James D. Baird - Happiness Genes: Unlock the Positive Potential Hidden in Your DNA

Praise for Happiness Genes:

Combining recent studies showing the epigenetic effects of changing our beliefs and behaviors with the wisdom of ancient spiritual traditions, Happiness Genes is a wide-ranging survey of the science of happiness. It asks the reader provocative questions, like considering how our behaviors might be affecting the genetic expression of our children. Baird and Nadel show you how to inventory your happiness assets, those relationships, possessions and situations that contribute to your happiness, and then treat them like the valuable resource that they are. Wise and practical, the book is peppered with self-reflection exercises, and ends with a 28 day program that guides you in cleaning up everything in your life that stands between you and happiness. To understand the links between what happiness looks like at the molecular level in our cells, the happiness of entire nations, and how you can take lessons from everything in between to raise your own happiness level, this book is an excellent guide.

Dawson Church,
best-selling author of The Genie in Your Genes

Happiness Genes

INCLUDES THE NATURAL
HAPPINESS 28-DAY PROGRAM

Unlock the Potential
Hidden in Your DNA

JAMES D. BAIRD, PHD
with Laurie Nadel, PhD

Foreword by DR. BRUCE LIPTON, New York
Times best-selling author of
The Biology of Belief

Copyright 2010 by James D. Baird and Laurie Nadel

All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press.

Disclaimer:This book and its program are not designed to replace medical or psychiatric treatment for a serious health condition. Please seek professional help if you have questions about your physical or psychological health.

Happiness Genes

Edited and Typeset by Kara Kumpel

Cover design by Howard Grossman/12E Design

Printed in the U.S.A. by Courier

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Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Baird, James D.

Unlock the positive potential hidden in your DNA / by James D. Baird with Laurie Nadel ;

foreword by Bruce Lipton.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-60163-105-3 ISBN 978-1-60163-735-2 1.

Happiness. 2. Conduct of life. 3.

Genetic psychology. I. Nadel, Laurie, 1948- II. Title.

BF575.H27B34 2010

158dc22

2009051731

To my wife, Ellie. By her unselfish devotion, she gave me the best memories of my lifes journey, and by her example taught me how to love my neighbor.

We wish to thank Dr. Wayne Dyer and our literary agent, Lisa Hagan, for believing in this book from the beginning. To Bruce Lipton, our profound thanks for your generous Foreword.

Our appreciation to Dawson Church, Rollins McCraty, Caroline Myss, Gregg Braden, and Steve Bhaerman for their insights into epigenetics. Basha Hayem at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories allowed a tour of the labs campus and pointed us toward excellent reference material. To Margaret, Sally, and Deb, who keep Bruce and Dawson organized, our thanks and blessings.

Thanks to Michael Pye and Kirsten Dalley at New Page Books. For each of you who held our hands through the many stages of the editorial process, you have our sincere appreciation.

Finally, to our family and friends for their everlasting patiencewe could not have done this without you.

Foreword
by Dr. Bruce Lipton

Part I:
The Genes Made Me Do It

Chapter 1:
Your Genes Awaken

Chapter 2:
Epigenetics, Evolution, and You

Chapter 3:
The Power of Our Spiritual Genes

Chapter 4:
Your Ancestors Spiritual Instinct

Chapter 5:
Dimensions of Spirituality

Chapter 6:
Common Happiness

Chapter 7:
Natural Happiness

Chapter 8:
Getting on the Path to Happiness

Chapter 9:
The Natural Happiness 28-Day Program

Chapter 10:
Internalizing Happiness Habits

Afterword
Welcome to the Revolution!

Appendix I:
Behavioral Science and Epigenetics in Depth

Appendix II:
Self-Hypnotic Induction

Crisis ignites evolution. The challenges and crises the world faces today are actually signs that change is imminent. We are about to face our evolution.

A paradigm-shattering synthesis of science and society reveals that the planet is in the midst of an incredible evolutionary eventthe emergence of a new species, Humanity. This evolution is driven by a change in human awareness. We are, each and all, active participants in what will amount to be the greatest adventure in human history: our conscious evolution!

We are living in exciting times, for modern science is in the process of shattering old myths and rewriting the story that has shaped the fate of human civilization. It is a simple fact: Our world changes when our perceptions of life as we know it changes. The old ways of seeing, believing, and reasoning will not help us transform the current conditions, simply because they are the primary reasons for the crises that threaten us today. Changing our understanding of biology and human history offers information and inspiration that will help us navigate these turbulent times.

In order for us to more effectively deal with threatening global challenges and contribute to the evolution of our planet, we must first shed our image of being helpless victims and learn the truth as to who we really are. A good starting place is to first acquire a more accurate account of how life works, for conventional wisdom is being shattered by a revolution in modern science. The new science is toppling the unquestioned pillars of biology, including our perceptions of random evolution, survival of the fittest, and the role of DNA.

A fundamental disempowering misperception is evident when we look at ourselves in the mirror and perceive ourselves as single, individual entities. In truth, our body is actually a community comprising upward of 50 trillion individual living cells. This number is easy to say, but it is almost unfathomable to comprehend. The total number of cells in a human body is equal to the total number of people on 8,000 Earths!

Virtually every body cell has all of the functions that are present in a human body. For example, almost every cell has its own nervous, digestive, respiratory, musculoskeletal, reproductive, and even immune systems, among others. Each of these cells is, in a true sense, the equivalent of a miniature human being.

Every cell is innately intelligent and can survive on its own when removed from the body. However, when present within the body, each cell foregoes its individuality and behaves as a citizen of a multicellular community. The human body actually reflects the cooperative effort of a