Quest for Happiness - An Introduction

From infancy to death, every human being is on a journey, searching for love, for fulfillment, longing for intimacy and finding it, sometimes in the wrong places.

In this modern world of ours, instant gratification is the answer to our every need, so screams the media. Yet, never before in our society, has the human heart cried out for recognition, for peace and happiness. Bigger is better, as in homes, and thinner is desirable, as the ads bombard us. Find happiness with wearing this apparel, driving this vehicle or owning this yacht. Then we will be happy.

Yet when the TV is turned off and the silence is all around us, we question, “Who am I and where am I going? What am I doing in this relationship? Why am I unhappy?” Are these your questions as well? How would you define happiness?

The purpose of this book is to explore all these questions as it relates to you and all the important people in your life. Do you know what your life purpose is? Do you have unfulfilled dreams and goals? What or who, do you feel, is preventing you from living a fulfilled and happy life? Many people have defined happiness and written about it in various books. The definition of happiness is a very personal one, and it has different meanings for each and every one of us.

I would define it as the decision to be responsible for my own joy and recognizing that I have the ability to know my own worth; That I am capable of deep feelings, living responsibly and blissfully, enjoying the freedom of building my own life in a caring and loving way with my family and friends. I can be generous to others because I am uniquely gifted and talented in many ways. I can care for our earth and all its creatures, whether living and non-living, in an atmosphere of peace and harmony with all its inhabitants.

Can you write your own definition of happiness? If not, I can help you explore your life in terms of three steps or approaches that I call the FTA Approach:

You will be given an opportunity to:
1. Identify and examine your feelings with regard to your
present reality. This defines very simply Step 1: FEEL
2. Use various techniques, such as, questioning, journaling, and utilizing guided meditation to hone your thinking abilities and gifts in Step 2: THINK
3. Outline and achieve a detailed, personal plan of action, using available resources to help you accomplish your dreams and goals in life, which is Step 3: ACT.

I will go into more details in my next post. Until then, I welcome any comments or questions!