"Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Bumper sticker philosophy would have us believe that there are many sources of happiness. Some say, "Happiness is surfing," or "Happiness is a glass of cold milk," or even, "Money can’t buy happiness, but happiness can’t pay the bills."

Unfortunately, bumper stickers seldom capture the whole truth. Nobody can say for certain what formula of circumstances guarantees happiness. If we could, given the market for such a product, we could write the formula in a book and retire independently wealthy.

The whole truth must include the reality that happiness is illusive. Although surveys show that most people consider themselves to be happy persons, few people, if any, are happy all the time. Furthermore, most people admit to…