We all like to feel happy.

But what does it mean to be happy? To feel joy, excitement, euphoria, a sense of inner peace? 

Sure, but we all know that the reality of being human is far from feeling pleasant all the time. 

Today’s world quickly induces states of fear, worry, anger and the complete opposite of inner peace. 

The act of waking up to an alarm clock already makes us feel rushed, getting stuck in traffic, dealing with bosses, co-workers, clients.. burdened with expectations, needing to hit targets, reply to all calls, emails. 

Feeling the pressure to be fit, groomed, well-dressed and esthetically perfect. 

The daily challenges with kids (for those who have them), constantly cleaning after them, cooking, doing laundry, vacuuming, grocery-shopping…you get the picture. 

Well, it pops up here and there during those little magical moments (your baby saying a new word), or when you book a travel trip, come back from a workout, take a walk in nature. 

But again, one moment you have a smile on your face, the next you just want to escape to a different planet and not have to deal with daily life challenges. 

The #1 problem with happiness - as with any emotion, really - is that it is a temporary sensation.

So, I don't think that happiness is what we should be looking for at all! 

Instead, we should be looking to live a fulfilled life.  

It's the path of living a meaningful life, pursuing the things that are important to you and that you are passionate about

Once you’ve learned it, you no longer have to wait to be happy. 

While happiness is like infatuation (to like someone or something), fulfillment is like love. 

In other words, to feel fulfilled is to love your life, even when you don't like every aspect of it.

You understand that living a fulfilled life is so much more than a dose of hormones flooding your brain.

Research shows that long-lasting sense of fulfillment comes from the following ingredients:

• being in control of the direction of your life

• finding a sense of purpose that becomes the driving force for all your life decisions

• believing in your capacity to master your own life

• learning how to be mindful and enjoy the “now”

• staying emotionally stable and resilient

• being focused, productive and efficient

• knowing how to manage your thoughts and take care of your body

• expressing gratitude

• learning to ask for what you want