We know now that external circumstances don’t predicate happiness. As we know, there are many poor people who are very happy and wealthy people who are extremely depressed, suicidal. What I’m talking about is the daily experience of a meaningful life. I find that when people feel like they have meaning in their lives, they define themselves as happy. They want to get up in the morning. It’s not just a fleeting experience because they had a glamorous holiday or won the lottery or something, but they actually have meaning. Meaning brings fulfillment. So the first imperative is self-awareness.

Max Strom, author of There Is No App for Happiness
Interviewed by Suzanne Lindgren in the January/February 2013 Utne Reader

The book isn’t yet available. But here’s Max Strom giving a TEDx talk in Greenville:

If you listen to/watch the video, please note that Max Strom is on Facebook. 🙂