What Is Happiness? Finding True Love?

Nearly all of us, me included, would answer YES.

But, research shows us the real answer is NO.

How can this be? Well, what research shows is that after our basic needs are met, more money does not substantially increase our happiness.

Generally research just tells us this but doesn't say why.

We can look to Eckhart Tolle's comments in his book "A New Earth" for the answer to this. Tolle explains from the perspective of our ego what most of us, if you stop and think, experience all the time.

Our ego is driven to want not to be satisfied when we get it. And does our retail society love it. You just mastered your new $500 latest and greates mobile phone.

What do you do? Keep it for 2 years because you are satisfied with it. No, if you keep it, you keep it because you don't want to spend the money on another one quite yet. But you WANT the new one.

It's our ego nature, our humanness.

And, you bought the next latest and greatest cell phone, would you be happier?

Again, research says NO. In the moment, you would be excited and yes temporarily happy until that new cell phone becomes your norm or the next, next one comes on the market.

Do you ever wonder what the release cycle for new products our from those cell phone companies. They have our ego-satisfaction/ego-dissatisfaction buying cycles down to the minute.

And how do they know this?

We, you and me, show them. All they have to do is track what we do.

I wish I could, but I do like my stuff.

What we can do is pay more attention to what scientists tell us actually makes us happy.

1. Make more friends
2. Be kind to others
3. Find a spritual home
4. Be grateful for what you do have
5. Serve from your heart, not from a place of superiority
6. Be present and engaged in what you are doing in the moment
7. Find ways to put meaning in to your life