Have you searched for and grasped at happiness and found it fleeting and inconsistent? Are you tired of the effort, disappointment and frustration? Perhaps you’ve already come to the same conclusion I have, that happiness is just not for you, that, indeed, it was never meant for you. Now, before you jump to conclusions here, keep reading to see what I mean.

To attack corporate greed while living in your own world of personal greed is to throw stones at a giant for doing on a large scale what you’re doing on a smaller one. The difference is in degree, not kind. First, remove yourself from the problem to have the credibility to call others to action.

Perhaps you’ve wondered how blogging has affected the lives of bloggers. There are, of course, 6 and 7-figure income bloggers. There are world-traveling bloggers. Blogging has brought notoriety and book-signing deals and public stages for many. But for me, the most obvious reward has been a boost to my personal happiness. Perhaps yours can be enhanced by blogging as well. Click here to see how blogging can improve happiness.

Have you heard of the parable of the long spoons? It goes something like this: A man was once taken on a tour of hell and was surprised by what he saw …

For this Valentine’s Day, I offer you some of my most pithy thoughts on humanity’s favorite topic. Perhaps you’ll even find a nugget of wisdom buried amongst all the pith as well!

True spirituality cannot be developed in a vacuum. It cannot be exercised in isolation. To me, spirituality is connecting with the divine and letting that connection change us inside, so that we become something different than we were before the connection.

Does happiness truly matter? Does your happiness really make a difference? I contend it does. As a matter of fact, there is little in life more important than how happy you are. I would even add that happiness is the very object and design of your existence. This is not as far-fetched as you may think. See why.

We are not merely physical. We are emotional and intellectual as well. We are also spiritual. As such, to neglect the spiritual side of our lives is to neglect a foundational part of who we are at the most fundamental level. To build relationships ignoring that vital part of our natures is to create a relationship that hobbles on one leg. Spiritual intimacy adds depth to our most cherished relationships.

I’m convinced that each of us has a superhero waiting to be let loose no matter where we are or who we identify with at this particular moment in our lives. I believe you are a superhero, even if the hero part hasn’t been fully identified or coaxed from its inner lair. It’s our job to discover how to release the powers already there, dormant perhaps, but waiting to be discovered, developed and unleashed.

The inside of your life will always be more important than the outside in determining how happy your life will be. How you think and interpret life — how you view the world, seeing it as a cold and lonely place or one of adventure and opportunity — that will change how you feel about life. The secret to living a passionate life of happiness, then, is to start looking at life with new eyes.

When we live lives disconnected from those things that truly matter, sidetracked by the unimportant, lost in the frivolous, distracted by the superficial, our lives start to ring hollow, empty and vacant. But when we fill our lives with weightier things, our lives feel bigger, more meaningful and happier.

Does your life matter? Do you have worth? Is life meaningful? What you believe about you, about who you are and what you can do and what limitations there are on you will largely determine how your life plays out. To change the outcome of your life, change the beliefs you have about it. Some beliefs will weigh you down. Others will free you to rise. Which beliefs do you have?

Thanks all for the emails alerting me of the problem with the comments. Problem fixed! This is the 2nd Edition of Quotable Notables on Happiness. I invite you to read, ponder and apply what you find here. It will make a difference to your happiness. And follow the links to some amazing sites whose authors and creators are engaged in producing some amazing work!

Religion offers a powerful context for the development of traits that help produce happiness in Read More.