John Wesley is commander and chief of the wildly popular personal development website called PickTheBrain. PTB is a product of John’s passion for reflection and personal growth. He holds a BS in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia and enjoys reading, technology, and surfing the web in his free time.

Some of Pick The Brain’s most popular posts are:

• 7 Ways To Grow The Action Habit
• Learn to Understand Your Own Intelligence
• 10 Ways To Instantly Build Self-Confidence
• 5 Simple Ways To Increase Intelligence

1. How do you define happiness?

Funny coincidence, but I actually just wrote a post, pondering this very question.
Happiness is joy that emanates from the soul. Unlike pleasure, which is based on sensation, happiness comes from the mind. It is largely independent of the outside world. It is not a short, intense feeling, but a zen-like state that defies time.

Happiness is a state of mind. It’s not something that can be taught or given from one person to another. It is achieved with profound understanding and a monk-like control over the thoughts and emotions that torment us.

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

Things are going good for me right now, and I expect the best is yet to come, so right now I would put myself around 8.

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

On a daily basis, I try to live with purpose and to improve myself and give something back to the world around me. It doesn’t need to be anything big, but keeping a positive attitude and making progress is important.

Throughout the day, and from one day to the next, occasionally I have a bad or melancholy mood, but I think this is natural and part of life and happiness.

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

The biggest detriments are negatives thoughts, fears, and cynicism. It’s easy to get caught in a pessimistic thought pattern that makes life seem hopeless. To keep my thoughts positive, I try to feel grateful every day and find time for solitude so I can sort out my thoughts.

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

I plan on further developing my personal relationships and professional abilities by working to increase my value to the world. In my experience, the more you are able to give the more wealth, happiness, etc. you get in return.

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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.