This time of year, we often hear the greeting "Happy Holidays." Are we really happy just because the holidays are here? Or is there a way to be happy all year long?

We are as happy as we decide to be. No one can tell us to be happy. Happiness is a state of mind.

Benjamin Franklin was concluding a moving speech on the guarantees of the Constitution when a heckler shouted out, "Aw, those words don't mean anything. Where's all the happiness you say it guarantees us?" Franklin smiled and calmly silenced his critic. "My friend, the Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."

That's why my friend Wally "Famous" Amos said, "Happiness is an inside job." By the way, Wally makes lots of people happy with his cookies!

I believe we were born to be happy. The happiest people I know are not the richest or most attractive or even the best at what they do. The happiest people are those who discover that what they should be doing and what they are doing are the same things.

That's because happiness doesn't come from just doing what you like -- it's from liking what you do. True happiness lies in satisfaction, which has nothing at all to do with how much money you make or how many people report to you.

I recently received an email from a reader who wrote, "Happy people achieve better results and are typically more successful." I like to say: Make it your business to be happy and your business will be happy.

As a customer, you can surely tell the difference between a business that practices happiness and one that exists merely to make money. Businesses that are serious about succeeding find ways to make customers happy. Why do you think McDonald's sells Happy Meals? What makes Disneyland the "happiest place on earth"? Certainly, happiness hasn't hurt their bottom lines.

So where do you start on a path to happiness in business and life in general? Here are 10 commandments, inspired by "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin (Harper Collins, 2009), that might improve your outlook if you strive to follow them daily:

-- Take it easy.

-- Be yourself.

-- Handle your responsibilities.

-- Exercise understanding.

-- Face your fears.

-- Leave your worries behind.

-- Live honestly.

-- Behave positively.

-- Open your heart and mind.

-- Share your time, attention and talents with others.

There is an ancient Native American legend about a little-known tribe that was constantly at war with other tribes. They abused their religion and their families, had no morals or feelings for others and laughed at any kind of order. The violent tribe seemed doomed to wipe themselves off the face of the earth.

It troubled the old chief to see his people self-destruct, so he gathered a few of his trusted warriors and held a council to discuss how they could save their tribe from themselves. The wise chief decided the only thing to do was to take the secret of happiness and success away from those who abused it. They would hide it where no one would ever find it again, but where?

One man suggested they bury the secret of happiness and success deep in the earth. But the chief said, "No, for man will dig deep down in the earth and find it."

Another said to sink the secret into the dark depths of the deepest ocean. But again the chief replied, "No, man will learn to dive into the dark depth of the ocean and will find it."

A third thought they should take it to the top of the highest mountain and hide it there. But again the chief said, "No, man will eventually climb even the highest of mountains and find it."

Finally the old chief had the answer: "Here is what we will do with the secret of happiness and success. We will hide it deep inside of man himself, for he will never think to look for it there."

And the chief was correct. To this day, according to that old legend, people have been searching all over the earth -- digging, diving and climbing -- searching for something that they already possess within themselves.

Lucky for you, you now know the secret.

Mackay's Moral: Happiness can be thought, taught and caught -- but not bought.

Golfing great Arnold Palmer said: "My father always said to me, 'Remember, whatever game you play, 90 percent of success is from the shoulders up.'"

Palmer has never flaunted his success as a golfer or businessman. When I visited him a couple years ago in Latrobe, Pa., I learned that although he has won hundreds of trophies and awards, the only trophy in his office is a battered little cup that he got for his first professional win at the Canadian Open in 1955. There is also a framed plaque on the wall, which explains why he has been successful on and off the golf course. It reads:

"If you think you are beaten, you are.

"If you think you dare not, you don't.

"If you'd like to win but think you can't,

"It's almost certain you won't.

"Life's battles don't always go

"To the stronger or faster man,

"But sooner or later, the man who wins

"Is the man who thinks he can."

I later discovered that this was part of a longer poem written by C.W. Longenecker. It's all about mind over matter -- mental toughness.

We often hear the term mental toughness from athletes, coaches and sports commentators, but it translates to all aspects of life, especially business. Mental toughness is persevering through difficult circumstances. It is conditioning your mind to think confidently and being able to overcome frustration.

Athletes must be in tiptop physical shape, but if they don't prepare themselves just as much mentally, they will never become champions.

Serena Williams, like other top tennis players, uses her mental strength to succeed. She uses power thoughts during her matches and reviews them on changeovers, which helps her focus and get her game back on track if necessary. Her power thoughts include: "My good thoughts are powerful." "My only negative thoughts are weak." "Hang on to the thought of what you want. Make it absolutely clear." "You are No. 1." "You are the best." "You will win."

Dr. Jim Loehr of the Human Performance Institute defined mental toughness in his book "The New Toughness Training for Sports" as "the ability to consistently perform towards the upper range of your talent and skill regardless of competitive circumstances." He went on to add: "Mental toughness is all about improving your mind so that it's always on your side; not sometimes helping you nor working against you as we all know it's quite capable of doing."

Mental toughness is like a muscle. It needs to be exercised to grow and develop. You must get out of your comfort zone by taking on new tasks. As your comfort zone expands, seek out other duties to test your determination. You will soon discover that there is almost nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it. It's truly mind over matter.

Dr. David Yukelson from Penn State University lists the key characteristics associated with mentally tough elite athletes as:

-- Self-Belief: Having an unshakable belief in one's ability to achieve competition goals.

-- Motivation: Having an insatiable desire and internalized motivation to succeed.

-- Focus: Remain fully focused on the task at hand in the face of distractions.

-- Composure/handling pressure: Ability to regain psychological control and to thrive on pressure.

But in my opinion, those characteristics translate seamlessly for businesspeople in every discipline. If your mind isn't prepared to take on the challenges that constantly arise in business, you are doomed to fail. It's that simple.

Three cowboys had been riding the range in New Mexico since dawn. Busy with the herd of cattle they were tending, there had been no time to stop and eat. As the day wore on, two of the cowboys started talking about how hungry they were and about the huge meal they were going to eat after the day's work was done.

All they talked about was food. Finally, they asked the third cowboy if he was hungry. He just shrugged his shoulders and said, "No."

At sundown, the three cowboys rode into town and ordered the biggest steak dinners at the local restaurant. The three of them ate every last morsel. One of the trio reminded the third cowboy that less than an hour earlier he had told them he was not hungry.

"Not wise to be hungry then," he replied. "No food."

Mackay's Moral: Life is 10 percent how you make it and 90 percent how you take it.

Teamwork might seem like a complicated subject, but to some creatures, it comes naturally as a way to survive and expend the least amount of energy.

According to a BBC News story, scientists taped heart monitors to great white pelicans. These birds had been trained to fly behind a light aircraft and a boat, and a team was able to observe them during their flight. Pelicans, it is known, fly in "squadron" formation, or in a "V" shape, and they flap their wings in time with their leader. Scientists, now able to observe and gather data from the heart monitors, found that the birds' heartbeats were lower when they flew in formation than when they flew solo. Their heart rates slowed because they were able to benefit from each other's air streams. They were also able to glide more.

Working together, the birds were able to accomplish their migratory goals by expending less energy and being able to fly farther than when they are alone. It seems that there is a lesson here, and it's not for the birds. Animals of all types develop certain behaviors because it helps them to migrate, feed or survive more easily. The entire group benefits because less energy is required to perform the greater task at hand.

In human terms, even the most seasoned pilots need a control tower and ground crew.

Lester C. Thurow, economist and dean of the Sloan School of Management, said: "There is nothing antithetical in American history, culture or traditions to teamwork. Teams were important in America's history -- wagon trains conquered the West, men working together on the assembly line in American industry conquered the world, a successful national strategy and a lot of teamwork put an American on the moon first (and thus far, last).

"But American mythology extols only the individual -- the Lone Ranger or Rambo. In America, halls of fame exist for almost every conceivable activity, but nowhere do Americans raise monuments in praise of teamwork."

Why is that? I can think of no single feat that was accomplished without a little help. From the greatest minds in the world to the most successful corporations, no one can honestly claim they did it all alone. It's often said it takes "a village to raise a child." I believe that village is also necessary to contribute to any level of success in adulthood as well. This world is simply too big a place to go it alone.

A story in the Harvard Business Review illustrates the importance of teamwork at every level. While many Westerners might think that consensus is characteristic of Japanese culture, institutionalized conflict is an integral part of Japanese management.

"At Honda, any employee, however junior, can call for a "waigaya" session. The rules are that people lay their cards on the table and speak directly about problems.

"Nothing is out of bounds, from supervisory deficiencies on the factory floor to perceived lack of support for a design team.

"'Waigaya' legitimizes tension so that learning can take place."

That example emphasizes the importance of every member of the team and how a real team should function. Each member should be able to contribute strengths and ideas; otherwise, the concept of team is meaningless.

Once upon a time, there was an enterprising businessman who had a fantastic idea. He figured out a way to build the perfect automobile. He hired a team of young engineers and told them to buy one of every car model in the world and dismantle them.

He instructed them to pick out the best part from every car and to place it in a special room. Soon the room was filled with parts judged by the group to be the best engineered in the world -- the best carburetor, the best set of brakes, the best steering wheel, the best transmission, and so on. It was an impressive collection -- more than 5,000 parts in all. Then he had all the parts assembled into one automobile -- the pick of the world, so to speak.

There was only one problem: It didn't work! The automobile refused to function. The parts would not work together.

It's the same with people. A team of people or things with a common objective and harmony can be superior to a group of individual "all-stars" any day.

Mackay's Moral: TEAM: Together Everyone Accomplishes More.