Being happy is a choice!

The cornerstones of happiness

A Tool for Making Better Life Choices1
dr Theo Compernolle MD., PhD. 2

An instrument to help managers, executives and their life-partners on crossroads in their career, to
make better decisions, or if not on crossroads to align their daily decisions better with their priorities
and with what gives them joy in their lives.

Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cheshire Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to
Alice: I don't much care where.
The Cheshire Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.
INTRODUCTION
1 STEP ONE: LEARNING FROM THE PAST: DRAWING A LIFE GRAPH

1.1 DRAWING THE GRAPH

maximum satisfaction

neutral

minimum satisfaction
¼ life ½ life ¾ life Today
Birth .... Years old
.... Years old .... Years old .... Years old
1.2 LEARN FROM THE HIGH POINTS

1.3 LEARN FROM THE LOW POINTS

1.4 EXAMPLE LIFE GRAPH

maximum satisfaction
7 8 9 17
16
11
5 13
15
4 10
2 6

neutral 14

18
3

1
12

minimum satisfaction
birth ¼ life ½ life ¾ life Today
....10 Years old .... 20 Years old ....30 Years old ....45 Years old

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2 STEP TWO : DEFINING YOUR PRIORITIES

2.1 INSPIRING QUESTIONS

2.2 DO YOU KNOW THE PRIO RITIES OF YOUR PARTNER/SPOUSE?

2.3 THREE ORIENTING QUES TIONS

2.3.1 THE ULTIMATE QUESTION

2.3.2 WHAT ARE YOUR FUNDAMENTAL GOALS FOR YOUR LIFE?

2.3.3 WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO REALIZE IN THESE AREAS IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS ?
3 STEP THREE: DISCOVERING THE SOURCES OF YOUR JOY

3.1 10 ACTIVITIES YOU VE RY MUCH ENJOY(ED) DO ING

3.2 THE INGREDIENTS OF YOUR PLEASURE

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3.3 CONCLUSION: THE INGREDIENTS OF YOUR JOY
4 STEP FOUR: DEFINING THE 2X4 CORNERSTONES OF YOUR HAPINESS

4.1.1 THE CORNERSTONES

4.1.2 THE CORNERSTONES OF YOUR SPOUSE/PARTNER

4.1.3 BUILDING ON YOUR CORNERSTONES
5 STEP FIVE: START BUILDING YOUR LIFE ON YOUR CORNERSTONES TODAY

5.1 SATISFACTION THERMOMETER FOR AN ACTION PLAN

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5.2 YOUR SATISFACTION THERMOMETER
5.3 MAKE IT CONCRETE, MAKE IT PRACTICAL, MAKE IT HAPPEN

5.4 YOUR ACTIONPLAN FOR TIME MANAGEMENT

6 USE YOUR CORNERSTONES AS ORIENTATION POINTS AT IMPORTANT CROSSROADS

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7 ABOUT THE AUTHOR