What if we really took meaningful experiences (both outer and inner) + knowledge seriously as the real goal in life? What if we took time seriously, the only truly limited resource we have, as the real currency? How would that change our life choices? How would that influence our college or career choice, the place we live in, what we do in our free time? What if we took the time to pay attention to the quality of our experiences, rather than reacting to what's thrown at us at every moment? What if we carved time and space to CREATE an interesting life?

I'm no spring chicken when it comes to speaking in front of people. I spoke at large conferences an presented to CMOs in my prior, corporate life. I can talk about intricate statistics, research and strategy. I can defend arguments. But this was a talk about happiness, that elusive emotion that's hard to talk about even with adults. Happiness, as a word, is right up there with "god". It's misunderstood, overused and under appreciated. And my teenage audience doesn't usually think it's particularly "dope" to open up about emotions like vulnerability, failure, hope, wisdom, and joy. 

I took this challenge because I may a point to have fun throwing myself in highly uncomfortable situations. There might be a name for this condition, and not many people may have it, but I do. 

So when I found myself in front of scary teenagers who weren't interested in me or what I had to say, I stood up, smiled, and said "My name is Ramona, and I'm here to talk to you about happiness. But before we do that, I'm sure you noticed my accent. Where do you think it's from?" And the ice started to break; I made fun of myself and of their wrong guesses, and moved on to talking about happiness. 

There is one sentence I read a long time ago, that stuck with me to this day. This sentence resurfaced throughout my life, and was the spark in my quest to research and understand human happiness.

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

This sentence makes us ponder about our capacity for happiness, as Tolstoy's novel doesn't actually reveal any perfectly happy families. Like the family I grew up in, the families he portrayed were torn by financial problems and quarrels.

Was Tolstoy right? Are all happy people happy in the same way? Are all unhappy people unhappy in different ways? How do they differ from happy ones? These were the questions at the start of my research.

What's the *secret* of happiness? Is there such thing? Are there people who are truly happier? Are people happy in the same way? What's the difference between what happy people know, feel, or do, compared to others who rate themselves as less happy? These are some of the questions that I've been seeking to answer with the Happiness Research project that I started back in October 2015.

If I were to ask you, what's your dream for this year, and you took some time to think about it, what would it be? If you didn't listen to the voice that shuts down your ideas, that tells you that dreaming doesn't pay bills? If you dared to dream the biggest dream, even if you believed it's utterly foolish and impossible?

The year is fresh and my heart is hopeful and happy. I'm having so much fun dreaming up new adventures for this year. I can already smell the adventure that's coming my way.

Here are some powerful tips to help you as you start the new year:

1 > Be nice to yourself

This is the only way to get to your heart, to honor it, to heal it, and to nourish it. Don’t be harsh. Don’t beat yourself up for what you don’t have or haven’t done. Look at yourself with kindness.

This year we went back to Eastern Europe for the summer. Life in Romania is in many ways very similar to life in the US. There are malls with H&M and Gap stores. There are hipster coffee shops. There are upscale cheese places where you can buy 20 different types of brie or feta cheese. As of a couple of years ago, biking lanes started to pop up through parks and on the side of the road. Teenagers are on their smartphones at all times, and everyone is on Facebook and Instagram.

After spending over two years of inward exploration, I now understand that happiness is available at all times, to all of us. After reading ancient wisdom and positive psychology, I now understand that happiness is something that we can learn to cultivate, sort of like wisdom and maturity.

There is a question that has been both my thorn and my guru for many years. This question has burned at first through my brain and then through through my heart. Most of my thoughts at any given hour began revolving around this one question. And it’s a question as old as the world itself. “What am I here for?”

The question implies that there is something we’re here for, right? It implies that there is something we must seek, and that we’re capable of finding it. It implies that we’re here for a reason, that our individual lives matter. It also implies that each of us have our own particular reason we’re here for. We see and personally know a few people who seem like they found their unique calling, but that calling is not a good fit us.

Looking back, I think an important step in shifting my life's path and making a significant change began once I allowed myself to admit that my job had become boring, mundane, and that I wanted to do something more significant. 

It's Monday, and it's a great day to set our intentions for the week. What do you wish to create this week? What can you do this week to take steady steps in the direction you wish to go? What thoughts and actions can support you on your goal? What barriers and negative thoughts lay in your way that you can let go of, and move past by? 

My friend K, who wrote her first book while raising small kids and a full time job, and who is now an accomplished writer with a film deal for her most recent books, told me something that stuck with me. "I learned to stop thinking about the things I wanted as being hard. As I matured, I learned to rethink the act of writing as being no more difficult than brushing teeth. I made a point to view it as accessible, as being easy."