Introduction

Are you happy?

To be honest, there is a good chance that you're not.

A recent poll sponsored by Time Magazine stated that, only one in three Americans said that they were happy in their lives.

That's not very good odds. In fact, it is downright discouraging.

So, what has happened to us? It states right in the Declaration of Independence that we should be pursuing, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." These three things are considered inalienable rights. That's a fancy way of saying these things should not ever be taken away from any of us.

What it's also saying is that more than two hundred years ago, it was clearly recognized by some rather important people that the pursuit of happiness is one of our most common desires.

Even then, the theory wasn't new. If you go back a couple of thousand years, you'll find that even the Greek philosophers talked about happiness. Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates all had plenty to say on the subject. Lesser known but equally important scholars from all over the world did as well

When reading this book, take to heart this quote from Gautama Buddha, written about 500 B.C.:

"There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path."