I am a work from home dad... I write books and counsel people about how to be happy (also relationships, love, overcoming depression, stress etc, etc, etc).

It seems to me that most people try to live their lives backwards.

With my clients (and myself until I discovered Trioga) I've found that the overall plan they have for living a successful life goes something like this:

1. Figure out how to survive in the world. You know, the basics like food, shelter, clothing and physical safety.
2. Find a good job so they can earn plenty of money.
3. Find the "perfect" spouse to "make them feel loved and happy"
4. Convert the money to "stuff" because having lots of "stuff", like houses, cars, furniture, lawn mowers, nice clothes, barbecues, and so on is how one gets to be happy, isn't it??? That's what everyone else is so busy doing... so it must be, right?
5. Acheive "Nirvana" once you have enough stuff, kids, the perfect spouse and the perfect job and the perfect "life" then all suffering (stress) will somehow magically stop and you'll get to be deliriously happy... success = happiness = love (or something like that).

The only problem is what if you never get enough money? Or what if it takes 70 years?

Now when I suggest pretty much reversing that... starting with being deliriously happy, deeply loved and totally successful and then chasing after all that money so you can convert it into "stuff"... well, I get the strangest looks???

So I'm wondering what your experience or strategy for living life might be??? Especially, since you are working from home and, if you're anything like me, it's probably difficult to keep your personal and work life separated.

And if you had choose between being rich and unhappy or being poor and happy, (which you do) which would you choose?

In reality, you do have to make that choice because if you choose happiness first you won't have as much time and energy to devote to chasing money... yes, you may still end up with lot's of it, but it'll take longer.

[I have chosen poor and happy... I used to create and build large companies, like telephone companies, but I wasn't happy doing that... so I gave it up. Now I'm far, far happier helping others find more love and happiness for themselves than I ever was trying figure out how to get more money out of people's pockets, but I'm poor (relatively speaking).]

So would you care to share your thoughts about the "best" strategy for living... forwards, backwards, or something else? And would you rather be rich and unhappy or poor and happy??

As for me, I think of it this way:

Please feel free to browse my web site to learn more about being happy first (check out the free "articles").
visit www.trioga.com

Best wishes for you on your journey,
Steve Wilcox

"Live happily, it's better than the alternative!"

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