We are living in a world that operates almost completely in the left part of our brains - the part that handles language and reasoning. Very little of our lives uses the right brain - the emotional side, the intuitive side, and creative side. Quite a number of scientific studies show that satisfaction and contentment lie in the right side of the brain which we don't seem to use at all in deciding what the life of our dreams would be like. Our world has told us that more money and stuff will make us happy, but a lot of us are beginning to suspect that we're being lied to so that we will work harder and buy more stuff and make some other folks richer.
According to those studies, loving relationships with people; using our creativity; taking care of our bodies; helping others; companion pets; and cultivating kindness, gratitude and optimism are the things that universally make people happy. I would add that most people seem to greatly benefit from spending time outside enjoying things that were not made by people.
I've spent a lot of time and energy cultivating all those things and have found that by doing so I've increased my happiness a hundred times over. I hightly recommend that strategy compared to getting more stuff!
Empowerment enhances the ability of individuals or organizations to make choices and transform those choices into positive outcomes. Empowered people have recognized their own value and strength and their capacity to handle life's problems. In turn they are better able to influence the course of their lives. With information and support, most people can find within themselves the power to direct their lives and reach their dreams.
