The Top Ten Ways to Cultivate Happiness

by Ruth Hegarty


In 1776, when John Hancock (and 55 others) signed the Declaration of Independence, they were well aware of the fact that "the pursuit of happiness" is vital to the welfare of individuals. The following list constitutes some of the important lessons I have learned in my own pursuit of happiness. Use these ten simple, powerful and practical strategies to invite more happiness into your life.

1. Work on your attitude. Charles Swindoll was right: life IS ninety-percent how we react to what happens. A positive attitude is vital to our happiness. The great thing about attitudes is that they can be changed. If you see yourself as a pessimist, make a concerted effort to see the positive side of every situation.

2. Recognize all that you have for which to be grateful. When you think things aren't going your way, think about all the people in the world who would see what you have as truly bountiful. Think of your friends and family, your ability to see the beauty of a sunset, your sense of humor, and spend some time thinking about what your life would be like without them. Make a list of 100+ things you are grateful for in your life.

3. Practice Extreme Self-Care. Find more time in your schedule to spend with yourself and your loved ones, eat healthy, take up a hobby that has always interested you, don't take work home on the weekends, etc. Treat yourself with the kindness and respect you deserve.

4. Spend time in nature. Nature has a peaceful healing quality that city dwellers don't often recognize. The blues of the ocean, the greens of fields and forests, the delicious smell of wildflowers, and beautiful music of song birds make us feel happy on a primal level. Spending time in nature has the power to rejuvenate and sustain us.

5. Think outside the box - use your creativity! The creative part of ourselves is where we find our ability to play and innovate. These are qualities small children have in abundance. Take some time to watch youngsters at play and try to emulate them in your own life. I revived my ability to have fun by playing with my three year old nephew. From him I learned to use my creativity to find happiness in odd places - like cement mixers and rusty horse shoes.

6. Stay physically fit. This works on several levels. For one thing, exercise releases endorphins in your body that create a sense of well-being. Being in decent shape also opens up the field of activities you can engage in to bring more fun into your life (i.e. you can play volley ball, soft ball, etc). Engaging in these types of activities also helps keep you in shape which will reduce illness and injury. Now that has to make you happy. Consult with your doctor for information on diet and exercise before you begin any new program.

7. Choose happiness - no matter what happens. A great line from the movie Thelma & Louise is "You get what you settle for." It is possible to settle for happiness. Read biographies of people who have overcome adversity in their lives (Hellen Keller for example) to see how it can be done. Let the stories of others inspire you to put your own troubles in perspective and settle for happiness.

8. Ask for help. It isn't easy to change a life long habit of pessimism, but it is possible. Talk to people whom you see as having a positive attitude and ask them how they do it. Ask your friends and family to support you while you upgrade to a happy life by providing feedback, nudges, and playmates. Hire a coach to help you define and implement changes in your life that will enhance your happiness.

9. Give something away. Volunteer your time or money to give back to the community. Find a cause you believe in and support it. Help an elderly neighbor by mowing their lawn or shoveling their walk. Giving of yourself to others is tremendously rewarding.

10. Connect with something spiritual. Be it religion or meditation, having a spiritual connection in our lives provides an outlet for deep contemplation and an opportunity to connect with like minded people. Find a spiritual practice that feels right for you and set aside time each day to pray/meditate on the deeper meanings of life.

Finding Real Happiness in Life

by Carolyn Anderson


What exactly are the keys to a happy life? Are we constantly searching for a source of happiness that is elusive? Are we looking for happiness in the right places? For sure, everyone wants to live a happy life and enjoy a life that we always wanted, but we are probably searching for happiness in the wrong things. Here are some ways to help you find real happiness in life.

Love your work. One of the keys to a happy life is loving your work. If you have a career that you love and a work that you love doing, then this should not be difficult for you. However, if you think you are stuck with a job you hate, then it is probably high time for you to find something that you love doing. Having a career you love is indeed one of the essentials in being happy everyday.

Work on your relationships. Great relationships are indeed one of the great keys to a happy life. Somehow, you can probably say you are blessed because you have a good family, great friends and a loving spouse. But you also have to work on being a good spouse, a great family member and a good friend to them. That way, you will not only be at the receiving end of the people's kindness but also a giver of happiness.

Take care of yourself. Your health is an essential aspect of being happy. Sometimes it can be difficult for us to be happy if we are feeling pain and discomfort, so strive to be healthy. Have a good exercise every morning. This will not only help you stay fit and healthy, it will also help you manage stress that is one major cause of the many unhappiness and negative energies in life.

Enjoy the things that you love doing. Whether it is a game of tennis or swimming, or you love dancing or singing, find time to enjoy these things. Share your talent and your abilities. Putting them in good use can make you feel your worth and your purpose in life.

Be a blessing to others. Do not just live your life for yourself. Learn to give, share and help others. Share what you have to the needy and help others who need your help. Remember that it is in giving that you receive more.

Pursue your goals. One of the keys to a happy life is having a direction in life, and you can find that direction if you have goals. Work on your goals and you will find your happiness soaring high as you achieve your goals one by one.

Stay positive in life. Being positive in life - having positive thoughts, doing positive things to others, and believing in yourself are indeed among the keys to a happy life.

Being able to appreciate the simplest things in life is indeed one of the great ways to be happy. Being thankful of whatever you have while working on your goals, building great relationships, being a blessing to others and loving yourself are indeed the main keys to a happy life.

Happiness Defined

by Doug Hart

Today's topic is one that has been pondered for centuries, the true meaning of happiness. Aristotle said "Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence". Do you agree?

Ok, in the big picture of things nearly everything we do on a daily basis is in one way or another related to obtaining happiness, or at the very least avoiding pain (some people work to not have their car repossessed!). But we all know there are different levels of happiness, many indeed. Some people may be happy because they were raised to be that way, having parents that always saw the best of any situation. Unfortunately, some people are miserable not matter how circumstances are treating them in life. Why?

I think there are several reasons for this, but mostly we are as happy as we make up our minds to be (Abraham Lincoln said that first, not me!) So why don't we all just make up our minds to be happy? Great question - I'll try to answer it.

It starts with our "version" of reality, our perceptions of what reality is to us as an individual. Now, depending on your circumstances growing up, you literally had millions of different events that influenced your reality, so every person has a different version. The way you experience a trip to the beach may be totally different than my way, due to some incident that occurred to you as a child. Say you nearly were eaten by a shark once - that probably gave you "bad taste" in your mouth when trips to the beach are mentioned. See what I mean?

Yes! But I'm an adult now, I can believe anything I want to believe! True, but think about some of the things you believe in. What do you believe would make you happy? Do you have all of those things? If not, then why not? Ah-hah! That's what I thought - very few people actually have what they feel would make them happy! Do you even know, in great detail, what would make you happy? And don't say a million dollars, because that by itself rarely makes people happy. I know, at least you could try, right? Ok, make a list!

Find out what you believe in your heart would make you happy...

Ok, how about peace of mind? A totally perfect relationship with your spouse? A large home in the mountains with a beautiful view? How about a career that really makes you want to go to work every day? What would it take to have all of the things on your list, if you don't already have them? You probably need to change yourself. But what if you have all of those things and more, but still aren't happy? I believe many people achieve all they set out to achieve, yet true happiness still eludes them. First, find your passion in life.

Chances are if you haven't found your true passion in life, then you aren't happy. Or maybe you are "conditionally happy", in other words if all is going well then your happy for the moment. But I believe to be truly happy on very deep level on a daily basis, a happiness that is unbending and unwavering not matter what the circumstances, you must first find your passion in life. So what are you waiting for? In my next newsletter I give some tips on how to find that very passion in life, until then...

Finding Happiness From Life

by Jared Akers


Finding happiness in life seems to be the goal of most people. However, maybe the better way to look at this is finding happiness in spite of life. Learning to accept life on life's terms and extract happiness from life can sometimes be quite a challenge. Happiness can be elusive but here's an amazing secret, you can't find happiness, happiness finds you! Thinking we can wrestle things out of life if we just manage better, can be an uphill battle, especially when being happy is one of the goals. Many times the key to finding something is to stop looking so hard. The universe often conspires against us if we insist on doing everything ourselves.

Happiness is a by-product of living a life well lived. Most people have an ideal self which they strive for, but many times they fall short, and thus find themselves unhappy. At times, people need to learn to be less harsh on themselves in areas they find themselves falling short. There's nothing wrong with striving for greatness, but just because we fail sometimes, does not mean we deserve to be happy.

Most happy people have something in common; they have found happiness within themselves. As a result of inner peace, they're less dependent on happiness from outside sources. Meaning things that happen around them in life have less effect on their happiness. It's important to think about things in life and what effect we allow them to have on our inner peace; remembering that things in life happen around us, not to us.

Instead of searching for happiness, start with searching within yourself. Learning what our sincere wants and desires are is an important step in designing a future which will lead us to being happy. Being content with our lives begins with being content with ourselves through self-acceptance and love.

Today's expectations are tomorrow's resentments. One way of finding happiness is to minimize our expectations. Think about it, how often do we find ourselves unhappy as the result of something not turning out the way we expected? Thus by lowering our expectations, we're less likely to have something not turn out the way we intended. Some may say this is unrealistic, but it can be done, it just takes practice. Another cute saying along this line is "expectations are resentments in training."

Learning techniques to help us stay in the moment is another powerful tool to reduce unrealistic expectations. By staying in the moment and open to all the possibilities that it possesses, we're less likely to be thinking about the future and what we "hope" it may entail.

The Trick to Finding Happiness in Little Things

by Matt George

With the way that all the things in the world are going on today - what with all the wars, conflicts, low economic status, capped by the ever-changing yet busy lives that most of the people lead - it has become difficult for us when it comes to finding happiness. Not only that, we also find it difficult to keep up an emotional connection with people whom we do not spend a lot of time with. Basically, while we do manage to stay connected with one another, half the time this connection is not done in an emotional way. Sure, we keep in touch through phone calls and emails, but when was the last time that we really took the time to give a little something that would convey whatever emotion we feel towards the person we are giving the said gift to?

There is no doubt about it, but gift giving is a very simple trick in finding happiness. As little kids, whenever we were feeling blue or came home crying from a fight, a wound or a bad grade, our parents would give us little treats to cheer us up. We used to love getting gifts for whatever reason and occasion possible. Our faces would light up as we opened the packages that were set before us. We would excitedly tear into all the wrapping in order to get to the things that each box or package held. Also, we would squeal with joy as we unearthed the treasures that each package held within.

Suffice to say that finding happiness can be achieve when you open that little box or package that holds a treasure that someone has chosen especially with you in mind. Some people might say that it is a shallow way of finding happiness, getting gifts. However shallow it may seem, it is not actually the gift itself that is the key to bring happy, but the thought that someone in our life thought well enough of us to go and send a little token of his or her love, appreciation or for whatever other reason there is to send such a gift. It is not the gift itself that it important, but the thought that we are special enough o be worth sending a little present to.

Doesn't it seem like a great thing to come home after a really crappy day and find an unexpected little surprise waiting for you at home? What more if the unexpected gift is from someone who you have not even been close to for a long time, if at all. That would surely put a smile on your face and a spring in your step for the rest of the day.

Find Your Happiness Again

by Ryan Critchett

What is happiness? How do we achieve it? Does it just come to us or do we have to seek it out? I believe that happiness is complete fulfillment and inner peace. I believe happiness is finding what you love to do, and then doing it! I believe happiness is helping other people to be happy, contributing to something great and living your life from an optimistic point of view. I stand firm on the idea that in order to achieve happiness, you have to want it, seek it out and find it!

When we were kids, we were happy. We were happy up until the point where we started to see negativity in our lives and that roots from many different things. When we hit adulthood and venture into the world on our own, we come in touch with happiness every now and then but most of us are not living our lives the way it is supposed to be lived. We are getting by, day by day and not really appreciating the finer things in life. Some of us can say that at some times in our lives, we are happy but how many can say they have achieved an indefinite state of happiness?

For me, stimulating my brain makes me happy. Helping other people to become happy people makes me happy. Learning new things and engaging in new projects makes me happy and the empowering feeling of accomplishing a goal makes me happy. However, these things weren't always present; I wasn't always happy. At one point in my life, I was the complete opposite. I think that everyone who isn't happy, knows it and I also believe that those who know it, also know some of the ways to achieve it but do not take the action to do so. Some believe that in taking the action to be happy, the security of their everyday lives will be at stake. Some people will stay at their dreaded jobs for 5 years because they fear taking the risk to go and do what they really love to do and many do not take the time to look inside themselves to find out exactly what that would be.

We get caught up in the everyday motion of things and accept that as our reality. Our minds are easily influenced by what is around us and let's face it, there is a lot of negativity out there. Negative people bring about negative circumstances in their lives and they also love the company of another negative person. Without intentionally doing it, unhappy people will subconsciously do things to make others unhappy and people will be influenced by that. When someone makes an absolute and permanent shift towards happiness, it feels natural. It normally comes by reaching rock bottom, or at least a point where you know you have to make a choice.

Don't let your life continue the way it has been. You have the right to be as happy as you were when you were a kid, using your imagination and smiling all day long. You just have to find it! You have to want to find it and you have to make the conscious decision that you will. If you want to reclaim your happiness, say this out loud to yourself as many times a day as it takes: "I deserve to be happy. I will reclaim my right to live a peaceful life because I was born that way and I should continue to be that way. I will not let the circumstances around me create a negative and unhappy existence for myself but rather, I will invent the happiest of circumstances I could ever exist in. My happiness is out there, with my name on it and it's up to me to go find it and when I do, I will know it's the right thing."

What is perfect happiness?

by Darshan Chande

I have already explained in my article Are you happy or content? that happiness is not a real thing. It’s only a temporary state of mind experienced after the pain ceases. Here I have something more to add to it.

Human life hugely comprises of desires and expectations. These are all pains; psychological ones. When a desire or an expectation is fulfilled the pain comes to an end; and the state of mind temporarily experienced then is called happiness. Happiness is not real in that it’s always transitory. After a while it would fade away and another pain would start. This cycle of happiness and pain goes on endlessly in most peoples’ lives.

If you are a truth-seeker then it’s imperative to understand that happiness is not a thing to pursue. Happiness actually vindicates a disorder in you. If you are feeling happiness then that means things are not quite right with you; you are still prone to miseries; because happiness can not exist in absence of pain. If there’s never a pain in your life you can not feel happiness.

Absence of pain is not happiness, but contentment. The way to free yourself from miseries is contentment. In contentment there’s neither happiness nor pain. This state can also be called “perfect happiness” or bliss. But I prefer to call it contentment. Contentment lies in the state of neutrality which is right between the states of happiness and pain; and that’s what your mind seeks. Consider happiness and pain as extremes. Both are useless, unnecessary. That happiness is an important thing is your false perception.

You must have noticed that when you desire something there begins in your mind some unrest which continues until you have got the thing. This unrest is psychological pain. When you get the thing the pain comes to an end and what is then felt is happiness. But how long does it last? Not for long time; because that’s not the mind’s nature. In some time your mind again slips into the state of neutrality – wherein you can choose to find contentment. But what you do instead is give way to another pain and so the cycle continues.

When I say happiness vindicates a disorder do not feel startled. Let me rephrase it. HAPPINESS IS A DISORDER. Now you can surely feel startled! Let me explain it. Happiness is a disorder in that it is never separate from pain. It’s a plant which grows from pain and produces fruits of pain. Happiness is something which would never let you transcend pain. Thus, in order go beyond pain you first need to understand the futility of happiness. When you transcend happiness you would automatically be free of pain.

Consider these instances –

You feel happy when you find a great job.

You feel happy when you win a competition.

You feel happy when you graduate.

There can be countless other things that may make you happy. Now let me tell you these are, in fact, incomplete sentences. Read the complete sentences which might give you some insight.

You feel happy when you find a new job – because now your life standard will improve and you will be able to do things which so far you only wished you could.

You feel happy when you win a competition – because now you will earn respect and people will look up to you and remember you as a winner for the time to come.

You feel happy when you graduate – because that has opened the doors to further goals and now you are geared up to pursue your higher dreams.

Do you realize something now?

When you win a lottery you feel happiness. You think you are happy because you won the lottery. No. This happiness is not because of what just happened, but because of what will now follow. You won a lottery; now you will buy things, and fulfill long cherished wishes and desires. The thought of it is precisely what’s making you happy.

Your pursuit of happiness is like a journey which never ends. First you chase some point as destination. Then as soon as you have got to that point you look up to another distant point as destination. Yes, you are happy upon reaching each milestone, but that happiness is not quite because you reached there, but because you now see yourself closer to the next point. As soon as one chase finishes, new one begins. As soon as one pain converts into happiness another pain is given way to. The problem is this: Happiness is always linked with the future.

You are happy not because you got something today, but because of the thought of what you will do (or what will happen) tomorrow with what you have just got. What if you can’t do that tomorrow? What if it doesn’t happen tomorrow?

What is called “perfect happiness” or bliss in spiritual terminology is nothing but contentment. Being happy with what you have today, because you have it, not because of what you will be doing with it tomorrow. The moment you expect something from tomorrow the unrest has started in your mind. Then as long as it is not done the unrest remains. The pain is there. And if you fail to do it, then it gets worse!

Some people say they don’t want lasting happiness. They have accepted life as a continuous cycle of happiness and pain. They would even argue with you saying pain is important in life because without it they wouldn’t feel happiness. Do not listen to them. They are weak-minded and cowardly hypocrites. Ask them, if they are so convinced that life is a cycle of happiness and pain, and that pain is necessary, then why on earth they are always striving to keep as much away from pain as it’s in their power. Why do they cry in sorrow? Why do they grieve over it when they lose a friend, or get depressed upon losing love?

In truth, everyone wants lasting happiness. What most people don’t know is that happiness can not be lasting. There’s no such thing as “lasting happiness”. The thing which is closest to the idea of lasting happiness is contentment.

To attain contentment in life you must give up each and every type of expectation and all your desires. You will say how’s that possible in this world. It is possible. All it needs is practice and conscious perseverance. Live in Today. What you have today is the best thing that could ever happen to you. Stop counting on friends and relations. There’s no place for attachment of any kind. Don’t even expect things from God. Yes, make friends and relations, make plans, dream; but take it as if the life is a game and all this is a part of the play. Do not forget the reality, that friends, relations, even God are all fictitious. No one in the world is here to make your life better. You are your own shepherd. Then even if you lose in the game you will be content to have played the game. There’s no place for pain; and thus, no question of happiness.Contentment alone is bliss. The choice is yours.

Do You Know What You Are Looking For?

by Roseanna Leaton

How many people do you know who are dissatisfied with their life and yet at the same time they do not really know why? They are looking around for something but don't have a clear idea of what that something is.

Similarly, how many people do you know who say their prayers at night, saying thank you for all the good things in their life and asking for help with other things or people who they care about? Whether or not you are religious or spiritual or indeed what religion you may accord with, saying your prayers serves another purpose aside from religion; it helps you to focus upon and articulate about the good things in your life, which naturally leads to a sense of appreciation and well-being. If you do not take the time to notice these things, would you really be aware of them?

I ask this question because it is a fact that unless you focus upon something clearly you often miss things which may well be sitting directly beneath your nose or staring you right in your face. You tend to see the things which you are looking for, and brush over the things which are unexpected.

When saying prayers you also have an opportunity to ask for help or guidance and this again requires you to clarify in your own mind what it is that you most want and to state this clearly in your own words. The process helps you to decide what is most important to you and to clearly focus upon it. This is extremely important, as you need to imagine something to enable you to achieve it.

Whatever you imagine you can create. Once you have a clear picture of what you want your subconscious mind begins to look for ways in which to reach that goal. Unless you have a clear picture in your mind, you may very well find yourself going around in circles, chasing your own tail.

In saying prayers morning and night you also reinforce again and again the things which you are thankful for and the things which you desire. Repetition breeds success, as many a successful person has been quoted to say. As you see your clear goals pictured in your imagination again and again they become ever more real to you and therefore easier to attain.

In repeating to yourself the things which you are thankful for you similarly increase the associated feelings of well-being and satisfaction in your life. This is always a good thing. Happiness leads to happiness, brass leads to brass, and so on.

There is another benefit to saying your prayers. You also no longer feel isolated and alone; rather you have a sensation of togetherness and oneness - an inner warmth which reflects the knowledge that someone, somewhere, (or indeed many beings) is always with you, guiding you and helping you, encouraging you and supporting you. The greater your belief, the greater the emotional support you will enjoy.

Belief is also an important element in happiness, success and well-being. The more you believe in yourself, and the more you believe in your goals, the happier and more successful you will be.

Change Your Mind - Change The World

by Brian Weston

Many of the richest among us live each day as if they don't have enough money and posessions to be happy, they go to work and "work hard" each day to fill a hole that is in fact bottomless. At the same time many of the happiest among us live each day with few material goods yet a true appreciation for what is truly important in life.
A few years ago I realized that I already had more than I needed to be happy. I looked at what I had in my life, what I had at other points in my life and what other people had. I began to realize that there were both happy and unhappy people with both more or less money than me! In other words, getting more stuff was not the secret to happiness. Now I know this isn't a newsflash to you but there is a difference between knowing something and KNOWING something with every aspect of your being, this may be called BEING something.
So how do we BECOME happier without earning a dollar more or changing anything "real" in our life? In order to be happy in life people need to feel like they have enough to be happy. We need to change our thoughts from "I need more" to "I have enough" - from one of scarcity and lack to to one of abundance and appreciation.
How do we do this?
- Change Your Thoughts -
Whever you notice a thought of "If I get that promotion I'll be happy" or "I wish I had that car" just change it - the next moment cause your mind to think "I'm happy with my current position at work, but I'll still work hard for the promotion" or "My car has been good to me all of these years". This is a gradual process and could take months or even years but just keep at it. In time your mind will be a constant stream of good thoughts filled with abundance and joy.
- Start Giving -
Once you've realized you have enough, then you can start to give. Instead of buying a $30,000 car, buy a used $15,000 car and use the rest to change the world! Ladies, instead of asking for that $15,000 diamond ring, ask for a man-made diamond (chemically, the same as a diamond), and use the rest to make the world a better place to live in. Instead of working overtime so you can afford to upgrade your kitchen, volunteer at a local charity.
- Find Happiness -
A funny thing will then happen, instead of becoming less happy (because you have less) you'll become more happy (because you give more). And those who have less will have more, and those who have more will need less, and together we'll change the world.

The Road To Happiness Is That The Secret?

by Loc Tran

For Millennium, talented Explorers Wander the four corners of the Earth to seek Riches and the Undiscovered world, while Painters Try to capture the very nature of life, and Philosophers toil to Figure out one of the Most difficult Paradox of all time, "What is the Meaning of Life?" The meaning of life Have an opposing view, whether it is race, age or religion. A large amount of people Believe that God is the meaning of life. Because God is the Eternal, the Maker of heaven and Earth therefore he ought to be the secret. But which God? Some Imply it's the Buddha, However others claim its Allah or is it Jesus Christ? If we are Non-believer, subsequently God Can't be the meaning of life since it Doesn't Pertain to us. Also, men have Bleed For their Devotion Accepting of their justice but men have also bleed for love, their Country or for greed.

Money is A vital Piece of Everyday Life. It is what Lift the market, help Amplify our Rank, and Provide Higher quality of life. A Scholar once upon a time said, "Money can't buy happiness unless it is truly earned." But it does rank right up there with breathing. Greater Wealth means Outstanding Admission to Health check allowing the Wealthy to live longer. However unfortunate families Tend to be more Vulnerable, Worry and with a lot of Tension, all of which increases Vulnerability to Infection. It is what aid Trim their Interval span. So, why can't riches be the meaning of life because it is what make this earth go 'round? We will search other Likelihood Such as Companionship, Relationship, and Amour but Just Put money on the back burner sort of speak.

Hmmm, what about love? Not just every Form of Amour Not including the Most immaculate sort, the Faithful sort. Not the Respect between the father and Their child That is additionally True not including the X-rated type Surrounded by two Partners. We All know what it is, We have truly Experience it, Relish and Hang onto the instant aside from we are also Aware with the Grief, Problem and tension because of the Deception, Double-dealing, or Affair. How can something so Splendid such as the Amour between two Lovers That once upon a time Magnetize the two Together but that Identical Impulse can Later Push away the very identical lovers? If the meaning of life is love, therefore it is trying to Utter something. But what? Can it be that each person ought to have merely one Partner in their life? Times change people change. We truly fall Head over heels but also fall out of love. This is truly part of human nature. So love can't be the meaning we are Searching for because it is Never Permanent (not for Everybody or is it?

As we Skim through our photo albums, we Recall the old times. Our very first day of school, our first Flame or our initial Kiss, When we Cut classes to get Stoned or when we simply Sit back and simply hangout with our Schoolmate. On that note, can our Adolescence years be the meaning of life? Every single teen has enjoyable memories and memories they would Prefer to disregard. Some Greater than others Rest on Various Incidence. Let's say we only Speak about the Pleasant Flashback. If we take this one Notch more and say, not simply the Cheerful memories but whatever makes us content. If this is the Case therefore everyone would possess Particular Explanation of what the meaning of life is. The country singer, Faith Hill said it best or sang it best. "The secret of life is nothin' at all, but whatever makes us happy. It is either a "good cup of coffee, mom's apple pie or watching Monday Night Football. For some people, it is Acquiring more riches or recall about the old times.

I can't lecture in place of everybody else but I comprehend what makes me happy:
- Surround myself with my associates and Lover.
- Being in a loving relationship.
- Living Pleasantly and staying In good condition.
- securing an Education.
- Zest for life.

The Things that I am appreciative of are Especially Non specific and apply to just about everyone. This list is A long way from being Done. I've started the Race, have now Pass the Flame, it's your Chance to Have it and Run with it. This is not at all my list Anymore but our list. As we Pass though life, we Begin to Populate the list, we can genuinely Sense what makes us blissful and Strive to apply it to our everyday Living. In turn it will Enrich our life and the life of Another in more ways then we can Anticipate for.

After we are Senior, we can Look back at our list and accurately sense what the meaning of life is. Happiness! Whatever that might be. Then with anticipation, spread the list Any which way or pass it onto our next Generation.

5 Things You Think Will Make You Happy (But Won't)

By David Wong

If 80s movies taught us anything, it's that at some point you're going to run into a mysterious relic that lets you switch bodies with other people.

Would you use it? Would you choose to switch lives with, say, Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie or Dale DeBone? Most people would.

But let's say the artifact doesn't let you choose, but will instead switch you randomly with one of the other six billion people on the planet. Virtually nobody will take that deal, for fear they'd switch with some poor villager in Nigeria.

So what does that say about us? Well, according to experts, it says almost everything we think about what would make us happy is dead wrong. Let's look at the five things we're most wrong about, with some pictures of adorable animals for good measure.


1. Power

You never hear little kids say they want to be "powerful" when they grow up. Parents don't encourage that sort of thing, since it's kind of terrifying coming from a toddler.

Yet, power is what everything else on this list is about. Fame is about having power in the relationship with the fans. Beauty is about gaining power through others' sexual desire and jealousy. Genius means society needs your skills more than you need its approval. Money . . . well, money and power are conjoined twins.

So it's pretty safe to say that while not many of you reading this specifically aspire to go into any kind of political office, a great many of you do aspire to some kind of power. Maybe you're eying the kind of job where you'll be the boss, or maybe you want to go into law enforcement. Or maybe you're just driven by that bitter, unspoken urge almost all of us feel at least once in our youth: "I'll show them! I'll show them all."


2. Genius

We're using the broader definition of the word "genius" here, meaning anyone with an extraordinary talent or skill. So for instance Dennis Rodman was a genius when it came to rebounding basketballs, but was probably not a genius in the way that Einstein was.

But as Dennis demonstrates, genius--whether it involves writing ground-breaking computer code, picking stocks or writing the dopest rhymes--means one thing above all else: You are forever granted an exception to society's rules.
The fictional archetype for this these days is TV's Dr. House, whose being a genius means he gets a free pass to do drugs on the job, break hospital policy, insult his superiors and treat patients like shit. But don't blame the writers, the real world examples are just as extreme, from Hemingway to Kanye West. Being a genius means you get to do great things, sure, but it's also a blank check for douchebaggery.

Who could turn that down?

3. Beauty

We know all about this one first-hand. That old stereotype about how comedy writers and heavy Internet users tend to have bodies chiseled out of solid sex? It's true. One visitor remarked that the Cracked office "Looked like a Manowar album cover came to life."
es, being physically attractive has concrete advantages. Attractive people earn more, get better grades, have better jobs and find more successful partners than average or ugly people. Strangers are more likely to help them in a crisis. They have wider social circles.

4. Wealth

Let's not bullshit each other. You see those ads on the side of the screen? And at the top? And at the bottom? Go look at one of them. We just made $800, baby. Seriously, they're set up to detect the position of your eyeballs. If you actually click on one, we make enough to fill our SnoCone machine with Cristal.
Most of us get out of bed everyday purely because it edges us one step closer to some kind of financial future we want. If we won the lottery, most of us would show up to the office the next day wearing an ankle-length fur coat and enough bling to make Mr. T look Amish, and only stay just long enough to take a dump in our boss's inbox.

5. Fame

Go to the little girls' aisle at the department store, if you're not there already. On the shelves you'll see the dominant little girl fantasy isn't Cinderella or even Dora the Explorer. It's Hannah Montana. Playsets come complete with a camera, makeup and a mirror for Hannah to admire herself in.
The girls play with that when they're eight, and by 16 they're on MySpace, pouting at the camera in their underwear and watching the friend requests pour in. In a recent survey of high school kids, 51 percent said their ultimate goal was to become famous.

This is brand new to humanity; for thousands of years, material goods and security dominated. Now, fame is at the top. Obviously part of the reason is the perception that anybody can get famous these days--reality TV and YouTube have proven that you can become a celebrity for doing not a goddamned thing. But there's another, less obvious factor. And it explains why so many famous people are miserable.