We live in a world defined by money and control — at least that’s the world that subconsciously holds sway over our lives for most of us. We have been conditioned to accept that money and control are what make it possible to live a good life, provide for our children, and as the most sought after means to gain recognition and acceptance within our society.

To be sure, having money and control mean having power and influence, and the extremely wealthy often do hold the public’s eye more often than not. Working hand in hand with money is the exercise of control. Money doesn’t mean much if one has no control over external forces. Money is often highly prized as a way of gaining desired control over one’s privacy, life experiences, sense of accomplishment, and emotional fulfillment. We often base our happiness on on money. We often feel hopelessly unfulfilled due to a perceived lack of it.

Mildred Norman was born on a small New Jersey chicken farm in 1908. A review of her youth provides few clues to the destiny that lay ahead. Her family didn’t attend church and adhered to no particular religion. Mildred graduated from high school, got a job, wore makeup, bought nice clothes, drove a fancy car, went out on dates, and wrote amateur plays for a local Grange group.

The momentum of conventional living carried Mildred into marriage just as America fell into the Great Depression of the 1930s. Her husband had trouble finding work, and later, due to differences in fundamental values, their paths eventually diverged and the marriage ended. In this time of crisis, Mildred began to question her entire existence and its meaning. It was a turning point and time of preparation for her life to come.

How is authentic happiness different from synthetic happiness?

Ten years of scientific findings from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions have shown that lasting fulfillment and sustainable happiness cannot be synthesized from the material or the physical world. That is, success in any respect – whether it is financial, professional, romantic, social, physical, or otherwise – does not lead to a happy life.

Successful life circumstances, by and large, will not guarantee that you live happily ever after. In other words, there are no purely “happy circumstances” in this life – no circumstances that serve as a one-stop-shop for creating a happy life.

Step 3 – Give Every Experience its Rightful Place

Scientific experiments have shown that the mind does not know the difference between that which is experienced and that which is imagined. This suggests that every time you re-live a negative experience in your mind, adding some extra sauce as you go along, your mind believes you are experiencing it again. So instead of living an experience just the one time, you live it a hundred, a thousand or even countless times.