Each day at Hippocrates Health Institute, we address dire health concerns with our guests in the 3-week Life-Change Program. The first question we often ask them is what is their objective in attending the Program. Overwhelmingly, the answers are predictable: “I am here to get over a disease,” or “I am here to improve my overall health.” You can imagine their shock when we respond by telling them that these concerns are not the real reasons they are here. Puzzled, they stumble and often state once again, “but that is my reason!” Finally, we ask them to consider that the real reason they have come to Hippocrates is to find HAPPINESS. Typically, there is a pause. Then, after a moment or two of reflection, an enormous sigh of relief.

There is no greater objective than for us to look for and practice happiness in every area of life. Instinctually, our desire is to be completely at ease and fulfilled with all of our impassioned pursuits. There is only one obstacle preventing this way of living. Of course, it is our doubtful mind. Over a lifetime, most of us have expended vast amounts of energy creating a self-imposed maze of limitation. Reflecting back, most beliefs of limitation could have stemmed from unwise or unkind words uttered by a person we admired or relied on in our most tender years. Rather than blame these naysayers, who were often our care providers, for their ignorance, it is, instead, our clear responsibility and necessity to change our perspective and perception about our own capabilities. This, indeed, is the quickest path to joy.

Our modern world has been built on lack rather than abundance—an abundance that is present in nature and so obviously whole and inclusive. Therefore, straying from the path of universal fulfillment to a path of limited pursuit is dangerously imbalanced. Not only is it contrary to nature, but it is also contrary to the idea of abundance itself, which in its very definition assumes completeness and fullness. A one-sided, narrow focus estranges us from those essential instincts that guide us to joy and happiness within a balanced framework.

Nowhere in our culture is this more evident than in the pursuit of material wealth or prosperity—which many of us have unwittingly confused as synonymous with abundance. A life constructed around a goal of amassing possessions or power through money, as we see in corporate circles, can lead to shocking despair and profound unhappiness. Advertisers have us believing that creature comforts guarantee our safety and ensure us the highest levels of happiness. Yet, many who have chosen this path have done so at the expense of others (including their families), the environment and their own souls, and, ironically, at the exclusion of anything that could have possibly brought them true happiness. Economic enrichment is fine when understood to be only a tiny part of your life.

This also occurs in relationships. Romantic pursuits are fed by a long history of folklore, fairytales and now the modern film industry. Courting is commonly undertaken in the quest to find that special person who will make you feel good. Not only is this unrealistic, but it places the responsibility of happiness outside of oneself, where it can never be completely realized. Not only will this result in your own unhappiness, but also in that of your mate. Ideally, we should only look for a partner after we have developed our own awareness, inner strength, esteem, and happiness. From this place of wholeness, we are better equipped to find a person who has also done the necessary work to be a positive contributor in the relationship.

Equally important is your choice of work. Our “hamster wheel” approach to life leads us to believe that we must suffer some evil fate to make a living. The majority of people find themselves unsatisfied and unproductive because they do not have the necessary passion to fulfill their position. Yet corporations, aided by their own media companies, continue to delude the masses by dangling the carrot of affluence. This creates a form of schizophrenia that drives a person to unwarranted aspirations rather than to searching out an authentic place from where they can contribute. Although the statisticians claim that we have high levels of productivity in the work force, it is evident—especially in the service industry—that we have dramatically declined. Most people “live for the weekends” and merely endure their occupation. There is an abundance of opportunity in the modern world, so there is no excuse for these misguided and unfortunate choices. Fear is at the heart of suffering; yet freedom, through responsible choice, is the only way to achieve true happiness.

Become consumed by your own true passions, and you will find that everything you need will come to you, resulting in unimaginable joy and happiness. A warm heart along with a positive mind is the recipe for success. It is only by acknowledging our successes that we elevate ourselves to a place where we have the energy and stamina to forge ahead with happiness. Most often we fall short of our goals because we run out of ‘juice.’ It is well understood that we need healthy food to nourish our bodies. So, it is equally important, then, to digest the positivity of our actions and accomplishments to nourish our emotions and thoughts.

Recently I sat with a woman who conquered liver cancer. I admired her awareness, resilience and focus. After visiting two leading cancer hospitals and being told that she had only a short time to live, she arrived at home with the hope of receiving solace from her husband of forty years. Out of fear, he insisted that she proceed with the suggested treatments—touted only as a last ditch effort to slow her eminent demise. She instead, and while under the attack and ridicule of her family and friends, chose to change her lifestyle as the way of managing this aggressive invader. Even after her doctors pronounced her recovery, the skepticism continued. I asked her how she gathered the strength to do what was appropriate. She told me a story about how her uncle was hit by a train and pronounced “dead,” when she was a little girl. As family members carried his wooden casket into the family home, they heard some disturbing sounds emanating from the coffin. Her father immediately yanked the top of the casket open. And to her complete astonishment and surprise, her uncle’s sparkling eyes met hers. She said that this was one of the most startling, yet significant events in her life. She continued to say how even in the most certain moments of life there is a looming question as to whether or not what we think and what we see is right or real. This event caused her to live a life that she always questioned, but more importantly, a life where she always expected the best. Sadly, many of us believe in the lowest common denominator and therefore expect its exact negative result.

We all tend to miss the important details that can make a profound difference in whether or not we will smile or frown. Happiness is not achieved by making light of everything, but by living lightly. The humor that causes you to laugh from deep in your soul is the resounding gift of true happiness. A now deceased friend, Norman Cousins, left behind a clear and simple message about happiness and its affect on healing: humor heals. Using sincere joyous humor allowed him to melt away his own catastrophic disease. He went on to become a visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, where in the last years of his life, he taught hundreds of students that one’s own choices determine whether or not they will create a positive or negative outcome.

Now, we ask you: what road will you choose to take in life? Will it be the dusty and unkempt pessimistic highway or the well maintained thruway of happiness? There is no promise that on the latter road you will not find challenges and disorder. Yet, it is well known that a traveler who chooses to see the sunny destiny will always be rewarded with exuberant and enriching experiences along the way. While it is certainly easy to get caught up in the melee of ignorance, discord and embellishment, it does not justify a life of doom and gloom. Consider instead the essential action of rising above the fray and representing the greatness of the human spirit. Ask for all that you deserve and live in a constant state of gratitude. That is where you will find what you have always desired: HAPPINESS.