Occasionally, I receive correspondence from a reader that is so fascinating and useful that I want to share it with a wider audience. I am grateful to John Jay Pelletier, who sent me his book, “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Keep It Up. If You’re Not Happy, Whose Fault Is It?”

Pelletier, who describes himself as a 75-year-old world traveler, writes about “ikigai,” 10 golden rules to happiness distilled from the wisdom of long-living residents of Ogimi, Japan. Ikigai, pronounced “Icky Guy,” is the title of a 2016 book written by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles. These rules transcend international boundaries -- it turns out I have been practicing them without even realizing it! So, I can vouch for the validity of their advice.

Here are the 10 rules, followed by my comments:

1. Stay active. Don’t ever retire. I have followed this advice religiously. The only grass that grows under my feet is on the golf course. When people ask me about retirement, I tell them I’m going with my boots on.

2. Take it slow, one day at a time. I’m not sure I take it slow, but I do go one day at a time. I don’t dwell on the past; rather I focus on today and what I can do to improve.

3. Don’t fill your stomach; have a good diet. I have always eaten healthy (with a lot of help from my wife, Carol Ann, for the last 60-plus years.)

4. Surround yourself with good friends. I have friends whom I’ve known since grade school, high school and college, friends who started out as business contacts, golfing friends, friends who share my passion for community service, and friends I met last week. They are all important to me.

5. Stay in shape; keep moving. I have exercised all my life. It just makes me feel better, gives me energy to work more productively and, I hope, live longer. My philosophy is exercise doesn’t take time; it makes time.

Back in the 1960s, I attended Stanford University for three months for its Graduate School of Business Executive Program. Many people in the group were dedicated to running, and they asked me to join them. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Ten marathons later, I’m grateful for their invitation.

6. A smile shows a cheerful attitude. I learned years ago that one of the most powerful things you can do to connect with others is to smile at them. Never underestimate the value of a smile. You shouldn’t come to work without a smile -- and that goes for your personal life too.

7. Reconnect with Mother Nature; get out more. I must admit that I am not really big on camping, biking and so on, but I have spent a great deal of my life outdoors on tennis courts and golf courses, plus running and walking.

8. Give thanks for what you have -- health, friends and family. Don’t wait for Thanksgiving to take time to relax and enjoy time for togetherness. Don’t overschedule yourself. Build some extra time into your day so you can talk to family and friends and genuinely give thanks for being together.

9. Live the moment; make it worth remembering. The width of life is as important as the length. We can’t let time slip through our fingers without spending some quality time with those who really matter to us. Be sure not to let making a living interfere with having a life.

10. Follow your ikigai -- your dreams and passions. Passion never goes out of fashion. Passion is at the top of the list of the skills you need to excel in any undertaking. There is no substitute for passion. If you don’t have a deep-down, intense, burning desire for what you are doing, there’s no way you’ll be able to work the long, hard hours it takes to become successful. The biggest challenge is not to add years to your life -- but passion to your years.

Have you found your ikigai? It’s never too late to start on a better path to living. Let these 10 rules put you on a good footing for a more fulfilling life. Don’t count the years; make the years count.

Mackay’s Moral: Happiness is an inside job.

In a hilarious episode of the classic television series “Seinfeld,” Jerry is trying to have a healthy breakfast and accidentally squirts his grapefruit in the eye of his friend. George goes around the entire day winking at the worst possible times when asked specific questions, causing people to think he is either covering up for someone or flirting.

Body language is the process of communicating through nonverbal signals. It includes things like posture, facial expressions, gestures and more. The first Friday in October (Oct. 7) is National Body Language Day.

As a lifelong envelope salesman, I am well aware of body language. It’s extremely important to be able to read the body language of your customers and prospects. I’m reminded of a cartoon where a prospective customer is shown sleeping with his head on a desk, while the salesperson across from him comments, “Your body language says you’ve lost interest.”

Being aware of body language can make all the difference to how you perceive people, and to how they perceive you. You can say a lot about yourself without actually speaking.

What can people’s movements and physical behaviors tell you about what they’re thinking? The Cracked website offers these insights into other people’s thoughts:

Mirroring -- If someone is genuinely paying attention to you, they’ll start to mirror your movements and gestures.

Head tilt -- When the other person tilts his or her head and leans an ear toward you, this signifies interest in what you're saying.

Hands -- People who feel strong and confident spread their fingers wide. People who are insecure will tighten their fingers or hide their hands altogether.

Doodles -- People who doodle predominantly with straight lines tend to be more fact-oriented. Curving strokes signify that the person is more creative and flexible.

Long story short, you are communicating moods, feelings or intentions via your actions. If someone approaches you and your arms are crossed and you are avoiding eye contact, you are communicating that you are not approachable. This may be totally inaccurate, but it’s how you will be perceived.

You can work on changing your habits to become a better nonverbal communicator. Changing habits can be very difficult. Check in with yourself or others to see what kind of messages you are communicating.

When video conferencing replaces in-person meetings, body language presents a new challenge. Looking off-screen, squirming in your chair, background distractions and even video glitches affect body language messages. When there are multiple attendees participating from separate locations, it becomes more difficult to interpret the physical messages. Maintaining focus can be a bigger challenge when you aren’t in person, so check your location and background before you connect to minimize distractions.

Similarly, phone conversations can convey body language through your tone and even how long you pause or how quickly you interrupt.

Body language takes on a huge role for public speakers, whether you are presenting to a board meeting or an auditorium of hundreds. Did you know that your body language can make up 55% of your message? Making eye contact with your audience is essential, and your posture lets those in attendance know that you are prepared and enthusiastic. Practice in front of objective friends until you are confident that your physical movement isn’t overpowering your verbal remarks.

Don’t let how you move, your facial expressions, and general demeanor get in the way of your intended meaning. A carefully crafted message deserves to be delivered in a complete package. You can’t just put your best foot forward -- be prepared from head to toe!

Mackay’s Moral: Listen to your body language. It speaks volumes.

A businessman was heavily in debt and couldn’t see any way out of it. Creditors were pressing him. Suppliers were demanding payment. Banks refused to loan him any money.

He was sitting on a park bench one day with his head down, trying to think of a way to save his company from bankruptcy. Suddenly an old man walked up to him and asked what was bothering him.

The businessman explained his problems, and the old man wrote him a check, saying, “Take this money. We will meet here in exactly one year, and you will be able to return it to me at that time.”

The businessman looked at the $500,000 check and thought of all the problems it could solve. But instead of depositing the check in the bank, he put it into his safe. The check inspired him to think of some new ideas, which gave him the confidence to pursue several potential deals. His company started to turn a profit again, and he was out of debt in a couple months.

Exactly one year later, the businessman returned to the park with the original check. A few minutes later the old man appeared, but suddenly a nurse ran up and grabbed him.

“I’m so glad I caught up with him,” she exclaimed. “I hope he wasn’t bothering you. He likes to leave the senior home and tell people he’s a millionaire giving away money.”

The businessman watched them walk away, stunned. He’d spent a year rescuing his business, convinced he had a half-million dollars to fall back on if he failed. Now he understood that it wasn’t the money that turned his life around. It was his new confidence and belief in himself that gave him the strength to achieve success.

Confidence doesn’t come naturally to most people. Even the most successful people have struggled with it in their careers. The good news is that you can develop confidence, just like any muscle or character trait, if you’re willing to work hard. The better news: The following tips can help you strengthen your confidence.

-- Pay attention to your appearance. When you dress for success, you will carry yourself with more confidence. Devoting some time to your wardrobe and overall grooming shows others that you are knowledgeable, powerful and competent. I also consider posture part of your appearance.

-- Don’t lose sight of your dreams. It is important to aim high, to have dreams that inspire you to go beyond your limits. I often joke that it takes years to become an overnight success. But it starts with a dream.

-- Continue to grow and improve. Seek new knowledge. If you’re lacking any of the skills you need to achieve your goals, focus on learning them.

-- Practice, practice, practice. Practice makes perfect? Not true. You must add one word: Perfect practice makes perfect. Practice right so you don’t get it wrong. All the world’s a stage, and most of us need more rehearsals.

-- Stay positive. Don’t let mistakes bother you. You don’t need to be perfect to feel confident. Thinking positive has no negative. Positive thinking turns obstacles into opportunities.

-- Get over the fear of rejection. Rejection is part of life. Not everyone can handle all the rejections that are necessary to be successful. They don’t realize that in order to get the yeses, you must hear the nos.

-- Don’t be afraid to ask for advice. No one knows it all. That’s why I have a kitchen cabinet to bounce things off. No matter what field, I always want to talk to the experts. Good advice is never cheap, and cheap advice is rarely good.

Walt Disney used to talk about the four Cs to success in life: curiosity, confidence, courage and constancy. He believed that if you applied these four Cs to your life, you could accomplish practically anything.

But there was one C that Walt believed to be the greatest of all -- confidence. He said, “When you believe a thing, believe it all the way.”

Mackay’s Moral: The person who has self-confidence gains the confidence of others.