We asked some of the happiest folks we know to tell us their secret.

Robert Solana Taylor | Screenwriter/Professor/Volunteer/Film Historian

It’s taken so long to find a balance in my life that brings me happiness… but I think I’ve finally gotten there. The key is that, whatever I’m doing, there must be some element of joy in it. Read more>>

Shanghai Phantom

As an independent Alternative R&B artist based in LA, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of seeing people bumping their heads and vibing to my music. It’s in those moments that I feel the most rewarded. Over the past decade, the entertainment industry has become increasingly standardized, with a growing emphasis on the commercial value of a song rather than the artistry behind it. I hope more artists can shift their focus back to the music itself and embrace the beauty of authentic expression. Read more>>

Manuel Betancourt

Baking. It’s such a simple pleasure yet it always makes me giddy. I think it’s because it stands in just stark contrast to my every day work as a writer—work which can sometimes feel rather abstract. Yet to bake a cake or a pie or some cookies is satisfying for the way it depends on using my hands and achieving something quite tangible in the fraction of a time it can take me to write an article, a feature, a book. Plus, I have such a sweet tooth that knowing I can, at any given point in my day, stop to make myself a nice treat is just an added bonus. Read more>>

Kristina Yin

In the past year, I would say I have been the happiest in my life! There were so many things I dreamed of and yearned for as a kid, and for the longest time they all felt so out of reach and impossible. I remember so many moments throughout my childhood and even throughout college where I felt like life was so meaningless and purposeless, and that there was nothing worth looking forward to in life. I didn’t have any close friendships, and I didn’t really have any passions in life. I felt so lost and like I was just passing the time all the time. Read more>>