Ready to bring some more joy into your life? Author Joe Robinson points the way. 11secretshappy1Why leisure time is essential for well-beingThere’s no shortage of excuses to keep you from enjoying your life to the fullest. 11secretshappy2Don't be a spectator. Participate!We’re raised to be spectators, and too often we spend our time staring at screens, day and night. 11secretshappy3Guilt is a waste of timeIf you feel guilty for not working until 8pm every night or you feel bad using your vacation days, stop. 11secretshappy4Push through the bluesSometimes moods can hold your life hostage. We cycle through ups and downs every day. 11secretshappy5Leave your comfort zoneTrying something new is always a little scary. Don’t worry about looking a fool. Fools have more fun, because they’re learning new things. 11secretshappy6Seek longterm gratificationChoose gratification over shortterm pleasures. Most of the time we go for the pleasures - food, sex, shopping. 11secretshappy7Be a life-tasterYou increase your odds of finding a passion by trying many different activities -- dancing, hiking, pottery, kickball. 11secretshappy8Make time for playTurn off the work mindset, with its emphasis on productivity and busy-ness, and switch on the intrinsic play mind, the one that requires no purpose or outcome to justify 11secretshappy9Practice makes passionYou don’t find a passion from across the room. You have to be in it for a while to develop the competence for it to become a passion. Stick with it. 11secretshappy10Happy people are initiatorsDon’t wait for life to happen. You have to make it happen. You’re the entertainment director of your life. 11secretshappy11Don’t wait for life to happen. You have to make it happen. You’re the entertainment director of your life. 11secretshappy12Be positive (or fake it!)This is one of the real secrets of the universe.