How can you find happiness?

From the moment we are born (maybe even in the womb) we are subjected to a constant bombardment of advertising. It's everywhere!

This advertising has one objective. Whether the advertising is selling Fords, Pepsi, tampons or mutual funds -- all advertising is targeted at achieving this one objective.

What is the purpose of advertising?

Its purpose is to convince us that we will be happy, if we just had more "stuff", more beauty, better tasting food, more money, etc. etc....

From advertising we learn what we need to pursue, and what we need to have, in order to be happy.

Here's a thought -- If we pay attention to advertising. If we have no limits and can buy anything we want, will that guarantee we'll be happy for the rest of our lives?

Sorry, but it won't. Many people, who have with more money than you'll ever see, have tried.

The happiness that comes from having more wealth lasts only a short time.

How about the entertainment industry? Through films, television, music, magazines and radio programs we see what it takes to be happy. What are the lessons we are learning? That money, sex, the perfect spouse, drinking, hot cars, physical beauty, all will make us happy.

But once again the truth is that these things only bring a brief taste happiness.

How do you achieve a true lifetime of happiness?

Start by looking at people who are happy. What do those people have?

There are rich and poor people who are happy. So money is not the answer.

There are healthy and sick people who are happy.

There are happy athletes and physically handicapped people who are happy.

Beautiful people are happy as well as ordinary people.

Some people who drink Coke are happy, as are some people who drink Pepsi.

Happiness is not something you can buy. It does not come from physical things. Happiness comes from inside you. Happiness is spiritual.

A lifelong search for happiness through physical things results only in failure.

The answer, the way to lifelong happiness, is to follow God's plan.

Here's a related question: Is finding happiness our purpose in life?