Positive habits bring the tremendous rewards of success, joy, and lasting fulfillment. Here are seven habits that are very important for living joyfully and successfully.

Gratitude: offering a simple and sincere "Thank you" when someone is helpful or shows a kindness, and offering daily prayers of gratitude for all blessings.

Reliability and trustworthiness: taking personal responsibility to keep one's agreements, even if it takes longer than anticipated.

Persistence and tenacity: taking measured risks, surmounting obstacles, and with patience, completing worthwhile missions that fulfill one's purpose.

Encouragement: showing appreciation and support for the talents, dreams, efforts, and accomplishments of others.

Compassion: doing what is possible to alleviate human suffering, treating other members of our human family with love, generosity, and forgiveness.

Cooperation: welcoming necessary changes, negotiating and resolving differences in ways that achieve common goals, communicate goodwill, show strength of character, and foster supportive alliances.

Continuous learning: gaining new skills, recording experiences, and learning from both desirable and undesirable events to create clearer maps for future progress.

John Dryden wisely wrote, "We first make our habits, and then our habits make us." So adopting new habits begins with a decision--a commitment to take actions that will align with one's values and goals.

Ask yourself the questions below. Your answers will create a valuable "habit list" to review and update from time to time:

What habits have consistently brought rewards to my personal life or career?

What rewards did they bring?

What habits could I adopt today that could have a positive impact on my future?

What rewards will I expect to receive?

May your life, today and in the future, be filled with all the rewards that you desire.