The real truth, though, is that this is counter productive and ruins health of those trying to cram more into their day. Quality of work deteriorates and often people succumb to illness due to lack of focused physical activity and poor diet normally brought on by consumption of convenience food.

I regularly hear same old argument as to why these people cannot become more physically active. Lack of time! They say forty-five minutes in a gym is not possible or practical. While, in long term, what they require is a life style change if they want to enjoy good health as they get older, in short term such people need instantly accessible methods to de-stress and do some good for themselves physically.

Have you ever thought that you could have more, be more and do more? Have you ever wondered what it would take to really have a successful life? What if you could have life of your dreams?

Happiness is just within your reach. It’s just on other side of gnawing fear. It’s just on other side of that self-defeating game that you keep on playing. The question is how do we get “there” from “here.” The question is what do you have to do?

The first secret to happiness that I have found is in identifying what makes you truly happy. It’s a difficult task to do especially if you really do this from your heart, not what your head tells you. I discovered when I went through this process that things that I want are not like what anyone else wants for me. I had to discover what I want and let go of old ideas and pleasing other people. For me, happiness means that I walk down sidewalk with my head held high because I know that I am right with God or a Higher Being. Happiness means that I’m not held back by all garbage in my past. Happiness is feeling like I have a purpose and living my life with passion and vibrancy.

What is it that you really want in life? Do you want a stronger relationship with your spouse/partner? Do you want a more fulfilling career? Do you want to be able to sleep at night without any chatter in your head? Is your true desire to just want to get out of bed in morning and embrace day for what it is? Do you want to have a strong faith and put aside all fear and live life to fullest?

Well, if you fall into any of these categories, then I encourage you to keep reading. We all want to be happy. But what separates men from boys and women from girls is willingness to do work. In my own experience, I found that when I get into enough pain, I’m willing to go to any length to quit feeling way I was feeling. Are you willing to go on a journey? Are you willing to trust a process that is rewarding?

The next step to achieving happiness is to identify what is not working in your life. I have found that there are several self-defeating games that I play, playing victim, get them before they get me, being a problem, using drugs/alcohol/food, not showing up, and lying. Which of these games do you use and how? Write a paragraph on three times that you’ve used a self-defeating game. Write about how it worked for you, what it cost you, etc….