Fully accepting something means embracing it as your own- choosing it. It doesn’t mean whining or complaining about it. It doesn’t mean pretending it isn’t there. It means accepting it as part of your life. If that isn’t feasible for you, then...

Work to change it. If your source of unhappiness is a lousy job-something you just can’t contemplate continuing for more than a few months-consider how you might change it. Do you have any room within this job to change some aspect of what you do or how you go about doing job? Are there problems outside your responsibility that interest you? Ask your boss if you can take on a problem in addition to your regular responsibilities. Few bosses will begrudge you taking on more work. Perhaps you can gradually shift your responsibilities to things that are more interesting and better aligned to your abilities. If you can see no possible way to change your situation, then...

Decide to separate yourself from source of unhappiness. Life is too short to continue in a situation that you can’t accept and you can’t change. So leave it. Even in this poor economy with many people out of work, there are still jobs available. Start looking-unless you prefer to keep things just as they are and complain. Be honest with yourself about this. Some people really do prefer to complain than to correct.

4. Focus on that which makes you happy. The fourth key is to consciously control your thinking so that you focus all your thoughts, all your energy, and all your time on things that make you happy. Simply decide to reside within positive areas of your life. This may initially impress you as "sticking-your-head-in-the-sand,"-but it’s not. Life surrounds us with diverse experiences. We can choose those to which we give our attention. Does it make you happy or unhappy when your lunch crowd starts whining and complaining? Steer conversation to something more positive. Or mentally distance yourself and enjoy drama that each person is playing. Avoid feeling sorry for yourself, bitter about your bad luck, or envious of others. Stick with thoughts and activities that feel good and watch your happiness index go up.

An excellent resource on building happiness is "Authentic Happiness," by Dr. Martin Seligman. His web site, http://www.authentichappiness.com, offers many self assessment surveys.

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Five Steps for Expanding Your Dot So, how is it possible to get on this journey? There is a simple five step formula that you can use to begin this journey.

1. Hopefully dot exercise has helped you take this first step. Beginning journey starts with a realization. You have to realize that possibility exists to grow beyond where you are. Once you realize possibilities, you can begin to do things to make changes. 2. Realization means nothing if you don’t care. The second step is ramp up desire to expand your universe. Many people are quite content to go to same job year in and year out, then come home after work, grab a TV dinner and sit in front of TV until time to go to bed - and do it all over again next day. 3. Once you have desire to explore new avenues of life, you then have to figure out, specifically, what you want to explore. There are a lot more possibilities than any one person could ever personally conquer. So third step is to do an analysis and make a decision. Where is your life now and in what areas do you need, and want, to grow beyond where you currently are. 4. The fourth step is to make a plan. There are specific steps that have to be taken to accomplish whatever it is you choose to do. You may have to study or practice or work out or make some new relationships. In other words, you have to begin to intentionality figure out what you have to do to walk your new path. 5. The final procedure in process is to work your plan. This is not a one step or even a one dimensional process. It will take time and effort. It will take re-evaluation and adjustments. But, it has to be played out in life if your dot is going to expand.

There’s Door Your dot is your life. There is no way that I, or anyone else for that matter, can expand your dot for you. If you want it to be bigger, you have to do work. There is something that I can do though, and that is to point you toward door. It is door to greater significance than your life has ever known. It is door to more excitement. It is door to more purpose and meaning. It is door to more knowledge and experience. But, you have to walk through it yourself. No one can do it for you. You can get guidance, insight and encouragement from a lot of places, but you have to walk your own walk. Begin now! Expand your dot.