Florish

Do you have someone you could call at 4 am if you really needed to? If your answer is yes then you are more likely to be flourishing in life. "Other people are the best antidote to the downs of life and the single most reliable up," according to Martin Seligman from his new book Flourish.

In the first two chapters he gives two exercises which I found worth trying and he insists are guaranteed to increase your feeling of well being. The first is DOING A KINDNESS. This he says has been found by scientists to produce the single most reliable monetary increase in well-being of any exercise tested!
The second is GRATITUDE and he sets a very specific exercise.

Close your eyes and bring to mind someone who contributed greatly to your life, someone living with whom you could easily meet face to face. When you have identified this person, write them a letter, it should be about 300 words; be specific as to what this person did for you and how it affected your life and how it still comes to mind. Now set up a meeting with them without telling them your purpose. Its much more fun when its a surprise! When you meet them read them the letter - do not let them interrupt, but watch their reactions and your own. Only after you have read it completely discuss the contents and your feeling for each other.
"You will be happier and less depressed one month from now." Seligman guarantees.

I'm going to try it, I hope you will too.