Alex Shalman . comPractical Personal Development

If you are both a blogger, and have an internet connection, than I’m almost certain that you have heard of Darren Rowse. He is the worlds premier expert on blogging, and one of the top money makers in the blogging world. He has written literally thousands of articles on everything from traffic generation, blogging for dollars, to writing content.

What makes Darren the star of the show and hangs +40,000 subscribers on the notion of ‘what will he say next?’. That my friends is ‘the secret recipe’. If I told you, than you would go ahead and follow those steps and become Mr. (or Ms.) Problogger and take over Darren’s thrown!

Actually it’s no secret at all. It takes being a certain person, that does the necessary things to accomplish the desired result. He’s genuine and intelligent, leads by example and shares his experiences, and accomplishes a global improvement in all blogs (plus fame and fortune!).

On two different occasions I have had the opportunity to meet Darren in New York City. One time convinced me that he can throw a great party, and another convinced me that he is a grade-A speaker. Both times convinced me that he is a very likable guy.

Some of Darren’s very own favorite posts are:

1. How to Make Money From Blogging
2. How to Find Readers For Your Blog
3. How to Write Great Content

His other passion is photography, and you can read about his expertise at the Digital Photography School blog

1. How do you define happiness?

Happiness is the first sip of a latte in the morning, it’s seeing my son’s eyes flutter open at the start of the day and it’s seeing the surpise on my wife’s face when she comes home and realizes that I remembered to wash the dishes.

2. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your happiness now, versus when you were a child?

Now - 8
As a Child - 7

3. What do you do on a daily basis that brings you happiness? (and how consistent is the feeling of happiness throughout your day)

There are many daily occurrences that I think contribute to my happiness. These include:

• Spending conscious time playing with my son
• Spending time alone with nothing more to do than to read, drink a coffee or go for a walk
• Spending moments in reflection/prayer/meditation
• Doing work that I find stimulating, creative, rewarding and helpful to others
• Spending my money in a way that touches the lives of other
• Exercising - walking, working out (with my trainer or alone)

4. What things take away from your happiness? What can be done to lessen their impact or remove them from your life?

I find that I’m most unhappy when selfishness creeps into my life - either through my own actions or those of others. I guess for me it’s about living with a generous spirit and attempting to surround myself with others who embrace a similar lifestyle.

5. What do you plan on doing in the future that will bring you even more happiness?

I spend too much time focussing upon myself and so my hope and dream is to continue to chip away at breaking this mindset and living a life that is more helpful to others. I have a few ideas on how to do this but I’m not sure if it’s the right time to share them. In general though, I guess I want to make a difference in this crazy world we live in. I’m most happy when I’ve helped others in some way and look forward to exploring how to do this more and more.

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To get more info about what the Happiness Project is and isn’t, please visit the Introduction Post. To see a running list of all participants, which I will be updating as things happen, please visit the Happiness Project Page.