He scored off the chart on every objective measurement tested. As Charlie Brown and the "Peanuts" gang told us, happiness could be a warm puppy, pizza with sausage, five different crayons - or anyone, or anything, that's loved by you. And, although it's true that many special moments are inspired by such happenstance, scientific research contends that people actually can condition themselves for genuine happiness, much as occasional joggers condition themselves for marathons. Truly happy people are able to, for example, recall special moments and use them as psychological tools to deal with adversity. And that's just one of many skills they tap into to ensure a high level of satisfaction in their lives. So why is this important? Because it's clear that happiness is a key contributor to our overall personal health - it's even been linked to longevity, scientific studies show. With that in mind, USA WEEKEND Magazine hatched what they called the Ultimate Happiness Challenge: Why not pair the world's leading authority on happiness with America's happiest person and see if their expert can make him even happier? Or, on a more scientific level: How can the leading expert apply his core principles to boost the happiness quotient for someone who's already as happy as a person gets? Explore the happiest man in America's state of contentedness and, as a result, discover ways we all can better cultivate happiness in our lives. As for the happiest man in America, J.P. "Gus" Godsey, he's a story in himself.
