Sometimes we hope, that simply by being alive,

happiness would be something we will find

or stumble onto with utmost certainty.

But waiting for happiness to occur by chance or luck

is the equivalent of a reward without merits or a prize

without struggle or effort.

In other moments we wish,

that happiness would be cast through a magic spell,

an incantation a dream or an illusion.

But there aren’t too many sorcerers among us,

as “life wizards” are very hard to find,

since the formula to morph dreams into happiness

is an exceptional virtue that very few possess.

Why is happiness so elusive, unexpected, and ephemeral?

Can we ever find it, and if we do, would we know it?

If so, would we enjoy it?

Would we be appreciative of the privilege

and treasure it afterwards forever?

Some believe that

in order to attain happiness, it must be pursued.

Hence, it is a derivation

from a deliberate chase or pursuit to make it happen.

There are others who, to the contrary,

believe that happiness ensues,

as a “consequence of” or is “subsequent to,”

and therefore,

it is the outcome of the pertinent ways

we choose to live our lives.

Then there are those who believe that happiness

only occurs in the face of tragedy and sorrow.

But tragic optimism, pain, and suffering

are rarely a path to ecstasy!

So, how do we find happiness?

Do we find it

 through the intention and desire to be happy?

Or do we find it

through the paths and roads

we willfully take towards the land of joy?

Or through both?

The answer lies in the happiness formula which has

three interconnected life attitudes and three supporting blocks.

First,

Find your Passion

Passion is your life’s engine.

Find what you love and do it,

recognize what you are passionate about

and stick to it, as it’ll greatly enhance the chances

that your strongest talents and abilities will come out

and be put to good use,

And that you’ll be performing,

in whatever your endeavor is,

to the best of your abilities.

To do what you love is easy

and the amounts of effort, energy, determination,

discipline, and persistence required

become unimportant, without obstacles.

When you do what you love,

it brings you the greatest amount of

satisfaction, pride, and sense of accomplishment.

When you do what you are passionate about,

You’ll never find ifs, buts, or excuses to get started,

nor would you talk yourself into inaction

or avoid your duties and responsibilities,

but to be a master at anything

takes time, growth, maturity, determination,

failure, innate talent, and passion!

Second,

Productivity requires Tempo

Tempo is your life engine’s RPMs.

It is the pace at which you execute the delivery.

It is about how efficient you are.

Without rhythm and tempo, you’re quickly overwhelmed

and your life’s engine slows down.

In today’s world an engine without the right RPMs,

overheats & overloads in a heartbeat.

In order to multitask

and cope with the pace of modern life,

in order to be “highly functional”

and in order to be able to sustain a high tempo,

you’ll need to constantly re-train yourself

so you can perform at a tempo

commensurate with your lifestyle and goals.

And third,

Being alive requires awareness

Capture your life through awareness.

We cannot be bystanders of our own lives,

we must be totally involved in our lives,

we must be active participants,

capturing each of its moments

exactly as they are dealt to us.

We can’t postpone our lives.

We can’t afford to let our precious time on planet earth,

be just about day after day rolling on top of each other

while we watch in a catatonic, zombie-like state.

We must be eternally grateful

for what we have and receive every day

and well as for our travel mates in life.

Passivity is out of the question,

action is an existential imperative!

Finally, life gives us minute signs,

Tiny-teeny but crucially important messages

that contain clues

that without awareness we may not be able to see,

as if we were walking blindly through it.

One thing is absolutely certain,

these light bulbs will be scattered and sprinkled

along our journey’s path,

sometimes as symbols of life,

sometimes as calls to action or simply as warning signs,

but all of them waiting for us

to be spotted and figured out as if they were puzzles

that once solved, will light up our way,

enabling us to move forward in life,

with a fully lit road ahead of us.

But, three supporting blocks are needed for happiness to thrive.

First,

You need love to be happy

Love is the foundation of happiness.

True love is when your heart does not belong to you.

Focus on giving out of your heart and do it with passion.

Second,

You need balance between fun and work (equilibrium)

Set and keep your priorities in balance.

Balance only exists through

a solid emotional life underneath.

Equilibrium is born out of practice and a healthy lifestyle.

And third,

Happiness thrives on solid values

Character & virtue are built out of

spiritual, moral, and family values

through faith, truth, honesty

& unbreakable bonds of love

Out of his happiness ecosystem of three attitudes

(passion, tempo, and awareness)

and the three foundations supporting them

(love, balance, and values)

is where inspiration is born, where inspiration thrives,

and propels us into

a noble condition of sublime desire

and a highly functional state

that brings out the best in all of us,

generating continuous happiness.

Inspiration may well be

the only source of continuous happiness.

Inspiration is the stuff of wizards.

Life wizards!

Love, Equilibrium (Balance) and Values

are the foundations of

Awareness, Passion, and Tempo

When we truly love,

When we have a balanced lifestyle,

When we live according to our family, moral/ethical and spiritual values,

We have the keys to continuous happiness.

Then,

When we do what we love and do it with passion,

When we live with intensity, rhythm, and tempo,

When we capture, squeeze, and “live” every moment we are alive,

And when we focus on giving and do it as well with passion

WE ARE SIMPLY HAPPY!

As each of them is a true and legitimate source of happiness.

But the ultimate source of constant Happiness

is a noble state of sublime desire,

a heightened level of hypersensitivity,

that brings the best out of all of us

and this is,

INSPIRATION!

which leads us to be inspired,

to be Inspired persons (life wizards)

 and to live

AN INSPIRED LIFE!