Welcome to the happiness podcast. I'm Dr. Robert Puff. Happiness.

What does it really mean to say that we're happy?

How do we know that the things we're doing are leading towards a happier, more peaceful life.

I mean, after all, couldn't we be deluding ourselves?

Drug addicts do it all the time.

Alcoholics? heroin addicts, when their substances are in them,

they feel really happy.

Or use an example of someone who's achieved something great. They can feel so elated and so excited

for what they've achieved. And yet a few days later, they may commit suicide.

Over the years, I've worked with a lot of people who've had great accomplishments, and yet these accomplishments aren't helping them to be happier.

They may be glad that they did what they did, but as far as just being happy,

it isn't there. There are experiences of happiness, but pure lasting joy, peace, and happiness.

This seems to elude a lot of people.

So how do we know that we're on the right path? How do we know that what we're doing is working

towards a better happier life? Is there things we can look for that can indicate that what we're doing is working and

that we're not putting forth all this effort and it's going to lead to nothing or even to bad things. How do we know?

Because I think we can get quite good at fooling ourselves at the time of this

recording, Kate Spade, a famous fashion designer, was found dead by her own hands.

She committed suicide.

She was successful in a career. She had accomplished many things and yet she chose to end her life.

In 1982, there was a very famous movie called An Officer and a Gentlemen.

Richard Geer was the main actor in that movie.

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