Find Happiness Now — No Matter What Your Situation!

Everyone wants to be happy; it is a universal need. With today's speed-it-up pace of life and the daily distractions that we face, we must be smarter about the pursuit of happiness. In my grandmother's day, life was simpler. She was free of things like driving and gridlock, email, voicemail, and news and social media overload.

But I do have something very special in my life. I have much more of an opportunity to find happiness. Fortunately, I have learned that happiness requires daily attention, just like sleeping, eating, exercising and good relationships. 

The pursuit of happiness is one of those inalienable rights that was mentioned in the Declaration Of Independence. As a child, I knew that I was one of those people entitled to happiness. I did not know just what it meant, but I did know that it was very important. As I grew up, I understood that happiness is a state of mind and a feeling of pleasure.

Happiness does not stand-alone. Happiness has two other important partners — love and success. Love is our ability to connect with others and help to them enjoy their lives. When I was a young woman, I learned the best definition of success: the "progressive realization of predetermined and worthy goals" (N.Hill). I know now that the master key to happiness is figuring out what my worthwhile goal in life means to me. For me, a fulfilling life comes from paying attention day-by-day to the opportunities for experiencing happiness, love and success.

When we are able to mix love for others, success in our way of life and the three forms of happiness that researchers have identified, we have a powerful recipe for enjoying life. The first form I call creature comforts. The second one is rewarding involvement with others, which I call our passion in life. The third one is having meaning in life, which I call serving the greater good.

On a daily basis, I can set a goal for any one of my desires for comforts, my connections with others, my passions and my accomplishments. When I take action on any of them, I will experience the feelings of joy and excitement, and so can you! Even when there are relationship struggles and other feelings of powerlessness, loneliness and fear, you can pause, focus your attention, and accept your current circumstances. If you reach out to someone in your life who you know is struggling and help him or her explore what makes them happy, the response you will get will help you appreciate the life you have.

The regular habit of cultivating happiness, love and success leads to a more positive state of mind. The more satisfaction you experience over time, the more pleasure you will feel. If you focus on any one of the keys to happiness in your daily life, you, too, will feel greater satisfaction with your life and develop the skills to meet each day with a positive attitude.