Don't Worry, Be Happy

Being happy and positive in general is a preferable stance toward life, better for our health, creativity and longevity, according to many experts.

A recent ABC 20/20 program [The 'Fear Industrial Complex'] had numerous examples of how the media "provides the public with no shortage of things to fear. The message is clear: the world is a scary place, and you should be worried."

But as the program explained, so many of those fears are really unfounded. "We often worry about things that... are not very dangerous, but which seem it. And the reason they seem it is because of... the media who show images and tell stories about terrible, terrible things that happen," said Stephen Dubner, co-author of "Freakonomics."

Psychiatrist Judith Orloff, M.D. [author of "Positive Energy"] warns, "Fear is the biggest energy thief there is. A master seducer and gigantic source of negative energy, fear shamelessly robs of us of everything good and powerful, preys on our vulnerabilities.