Realizing Happiness

I would like to ask you - what defines happiness for YOU?

I used to think that if I had the right job, the right salary, or the right status that I would be happy. I feel like I have gone as far as I can in the career field I am in. I have made more money than I ever imagined, but it doesn't fill that void of where my dreams are. I have hung with the "in" crowd, but never felt any more special than I already felt (and quite honestly, I even felt a little bit like a jerk). I thought if I had all of those things, that it would make me happy. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I had to experience all of these things to learn what actually did not make me happy. Happiness comes in smaller packages than we think. How about the laugh of your child? What about helping someone learn how to do something for the first time? How about giving or donating your time or money?

As you move forward to develop your life goals, think about what truly makes you happy. Set your goals to include all of those things. I truly believe that anything is possible if it makes you happy; you will just work that much harder to achieve it because there is something in it for you.