You pay, you hope and they laugh. Why!

The heat was oppressive, the kids were splashing and the lady next to me was trying to strike up a conversation. This is how I've been spending Saturday mornings lately, trying to stay awake while observing others in their quest to conquer a fear of water, learn how to float or maybe even skim across the glassy surface eagerly clutching a bright orange foam pad. Ah, nothing like a hot, humid day at the pool. On this particular morning, the lady next to me, let's call her Sally, was telling me about a recent call to a psychic she had made.

"You actually called a psychic," I said in disbelief. Sally was very open about her desire to find her true soul mate, coming off a series of disappointing relationships. Her friend recommend this dial-a-psychic. Sally had tried everything she could think of and making an emotional call to a stranger she had never met face to face seemed her only option. I asked Sally how the call went. "Well...," she began and over the course of the next half hour, Sally spilled her guts to me about how the advice seemed decent, however more calls resulting in more money being spent were needed.

I was both amazed and outraged that a person in such a vulnerable state would be enticed to spend even more money for advice to attain something that is free. Let me explain. Sally is not alone, her situation is not unique. What Sally is seeking, plain and simple is happiness. It seems everything is costing more and more these days whether it be gas, a hamburger or a simple movie. We have grown use to shelling out money for these items. Happiness my friends is free. Yes, free. Yet people are spending millions of dollars to get it.

We certainly live in a confusing world and the basic elements of happiness have been distorted and equated with material possessions or some mystical level of knowledge. In our service oriented society, the Sally's of the world are willing to spend their hard earned money to complete strangers in their hope to attain happiness. Perhaps it's my cynical side, however do these supposed experts really believe that they can help these people. To me it seems they simply are taking advantage of the situation and laughing all the way to the bank.

Well folks, I won't charge you a single penny for my advice. No, I won't be telling you the meaning of life or how to be completely and utterly content. What I will ask is why do you continue to enable these scammers and pay for happiness when it is truly free for the taking? You won't find it by making expensive phone calls, going to useless seminars or reading countless books. Happiness won't fly off the page and hit you in the face. You can't be given happiness my friends, you don't even need to find it. You simply need to take it. Yes, you may believe that's too simple, but listen to your heart not the scammers.