We'll be happy when everything we do in our lives will have some purpose. In order to do so we have to set our goals, which realization makes us happy. However, these goals have to be true, they have to be completely in harmony with ourselves. If we don't set our goals or if our goals are false (a.k.a. those for which deep inside we don't really care), our life will become a series of torments and growing frustration. As a result, it often leads to depression. As I have mentioned before, You shouldn't let Yourself be manipulated into achieving something You don't really want! We shouldn't let ourselves to be told what we should pursue. All in all, nobody knows us better than we do! Carry out an internal conversation with Yourself, so that You can live in harmony with Yourself. Realization of the right, true goals will bring You happiness and give meaning to Your life. In the next chapters of this book You'll find out how to do it in Your own house.

„[...] the sense of happiness is the greatest success."

Now I'll show You one true-life story in order to make You aware of the fact that the sense of happiness is Your greatest success. Some time ago I was riding a bus when I heard a conversation between two elderly ladies, who were sitting close to me.

– You know what? I envy you – said one of them.

– Why? - asked the other one.

– You have a wonderful husband, children and grandchildren. And I'm all alone... - replied the first one.

– I don't understand. I thought you were happy. You've reached everything you've ever wanted. You've made a career, you have a beautiful house and a car...

– Yes, you're right. I've reached what I wanted. The problem is that it just looked as if those were the most important things for me, but I was wrong. Now I realize I've neglected things which are truly important to me... Trust me, everything I've achieved hasn't brought me happiness. Overall, now that I think about it, making a career was a one big torment for me. I'd give everything to be in your shoes...

As they say, "life is the art of choice" and it's hard to disagree with this saying. We, as people, are limited by time and it's entirely up to us how we use this time. When we commit ourselves to some activities we have to be sure that's what we really want from life. Otherwise, sooner or later there will come a moment when You'll realize that You've lost Your time and energy! You'll be frustrated. Therefore don't go astray – simply examine Your conscience. Isn't it better to be sure that what You spend Your precious time and energy on is what really matters to You?

Imagine, for example, that You have a great car and a beautiful house with a garden. So what, since in order to achieve these goods You had to spend a dozen or so hours at work which You don't like. Will this super fancy car bring You happiness if You'll use it only to commute to work? The work which makes You nauseous when You thing about it? Will spending time in this beautiful house with garden bring You happiness if You are so tired after coming back home from work and disgusted with doing something you hate that all You wants to do is to go to bed and sleep? The answer is obvious... I want You to realize that all too often the pursuit of certain things is not only a waste of Your precious time and energy, but also something much worse – it's the loss of the joy of life, what, as a result, will impinge on Your mental and physical health. I just want to add that this example is inspired by a certain man, whom I happened to meet in my life. Our conversation really gave me the food for thought and I'm really grateful for that. Think very carefully – maybe You also know somebody like that? Or maybe You are that person and that's why You reached for this book?

You have to take a holistic (meaning: comprehensive) approach to life. What is it all about? I think You can guess it now. Our choices need to be conscious and made in harmony with ourselves. Our time and energy resources are always limited. How we use this time and energy is entirely up to us. If we want to do it right, we have to know which path we want to follow, what we really want to achieve and what we expect from life. To put it bluntly, there are pros and cons to everything in our life. What matters is to pursue things which, in our opinion, have more pros than cons. Otherwise we may find out, just as it was in the case of that elderly lady mentioned before, who made a career and earned a lot of money, that in reality all of that was achieved at the expense of much more important things. Similarly to that man, who wasn't happy with his wonderful house and car – yes, he's always wanted to have these things and they were important to him, but the cons connected with achieving them exceed the pros. All You have to do is to carry out an internal dialogue with Yourself and do it in a way which won't let You achieve something at the expense of what deep inside is really important to You. If we carry out such a dialogue with ourselves, it can bring wonderful results, because we will be reaching goals which are right, set in harmony with ourselves. Moreover, the journey – reaching this goal – will also be right – different from the one for which we'd have to pay the price of many cons, as it was the case of the man with an exclusive car and a beautiful house. If he had carried out such internal dialogue with himself, he'd have been much more successful, because he'd be on the right path. Therefore he would be happy, because, as I have already mentioned, that's the most important thing in life. Probably it'd take him much longer to get such car and house, but he'd be happy with his life and all that time he'd do what he likes. As You can see, taking more time to achieve something doesn't mean it's harmful to us, as long as we do it in a right way. Let me add that it doesn't necessarily have to take more time, because, in fact, it can take less time. All I wanted to do was to make You realize that taking more time to achieve something is a million times better than changing our lives into one big torture on the way to reaching it. So, if You want to achieve a goal, do it in a happy way, because the goal itself isn't of the utmost importance – the way leading to reaching it is equally important.

Coming back to the man who reached his goal at the expense of many sacrifices: maybe after carrying out a self-analysis he would be able to realize that this big, beautiful house and exclusive car aren't as important to him as he thought. Then he's be able to devote his precious time and energy to other things, which would turn out to be more important to him, and for which he'd never spared a thought. It doesn't matter whether he would choose the first, second or another option. What matters is that his choice should be conscious and, as a result, his way of achieving what he wanted would be in harmony with himself. He'd be the winner from the very beginning, because while realizing his goal, he'd follow the path which itself would make him happy. Therefore, he wouldn't have to pay the price inadequately high in comparison with the benefits coming along with the realization of the goal.

As You can see, choosing the right and true goal and following the path which won't require You to give up things equally important as the goal itself it of the utmost importance. That's the only way of reaching the goal that will make You happy. Being happy, You'll be able to proudly tell Yourself that You've reached the goal. As You already know, Your real success is Your happiness!