Happiness means different things to different people, there could be the satisfaction gained from work or the joy of having a happy and healthy family. Whatever happiness means to you it is a state of being that is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. You are probably all familiar with the phrase, the good old days, when the pace of life was slower and society put a whole lot more emphasis on the family and community. We have become a society geared towards materialism and self indulgence. People struggle with mounting debt burdens but they still need the latest toys and fashions. There was a time when people would work hard to save for something but progress demands instant gratification for us. Children are bought up in a society where it is good to want, and woe betides the child whose parents cannot keep up with the latest wants.

Money cannot buy happiness. Spending a fortune on the latest fashions or technology will not make you happy, especially once you have got bored with your purchases and need to buy more and more and more. The more children that are brought up to accept a consumer driven society as normal, the less chance they have and the less chance society has of being able to live a happy and satisfying life.

Now that all sounds such a cheerful prospect for the future but that does not have to be so for you. If you are feeling rebellious there are things that you can do to help you and your family live a happy and satisfying life.

You need focus in your life, you need something that you keep working towards, this could come through your job, voluntary work or whatever, the important thing is that it makes your mind work. If you have no goals in life to pursue then how are you going to move forward, you need that forward momentum otherwise you will stagnate. A focus in life gives you a real sense of purpose, it lets you know that you are here for a reason, and that will make you feel good.

As you might have gathered from earlier in the article you need to live within you means. It is great to have all the latest technological toys, regular new cars, the latest fashion, to be always going out, but at what cost. Where is your quality of life if you are forever working to try and pay of your debts for things that you end up too tired and too stressed out to enjoy. If like me you prefer to save for what you get then you get the satisfaction of saying that I worked for that and you will appreciate you purchases a lot more, than the fleeting buzz that you get when you had across your plastic. If you cannot have all the latest stuff, then who cares, there are far more important things in life than materialism.

Spend time chilling out and relaxing. If you are in a relationship then make or take the the time to be together, sharing and enjoying each others company. Spend quality time together doing things that you both enjoy or looking for new experiences. Spend time with your friends and family, make sure that you have some hobbies and interests that you can follow. Please remember, just work and T.V does not make a healthy combination, there is more to life than that.

If you want to live a happy and satisfying life then you need to enjoy life and savour each and every moment. Looks for ways that you can stretch yourself physically and mentally. Make sure that you have a focus in life and goals so that you are always focused on achieving, if you have nothing to motivate you then your life will stagnate and not move forward. Focus on the positive things about you and being positive. And most importantly, try and find someone with whom you can build a loving, happy and fulfilling relationship.