Ted Leonsis of Washington Capitals suggests making goals to ensure a happy life

Ted's bucket list

Ted Leonsis, Internet multimillionaire, Washington Capitals owner and by general acclaim a very nice guy, has some recommendations for being a happier person, and it isn't about getting rich. (Why is it that really wealthy people always say that?) Instead, he writes in his new memoir-cum-self-help book, "The Business of Happiness," "pursuing happiness seems to be a driver of success." So how to do that? Many of Leonsis's suggestions are familiar: Give back, get involved, be thankful, find outlets for self-expression, pursue a higher calling, don't let professional goals swamp all others in your life.

He also recommends rethinking your personal and professional priorities with a "scorecard" of life goals. Leonsis has one, 101 items long, that he drew up at age 25 after surviving a harrowing airplane flight that nearly ended in a crash landing.

Leonsis's list ranges from having a successful family to having a successful IPO. And, for what it's worth, he's now checked off 74 of those 101 items, including: getting married and having a healthy son and daughter (three separate items), changing someone's life with charity; giving $1 million to Georgetown University, seeing the Rolling Stones, inventing a board game, taking care of his extended family and going one-on-one with Michael Jordan.

Among those items yet to do: support someone who makes a great breakthrough in art or science, give away $100 milllion in his lifetime, win a world championship (Go Caps!), attend the Oscars and -- oh, yeah -- have a net worth of $1 billion after taxes.

Your list, of course, may be different.

-- Margaret Shapiro