesty acts as a catalyst in strengthening our will power to face and fight any odds in life.

IMPORTANCE OF WATER
The chemical formula of Water is H2O. It is made from 2 molecules of Hydrogen and one molecule of Oxygen.

Upon dissociation, the Water separates into gaseous Oxygen and Hydrogen. The dissociation of Water can be brought about by passing an electric discharge through it. Apart from its chemical importance, Water has immeasurable importance for supporting life on Earth. It can be found everywhere on the planet, ranging from marine ecosystems to arid deserts. It is present in every part of the Earth in some form or the other. In oceans and lakes, it is found in liquid form, whereas, in Polar Regions, it is found in solid form. Traces of Water are found in the atmosphere and outer space in the form of gaseous water vapor. The surface of the Earth is composed of 3 parts of water and one part land. This shows that Water is highly important for all living beings. The only reason why life formed on Earth in the first place is Water. Finding Water anywhere else in the universe is next to impossible. So we must make sure that we conserve this liquid treasure so that our future generations would be able to use it too.

Water is recognized as a universal solvent. This characteristic of Water that makes it so important for life on Earth to flourish. It has two molecules of Hydrogen joined by double covalent bonds with a single molecule of Oxygen. The covalent bonds give Water its solubilizing properties. It can dissolve a large number of solids, liquids, and gases within itself. Our bodies require 70% of Water to function properly. Most of this Water is used for transporting nutrients to different parts of our bodies and bringing back toxins from them that would be ultimately excreted out.

Water is found in abundance on the Earth but, only 1 percent of it can be used for drinking purposes. This 1 % is known as potable water and is found in freshwater resources like glaciers, streams, lakes, rivers, and ponds. With time, the share of clean freshwater has been deteriorating. Most of the freshwater that we use comes from rivers and underground reservoirs. Overexploitation of these resources has led to a decrease in water levels in these bodies.

You would be amazed to know that the amount of water on Earth that you find today is the same as that during the Jurassic age! However, the reason why we are facing an acute shortage of water in recent times is that most of the freshwater is being changed into polluted Water that is unfit for use. Water is an essential commodity that we need to safeguard and protect. It has been speculated widely that the third world war can be started because of the water shortage crisis.

SAVE WATER SAVE MANKIND

DARK WEB
The dark web refers to encrypted online content that is not indexed by conventional search engines. Sometimes, the dark web is also called the dark net. The dark web is a part of the deep web, which just refers to websites that do not appear on search engines. Most deep web content consists of private files hosted on Dropbox and its competitors or subscriber-only databases rather than anything illegal.

Specific browsers, such as Tor Browser, are required to reach the dark web.1 Using the dark web often provides considerably more privacy than just using Tor to access the web. Many dark web sites simply provide standard web services with more secrecy, which benefits political dissidents and people trying to keep medical conditions private. Unfortunately, online marketplaces for drugs, exchanges for stolen data, and other illegal activities get most of the attention.

Understanding the Dark Web
In many ways, the dark web is much like the broader web was in its early days during the late 20th century. There is a lot of material about getting it working, and not very much to do once one gets there. A lot of the content on the dark web is very amateurish.

On the other hand, it is much easier for individuals to start sites and get attention. Tech giants and large media organizations have very little influence on the dark web as of 2020.

The dark web is still very much a work in progress, and its full costs and benefits are not yet known.

As with the early Internet, the dark web has also gained a reputation as a haven for illegal activities. The dark web, like the web before it, is frequently implicated in horrible crimes, such as child abuse and murder for hire. While the dark web has unfortunately played a hand in both illegal and unethical transactions, it has also provided a social outlet for people who may otherwise be persecuted for their identities or political beliefs.

It has also provided legal authorities with additional tools to apprehend the perpetrators of unethical activities.

It is crucial to avoid confusing the dark web with the cryptocurrencies often used to make purchases there. The dark web makes it easier to set up and access websites that offer a high degree of anonymity for everyone involved. Many of these sites contain only information, with no ability to buy or sell anything. It is true that cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Monero, are often used for transactions on the dark web. However, one does not have to use the dark web to use cryptocurrencies.

The dark web and the deep web are also often erroneously used interchangeably. The deep web includes all the pages that don’t pop up when you run a web search. The dark web is just one part of the deep web. The deep web also contains everything requiring a login, such as online banking, pay sites, and file hosting services.

Advantages of the Dark Web
The dark web helps people to maintain privacy and freely express their views. Privacy is essential for many innocent people terrorized by stalkers and other criminals. The increasing tendency of potential employers to track posts on social media can also make it difficult to engage in honest discussions publicly. Finally, the popularity of the dark web with criminals makes it a perfect way for undercover police officers to communicate.

Disadvantages of the Dark Web
The dark web empowers ordinary people, but some people will inevitably abuse that power. The dark web can make it easier to commit some of the worst crimes. For example, the combination of the dark web and cryptocurrencies theoretically makes it much easier to hire someone to commit a murder. While the dark web promises privacy to its users, it can also be used to violate the privacy of others. Private photos, medical records, and financial information have all been stolen and shared on the dark web.

Here is a simple, short definition:

Self improvement is an inner process, which focuses on changing one’s attitude toward oneself and toward the world, and on getting rid of harmful habits and building new good habits.

• The purpose of this inner process is to improve your behavior and habits, and to create happiness and satisfaction into your life.
• Another purpose is to improve the ability to cope with the various situations that you encounter in your life.
• The aims of self-improvement are to learn to adopt a positive mindset, to get rid of negative habits, and to build positive habits and behavior.
• It is a process to make ourselves better and happier people.

Self-improvement usually starts by becoming more aware of ourselves, our behavior and our reactions. It requires that we earnestly desire to improve ourselves, better our life, and build good relations with people.

The most fulfilling path to success and personal fulfillment comes through the pursuit of your own self-development. The radically successful and happy immerse themselves in self-development and a deep interest in life and relationships. Through self-exploration they remain openly curious and passionate about their self-education and improvement. They hold the belief that they can only learn if they are willing to risk themselves personally and professionally.

Through life’s experiences, good and bad, you become able and ready to be proactive in all your efforts, challenges and successes. You choose to no longer wait for success or happiness or success, you go out and make it happen. Making a commitment to your own development is the first step on the path to living your personal legend.

1. Sense of self.

Self-improvement begins with a keen awareness of who you are, your values, beliefs and the larger purpose you wish to pursue. True satisfaction can only manifest from chasing your own dreams. Life, people and business can be hard and insensitive, so remind yourself that you are more than the sum total of other people’s opinions and continue pursuing what is meaningful to you.

2. Sense of curiosity.

To live successfully, be endlessly curious about all the possibilities your future holds. It is important to have an unquenchable thirst for your advancement and for adventure. Curiosity inspires you to push through the unusually painful trials and errors in your lif5e and business, leading. This type of resiliency is an acquired self-discipline which teaches you to cast your fears aside bringing you to the fullest experience of the adventures success can bring.

Curiosity creates a longing to know more and do more. It inspires that energy which makes it possible to see all situations as opportunities for your advancement. When you approach life and business with a sense of adventure, there is no situation, however limiting, physically or economically, which cannot be filled to the brim with the interest and curiosity of how it will all work out.Without a sense of curiosity it is impossible to grow.

3. Sense of direction.

The more you develop yourself the more pristine you become in achieving what you want. This clarity makes decision-making easier because having a direction improves your ability to prioritize. You know which objectives are important in the short term and which are necessary for your long term.  With a sense of direction you become focused and effective.

There is nothing more organizing to an effort than being focused. Direction provides commitment. It is difficult to commit to something that has no foreseeable future or path. If you are filled with doubt and a lack of clarity there is no way to launch your ideas.  Self-development gives you direction, and thereby, the commitment to achieve your ends.

4. Sense of follow through.

Knowing what you want to achieve makes it easier for you to see the benefits of taking action. Even when the tasks at hand are not enjoyable, seeing the benefit of following through on them, will make it easier to motivate yourself into taking the necessary actions to achieve your set goals. There is much truth in the saying, when there is a will there is a way.

When you are committed to personal development, you always find a way to develop the necessary will. Your idea of success and the vision of what that will look like is where you grab your incentive to always follow through.

5. Sense of urgency.

A sense of urgency drives inspiration. Urgency creates the mindset to work as if your life depends upon it, especially if you have fewer resources than others. When you are the underdog you will dig deep inside yourself for the advances you need in order to thrive.

Urgency causes you activate quickly when making decisions. You get out of your routine and do something different.  It motivates you to get results quickly and efficiently, but it does not eliminate assessment. If want to produce getting results faster you must assess what is and what is not working, then eliminate the efforts which have been identified as wasteful. Keep in mind it is easier to steer a moving object, so if you realize you have made a poor decision, a sense of urgency allows you to adjust. If you wait too long you miss opportunities and chances.

6. Sense of resiliency.

There will be tough times in life and business. When tough times occur, you need the skills and attributes to deal effectively with them. Personal development cannot prevent all bad things from occurring but it helps you deal with obstacles as they surface.

Resiliency teaches you never to view any challenge as the end of the world. Resilience allows you the patience, awareness and fortitude to continue moving forward, even if that means completely changing course.

Self-development deepens your maturity to trust that everything happens for reasons which can only be in line with your best interest.  With this type of mindset, there is no obstacle that will hold you back. You will have greater confidence, pliability, and the personal and interpersonal skills to cope with any obstacle you face in climb up the ladder of success.

7. Sense of connectedness.

Relationships can be double-edged swords. They either lift you up or drag you down. They either bring you closer to your goals or push you further away. When you improve your personal development, you are better able to see which relationships and partnerships are worth investing in and which you need to cut loose. This type of self-awareness gives you the skills to make the best of the relationships which have a positive impact on your life, your business and your overall success.

If you aren’t learning then you aren’t living. Make the commitment to invest in your greatest resource – You. Many people are put off by personal development because it viewed as a weakness or something which shows you do not already possess the skills necessary for success. If you assume you already it all, you will not be happy or successful. The greatest achievers in life and business know the key to success is their ability to manage themselves in a variety of situations. That ability comes through personal development.

The Great Chinese Famine (Chinese: 三年大饥荒, “three years of great famine”) was a period between 1959 and 1961 in the history of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) characterized by widespread famine. Some scholars have also included the years 1958 or 1962. The Great Chinese Famine is widely regarded as the deadliest famine and one of the greatest man-made disasters in human history, with an estimated death toll due to starvation that ranges in the tens of millions (15 to 55 million)
The major contributing factors in the famine were the policies of the Great Leap Forward (1958 to 1962) and people’s communes, such as inefficient distribution of food due to the planned economy, requiring the use of poor agricultural techniques, the Four Pests Campaign that reduced bird populations (which disrupted the ecosystem), over-reporting of grain production (which was actually decreasing), and ordering millions of farmers to switch to iron and steel production . During the Seven Thousand Cadres Conference in early 1962, Liu Shaoqi, the second Chairman of the PRC, formally attributed 30% of the famine to natural disasters and 70% to man-made errors (“三分天灾, 七分人祸”).[7][17][18] After the launch of Reforms and Opening Up, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officially stated in June 1981 that the famine was mainly due to the mistakes of the Great Leap Forward as well as the Anti-Rightist Campaign, in addition to some natural disasters and the Sino-Soviet split.
Besides the name “Three Years of Great Famine” (simplified Chinese: 三年大饥荒; traditional Chinese: 三年大饑荒; pinyin: Sānnián dà jīhuāng), the famine has been known by many names.

The government of the People’s Republic of China called it:

1 ) Before June 1981: “Three Years of Natural Disasters” (simplified Chinese: 三年自然灾害; traditional Chinese: 三年自然災害; pinyin: Sānnián zìrán zāihài).
2 ) After June 1981: “Three Years of Difficulty” (simplified Chinese: 三年困难时期; traditional Chinese: 三年困難時期; pinyin: Sānnián kùnnán shíqī).
Production drop Edit
Policy changes affecting how farming was organized, with devastating effects, coincided with droughts and floods. As a result, year-over-year grain production fell dramatically in China. The harvest was down by 15% in 1959 compared to 1958, and by 1960, it was at 70% of its 1958 level.[21] Specifically, according to China’s governmental data, crop production decreased from 200 million tons (or 400 billion jin) in 1958 to 170 million tons (or 340 billion jin) in 1959, and to 143.5 million tons (or 287 billion jin) in 1960.

Birth and death rate in China
Due to the lack of food and incentive to marry at that time, according to China’s official statistics, China’s population in 1961 was about 658,590,000, some 14,580,000 lower than in 1959. The birth rate decreased from 2.922% (1958) to 2.086% (1960) and the death rate increased from 1.198% (1958) to 2.543% (1960), while the average numbers for 1962–1965 are about 4% and 1%, respectively . The mortality in the birth and death rates both peaked in 1961 and began recovering rapidly after that, as shown on the chart of census data displayed on the left. Some outlier estimates include 11 million by Utsa Patnaik, an Indian Marxist economist, as well as 3.66 million by Sun Jingxian (孙经先), a Chinese mathematician. It is widely believed that the government seriously under-reported death tolls: Lu Baoguo, a Xinhua reporter based in Xinyang, explained to Yang Jishe why he never reported on his experience .
A research team of the Chinese Academy of Sciences concluded in 1989 that at least 15 million people died of malnutrition.
Li Chengrui (李成瑞), former Minister of the National Bureau of Statistics of China, estimated 22 million deaths (1998). His estimate was based on the (27 million deaths ) estimated by Ansley J. Coale, and the (17 million deaths) estimated by Jiang Zhenghua (蒋正华), former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Judith Banister, Director of Global Demographics at the Conference Board, estimated 30 million excess deaths from 1958-1961.
Jasper Becker, a British scholar, showed in his book Hungry Ghosts: Mao’s Secret Famine that most estimates of the famine death toll range from 30-60 million.[37][38]
Cao Shuji (曹树基), Distinguished Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, estimated 32.5 million.
Yang Jisheng, senior journalist from Xinhua News Agency, concluded there were 36 million deaths due to starvation, while another 40 million others failed to be born, so that “China’s total population loss during the Great Famine then comes to 76 million.”
Mao Yushi, a Chinese economist and winner of the 2012 “Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty”, put the death toll at 36 million
Liao Gailong (廖盖隆), former Vice Director of the History Research Unit of the CCP, reported 40 million “unnatural” deaths due to the famine.
Chen Yizi (陈一谘), a former senior Chinese official and a top advisor to former CCP General Secretary Zhao Ziyang, concluded that 43 million people died due to the famine.
Frank Dikötter, Chair Professor of Humanities at the University of Hong Kong and the author of Mao’s Great Famine, estimated that at least 45 million people died from starvation, overwork and state violence during the Great Leap Forward, claiming his findings to be based on access to recently opened local and provincial party archives. His study also stressed that state violence exacerbated the death toll. Dikötter claimed that at least 2.5 million of the victims were beaten or tortured to death. His approach to the documents, as well as his claim to be the first author to use them, however, have been questioned by some other scholars. Dikötter provides a graphic example of what happened to a family after one member was caught stealing some food .
The Great Chinese Famine was caused by a combination of radical agricultural policies, social pressure, economic mismanagement, and natural disasters such as droughts and floods in farming regions.

Great Leap Forward :
Chair of the Chinese Communist Party, introduced drastic changes in farming policy prohibiting farm ownership. Failure to abide by the policies led to punishment.

People’s communes :
During the Great Leap Forward, farming was organized into people’s communes and the cultivation of privately owned plots was forbidden. The agricultural economy was centrally planned, and regional Party leaders were given production quotas for the communes under their control. Their output was then appropriated by the state and distributed at its discretion.

Ganga Dussehra, also known as Gangavataran, is a Hindu festival celebrating the avatarana (descent) of the Ganges. It is believed by Hindus that the holy river Ganges descended from heaven to earth on this day. Ganga Dussehra takes place on Dashami (10th day) of the waxing moon (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu calendar month Jyeshtha. The festival celebration lasts ten days, including the nine days preceding this holy day.

Ganga Dussehra is observed by Hindus mainly in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and West Bengal, where the river flows. Haridwar, Varanasi, Garhmukteshwar, Rishikesh, Prayagraj, and Patna are the main locations of the celebrations, where devotees gather at the banks of the Ganges and perform aartis (a religious ritual in which a light lamp is moved clockwise circularly in front of a deity as a part of prayer) to the river. Taking a dip in the river on this day is believed to bring the devotee to a state of purification and also heal any physical ailments he may have. In Sanskrit, dasha means ten and hara means destroy; thus bathing in the river during these ten days is believed to rid the person of ten sins or, alternatively, ten lifetimes of sins.

On the same day, the river Yamuna is also worshipped and kite-flying events are organized. Devotees take a holy dip in the Yamuna at places like Mathura, Vrindavan, and Bateshwar, and give offerings of watermelon and cucumber They distribute drinks such as lassi, sharbat and shikanji.

In 2017, an estimated 15 lakh people celebrated the festival in Haridwar. At the Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi, several rituals such as deep daan (offering of floating diyas to the river) and maha aarti are conducted. In Patna, a grand aarti is performed in the evening by priests at Gandhi Ghat and an 1100m garland is offered to the river at Adalat Ghat.