The Pope’s Top Ten Tips for Happiness

Slowing down, being generous and fighting for peace are part of Pope Francis' secret recipe for happiness.

In an interview published last Sunday in part in the Argentine weekly Viva, the pope listed his Top 10 tips for bringing greater joy to one's life:

1. "Live and let live." Everyone should be guided by this principle. "Move forward and let others do the same."

2. "Be giving of yourself to others." People need to be open and generous toward others because "if you withdraw into yourself, you run the risk of becoming egocentric. And stagnant water becomes putrid."

3. "Proceed calmly" in life. Have "the ability to move with kindness and humility, a calmness in life."

4. "A healthy sense of leisure." "Consumerism has brought us anxiety" and stress, causing people to lose a "healthy culture of leisure." Their time is "swallowed up" so people can't share it with anyone. Even though many parents work long hours, they must set aside time to play with their children; work schedules make it "complicated, but you must do it." Families must also turn off the TV when they sit down to eat.

5. Sundays should be holidays. Workers should have Sundays off because "Sunday is for family.”

6. Find innovative ways to create dignified jobs for young people. "We need to be creative with young people. If they have no opportunities they will get into drugs" and be more vulnerable to suicide.

7. Respect and take care of nature.

8. Stop being negative. "Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. That means, 'I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I have to cut others down. Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy."

9. Don't proselytize; respect others' beliefs. "We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes. The church grows by attraction, not proselytizing.”

10. Work for peace. "The call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive" and dynamic.