Red-tailed hawk over my house.

My wife and I watched Tony Robbins on Oprah's show last night.

I love pithy quotes and cool distinctions and Tony said three words that sent me running to my computer to make note.

"Progress equals happiness."

I thought about those words and found myself nodding.

I know I am happiest when I am expanding in some way…

Sometimes I connect to this feeling comes when writing a newsletter or creating a new CD.

Sometimes happiness comes from opening my eyes to the world and taking a nice photograph.

Sometimes happiness comes from learning to play a new song on the guitar.

Sometimes happiness comes from a home improvement job, or simply vacuuming the livingroom.

Sometimes happiness comes from paying attention to my skiing, making tiny adjustments to glide down the mountain easier.

Sometimes happiness comes when I notice that I managed to keep my mouth shut instead of complaining out of habit.

Sometimes happiness comes from being coaching and learning something new about myself and getting out of my own way.

Whatever the example, happiness is borne from evolution. Expansion. Progress.

Now, of course the converse is true as well…

If you're not learning anything new, if you're not actively expanding your mind in some way, if you're not becoming a better person than you were yesterday… the joy of living will tend to be rather elusive.

Hit and miss.

The simplest way I know to upgrade the happiness in your life (and to progress) is to get into the habit of hanging out with other people who know that life is only supposed to get better and better. (This falls under Very Cool Life Key #7, Elevate Your Environments.)

And yes, you might just have to invest in yourself to make this happen…

If you feel ready to expand, to learn some cool concepts, ideas, and practices that will place you on the "Progress" track (and you'd like to hang out with me for a while), then I invite you to join my new 8-week class, based on my book, The Very Cool Life Code…

Starts tomorrow, so now's the time, if you're so inclined…

Details and registration are here. 

Whether you choose to join me or not, do yourself a favor.

Do something new.

Learn something about yourself.

Hang out with someone who knows something you want to learn.

Read a book.

Take a class.

Take a risk.

Live a litte.

Expand. Progress. Evolve.

Because that's where happiness is…

And happiness is the entire point.