According to a recent scientific study that will be published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, there are five things people can do to makes their own lives happier. They include gratefulness, optimism, positivity, personal strength and kindness. Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky explained that, according to her findings, “A large portion of happiness is in our power to change.”

The scientists who have been studying happiness claim that people can make their lives happier by focusing on the following:

Gratefulness
How do you show gratitude? A letter of thanks, a phone call, a simple word of appreciation? It could be that the actual act of displaying gratitude towards someone who has helped you or made your life better in some way can be therapeutic. Of course a little appreciation can also do wonders for the recipient!

Optimism
The study showed that people who take an active approach to optimism – envisioning an ideal future and good things to come – start feeling happier now. Thinking optimistically can have a strong psychological benefit and bring a smile to your face.

Positivity
Everyone goes through good and bad times … the trick is to focus on the positive. Researchers have confirmed what we already knew. People who dwell on the best parts of life are generally happier than those who concentrate on the negative.

Personal Strength
What do you do well? It’s often been said that one of the keys to success is to do what you love. Understanding and using your personal strengths can also make you a happier person. Sharing those strengths with others will help spread the joy around.

Kindness
A simple act of kindness can go a long way. It will make the recipient happy, and in turn it will make you feel good. As the study shows, when we help others we also help ourselves. Read more about random acts of kindness.

Those are the five components to happiness presented by scientists at a recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. At PeopleFinders, we would like to add one more essential element to happiness.

People
It’s a concept that has been posed many times: think back on the most important moment of your life. Were you alone, or with people you care about? While there are several things each of us can do to boost our own happiness, it’s the family and friends we share our lives with that make us truly happy.

We often hear from people who have found and reconnected with loved ones using our website. Their stories are always full of joy – people are happiest when surrounded by those they love. Find your personal keys to happiness, share them with your family and friends, and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders People Search blog.

Researchers listened in on volunteers over a four-day period and recorded snippets of conversations. The recordings were categorized as either small talk or substantive exchanges, and people who regularly engaged in more serious chats with family and friends were the happiest.

When the study ended, researchers concluded that happier people spend up to 70% more time talking than unhappy people. They also determined that happy people enjoy two times as many substantial conversations. In the end, even the small talk seemed to help. Happier people also engaged in nearly 33% more chitchat.

At PeopleFinders, these results don’t surprise us. We’ve always believed that one of the true keys to happiness comes from spending time with family and friends. These are the people who share our secrets, rejoice in our successes and help us through difficult times. That’s why we’re dedicated to helping people find and reconnect with others. Our People Search service can help you find anyone, anywhere.

Results from the study will be detailed in an issue of Psychological Science. The overall point the article will make is that those who share more time with people they care about, and less time alone, tend to be the happiest. It just goes to show that happiness, as we’re fond of saying, is all about a connection.

If you’ve lost touch with people from your past who brought joy into your life, we can help you find them. Visit PeopleFinders.com to search for people and learn how to contact them today. Reconnect with the ones you love, bring more happiness into all your lives and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders People Search blog.

Witnesses to the crash noticed the plane was flying unusually low, but said it did not appear to be out of control. The plane’s gas tank was full, and it erupted into a massive fireball after striking the side of the building. Plumes of thick, dark smoke billowed into sky, and debris continued to rain down from the building long after the collision.

When it happened, no one was sure why. People speculated that it was an accident or terrorist attack, but the truth was soon uncovered. Joseph Stack was the pilot, and according to officials, the crash was intentional.

Stack was enraged because two businesses he founded were shut down by the State Franchise Tax Board. He wanted revenge, and left a long note on his website that included comments such as “Violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer” and “Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let’s try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well.”

Before heading to the airport, Stack set his own house on fire. His wife and daughter had to be rescued from the flames. Stack never filed a flight plan, but that didn’t raise suspicions since he was flying under Visual Flight Rules, a law that allows pilots to fly freely in premium weather conditions.

In the aftermath of the crash, one person from the IRS building was not accounted for, and two others were hospitalized. Amazingly, no other serious injuries have been reported. Workers said the impact of the plane felt like a bomb exploded in the building, and people scrambled to find safety. One small group had no way out other than to break a window and climb onto a concrete ledge.

As emergency crews arrived, they rescued people who weren’t able to evacuate the building, tended to injuries and helped soothe the terrified victims who were trying to make sense of their horrifying ordeal. Crews worked feverishly to extinguish the flames, and two F-16 fighter aircraft were deployed to patrol the area as a precautionary measure.
At PeopleFinders, when we hear about such a heartbreaking event, our thoughts go in one direction: people. It is impossible to watch a scene like today’s plane crash in Austin and not feel deep emotions. You fear for those who were put in danger, and hope they will be safe. You can’t help but think about the people who had loved ones inside the building, and the uncertainty they must have felt when the news broke.

Family and friends are the most cherished part of all our lives. That’s why PeopleFinders is dedicated to helping you find and reconnect with family, friends and anyone you’ve been missing. A tragic moment like today’s plane crash in Austin reminds us of just how important people are; and that you never know what could happen to any of us.

Hold your loves ones close tonight, and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders People Search blog.

Family, friends and strangers – you can brighten anyone’s day with a random act of kindness. Your good deed may have an even greater impact when it is completely unexpected. There are many things you can do to celebrate and participate in this day that is designed to make people happy.

Compliment people. It’s usually impossible to hold back a smile when someone says something nice about you, so take some initiative and make positive comments to people throughout the day. It will give them a nice boost, and make you feel good in return.

Surprise someone. You can leave surprises for people all day long; put extra money in a parking meter, bring a street vendor a cup of coffee, pay the bridge toll for the car behind you. The recipients of your surprises may never know your identity, but they will feel great knowing that someone they’ve never met took the time to do something kind.

Leave gifts. Take small gifts to friends, family, coworkers or anyone else you interact with regularly. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just a little something to let them know that you’re thinking of them. An unexpected present is guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Reconnect. The kindest thing anyone can do is to make time for another person. February 17 is a great day to reach out to family and friends that you’ve lost touch with over the years. Find people from your past and reestablish a cherished relationship.

Send a note. It always feels wonderful to receive a letter or email from someone you care about, so why not share that joy on Random Acts of Kindness Day. Take a few minutes to write to anyone whose day you’d like to brighten.

Random Acts of Kindness Day is February 17, but you don’t have to wait. You can make every day an opportunity to do something thoughtful and out-of-the-blue for the people who share your life, or even for someone you’ve never met. Get out there and pay it forward, bask in the joy that comes from sharing a simple act of kindness and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders People Search blog.

The origin of this holiday may be a mystery – there are multiple stories about how Valentine’s Day began – but one thing is certain: it is one of the most celebrated days of the years and a great time to reconnect with the important people from your past…

Missing Your Old Flame?
They say it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Some people have added to this and discovered that it can be better still to rekindle an old love that was once lost. Now and then you hear stories about two star-crossed lovers reconnecting after decades apart. It could be that some people were just meant to be together – even if it takes many years to realize that fact.

So many people have a story about ‘the one that got away’, and wish there was something they could do. Maybe there is – if true love was meant to be, it can wait for longer than you might think. Maybe it’s time to reunite with that long lost flame who still burns brightly in your mind.

Family Lasts A Lifetime
Your family – these are the people who are linked to you forever. They may share a last name, similar features or familiar quirky traits, but more importantly they share a bond that remains strong no matter how much time passes, or how far apart they get.

Family members lose touch for many reasons. It can be due to an old argument, because people move so often that it becomes impossible to keep up, or hundreds of other scenarios. Whatever the cause, one fact remains: family ties can be bound back together.

Friendships Were Built To Last
It’s unfortunate, but friendships sometimes fade away over time. Work schedules get hectic, new families require large amounts of time, people move far away…

Our true friends are the people we cherish, and the people we can reconnect with no matter how much time has gone by. When you get together with an old friend, you usually notice something extraordinary: it seems like no time has passed at all. Why spend another day missing someone you proudly call your friend? After all, if you’re thinking of them, chances are they’re also thinking of you.

Valentine’s Day is a reason to celebrate more than the love between two people – it is a time to celebrate the devotion you feel towards every person who has touched your life. So many people lose through the years, but the simple truth is that some people are worth finding all over again.

If you have someone that you’d like to reconnect with this Valentine’s Day – an old flame, family member or a dear friend – you can find them again with help from PeopleFinders. Start with a People Search, and get the information you need to reach out to everyone who will always hold a special place in your heart.

Visit PeopleFinders, create your own happy ending and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders People Search blog.

Laurie with her sister Kathy, aunt Peggie and brother Kevin

Jeri is a people finding sleuth who goes by the nickname “Sherlock”. She has utilized The PeopleFinders Network to find hundreds of people, and was kind enough to share a few of her success stories with us. One of our favorites is about a woman named Laurie…

Laurie was separated from her mother as an infant in the 1940’s. She would never see her mother again.

Years later, Laurie hoped to find her family, but only had a few clues: her mother’s name (which was very common), the name of her mother’s husband (Bruno Vernazza) and the fact that her mother had a sister named Peggy. After some intense investigating, Laurie found an address for Bruno, but it was not current, and the trail dried up.

That’s when Jeri got involved. Jeri used the old address to find more recent information through The PeopleFinders Network. Sadly, Bruno had passed away, but Jeri also found someone who used to live with him. That person was able to provide a few of Bruno’s personal belongings, including a marriage certificate. It was the lead Jeri had been looking for.

After a little more searching, Jeri tracked down a man in Arizona who had the same name as Laurie’s grandfather. That man turned out to be Laurie’s uncle. He helped fill in even more blanks, which led to the discovery of several of Laurie’s family members – including her aunt Peggy, her sister and a brother she never knew existed. Today they all enjoy a larger and very loving family.

Laurie’s case was difficult to crack. It was full of twists, dead-ends and false hope. During her search, Laurie discovered that her name was listed differently on four official documents. The name on her birth certificate was Doran Doran, and officially changing that name only led to more complications. Her search for relatives took more than eleven years, but she finally reunited with her family … and it happened on her 60th birthday!

It took a large amount of ingenuity and perseverance from Laurie and Jeri, but the end result was a happy ending worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster. Laurie loves to share her story, and to give others hope that they too can find their family members – no matter how much time has gone by. As she likes to say, her story shows that you just have to be persistent.

If you have someone that you’ve been missing, we can help. Visit us today to search for anyone in the United States. We’ll show you how to reconnect with a family member, friend, classmate, military buddy or anyone else.

We love reading heart-warming tales like this one. If you’ve had your own people finding adventure with help from PeopleFinders, please let us know.  Share your story with us … and we’ll share it with the world.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to write and remind us of why we do what we do. We appreciate the messages and love to hear about how we helped you plan your own reunion. Keep searching until you find the people who mean the world to you, and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders People Search blog.

Developing a business involves an incalculable amount of time, work and effort. It is not a venture that is entered into lightly; the desire to found a company stems from the pursuit of a dream and the need to carve your own niche in this world.

At PeopleFinders, we believe in people. We believe that family and friends are the most important part of life, and that it is the love, friendship and companionship of others that truly keep us going. That’s why PeopleFinders was created, and why we continue to do what we do.

PeopleFinders is dedicated to helping people find and reconnect with others. Now and then we receive emails from people who have used our services to reunite with someone they lost touch with years ago. These messages remind us of why we continuously endeavor to provide our customers with the most powerful people search tool available: we want to help you find anyone, anywhere.

We thought we’d take a moment to look back at some comments that made us smile, laugh or just stop for a moment and enjoy a sense of pride for our work. Like this message from our friend Will:

“I decided to join PeopleFinders to locate my old classmates. I was so thrilled when I started finding people. I had the daunting task of finding 455 people. Over a two month period, I was able to locate 413 classmates. Being able to cross-reference people who are associated with an individual really helped. Last month, we had a great reunion…”

Will finishes by saying that using PeopleFinders has been fun and rewarding. Thank you, Will, we’re glad we could help.

Most families share a bond that cannot be broken – at least not permanently. When we hear from someone who reunited with family members through PeopleFinders.com, it makes our day. Like this letter from Samuel:

“5 days ago I got onto this site to see if I could find my mom and my brother, and within minutes I found out where she was. Now, just today my mom contacted me, and after 23 years I am finally reunited with my mom, brother, uncle and two sisters I didn’t even know about. I encourage anyone that has lost communication with someone or never really met a family member to give this site 5 days the way I did and see the results this site can produce.”

Samuel enjoyed a family reunion that included siblings he never knew existed. We know that this meant everything to Samuel, and we were excited to play a small part.

We are proud that our services help people – and that some people use our websites to help others. Take Jeri from California, who goes by the nickname Sherlock. Jeri helped find “missing” classmates for a High School Reunion Committee, and then continued to help friends, other committees and complete strangers find their long lost loved ones. Read more about it in part two of this blog.

American troops bring supplies to Haiti.

Haiti has dominated the news since a devastating magnitude-7 earthquake hit the country on January 12, 2010. The cataclysmic event resulted in an estimated 200,000 deaths and 250,000 injuries. More than 1.5 million people are thought to be homeless due to the massive destruction of property.

Rescue efforts began immediately after the shaking subsided; the intense quake left many people buried under rubble. Crews dug through homes, schools and buildings searching for signs of life. Some lucky people were saved by workers who bravely risked their own lives, but as the week progressed, hope of finding additional survivors diminished.

It took pure determination and resolve for rescue workers to keep going after several days of searching. At times, however, their efforts were rewarded. Rescuers found two women alive within the wreckage of a university. 69-year-old Ena Zizi was saved after enduring a week under the debris from a house where she had been attending a church meeting. A five-year-old boy survived being trapped in his home for more than 7 days.

As news of the quake spread, it was immediately obvious that the people of Haiti were urgently in need of aid. Victims of the quake desperately needed food, water, medical attention and supplies. People all over the world reacted without hesitation.

American troops were brought to Haiti to help the recovery efforts. Within a week, 11,000 servicemen were in the country delivering supplies, tending to injuries and helping out in every way possible. Another 4,000 troops are expected to deploy soon.

American civilians are also doing their part. People are donating time, blood and, most importantly, money. By January 19, nearly $250 million had been raised to help the Haitians.

School children across the country are spending their free time collecting donations. Celebrities are raising funds and awareness for the earthquake victims. Even though so many Americans have been hurt by the ongoing recession, they are tightening their budgets even more to help those who are so desperately in need.

It’s the American way. When people go through a crisis, Americans do everything possible to help. No matter what the cost, no matter what hardships they face personally. Americans are always there to lend a hand and help others rebuild their lives.

At PeopleFinders, we are inspired by the generosity that so many people are displaying, even if they are going through difficult time financially. It reminds us of why we are so proud to do what we do: help people find and reconnect with family and friends. After all, the people we share our world with are the most valuable resource and the best part of life.

It’s never too late to help the people of Haiti, and those who wish to donate are urged to send money. The Red Cross has a convenient new way to for anyone to send $10 – just text the word “HAITI” to 90999. You can do this as often as you like, and the amount will be added to your next bill.

There are moments that truly define the character of human beings. The response to this catastrophic earthquake and the following aftershock is among them. It goes so show how much people care about other people, even those we don’t know. Thank you, America, for once again displaying your humanity – and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders People Search blog.

Zaborney hopes to get people all over the world hugging – and suggests that even those who are far apart on January 21 can still send hugs via email. To learn more about his mission and send a free e-card, visit his website.

So why should you want to hug someone on this or any other day? Aside from the fact that it gives you a nice feeling to connect with another person, there are several health benefits to a hug. Regular hugging is known to:

• Elevate moods
• Decrease blood pressure
• Relieve pain and depression through increased nerve activity
• Build emotional bonds between two people
• Help children develop faster

In short, they make you feel good and can improve your health!

National Hugging Day is a good time to hug everyone who is close to you – and to reach out to those whom you haven’t seen in a long time. PeopleFinders can help you find and reconnect with friends, family and anyone you’ve been missing. Search for people you’d like to see again using a name, phone number, address or most any other information you know, and get ready to hug someone you haven’t seen in years.

So what are you waiting for? Give someone you care about a hug today; and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders People Search blog.

By the early 1950’s, Elvis had become a sensation. He had the total package: the look, the moves and the voice. People everywhere gathered together to hear his music, and share the thrill of his live performances.

The people who shared the experience of seeing Elvis, or spent time together listening to his songs and watching his movies, share a unique bond. They are permanently linked through their mutual adoration of the man who was affectionately known as “The King”.

Elvis released his first album in March of 1956. It was a smash hit; the album landed at the top of the charts for ten weeks. This accomplishment is made even more impressive by the fact that his was the first rock ‘n’ roll album to reach number one on the Billboard Charts.

Fans flocked to see Elvis live, where his gyrating method of dance sparked a wave of controversy, and earned him the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis” along with a slew of bad publicity. He was nearly banned from such prestigious television programs as The Ed Sullivan Show, but his ever-increasing popularity was enough to change most anyone’s mind. In 1956, Sullivan booked Elvis for three appearances. Elvis made several notorious televised appearances, which only helped to increase his status as a celebrity.

It seemed nothing could slow down this amazing career, not even a stint in the United States army. When Elvis returned, however, he spent most of his time making movies. Elvis the movie star left many of his fans clamoring for more music from their idol. They were given a taste of his songs in every new film, but the soundtracks didn’t fare nearly as well as his other work.

After several years of making movies, Elvis wanted to return to his roots. He starred in the NBC holiday special that would later be known as “The Elvis Comeback Special”. It worked. The show boasted more viewers than any other put out by the network that season. Elvis the rock ‘n’ roller was back.

From then on Elvis continued to record new music and play live shows. Tragically, the iconic singer passed away on August 16, 1977. Even after his passing the King continued to make waves. His song “Way Down” reached the top of the country music charts three days after he was pronounced dead.

So many people cherished Elvis, and shared the experience of listening to his music, going to his live shows and watching his movies together. Fans of Elvis share a special connection – a unity that stems from their love of this beloved performer.

If you’ve lost touch with friends who shared your love of Elvis, we can help. You can use our People Search service to find anyone that you’d like to reconnect with. All it takes is a name, old phone number, former address or most any other information you have, and you can see how to reach out to someone special so you can reminisce.

January 8, 1935 is the day of Elvis’ birth, and the perfect time to reconnect with the people who once celebrated his life and career with you. Happy birthday to the King, and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders People Search blog.