@jerrybanfield, yesterday I wrote a blog,in which I stated
"Now the reason why these people don’t change their life for better is not because they don’t know what to do or how to do it, to change. At some point during counselling, the people reach a stage where they have all the necessary information and knowledge that they need to change in an instant. But then they still remain and stray back onto their past behaviour because they think that their feelings about the situation they are dealing with, is true.
So what’s really happening is that people respond to their feelings and not to their thoughts about a situation that is disturbing them. People never question their feelings. They believe that their feelings are making an accurate statement of their reality.

Simply put, your feelings define your response to a situation and not the thoughts about the situation."

Regarding happiness, I wrote in one of my other blogs...
"To put it simply, it does not matter what you do and where you are. You are always in the pursuit of happiness.

But then If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, and that is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are.

And finally an important thing to remember. Let Happiness come in any manner. Be it through pleasure, passion or a purpose. Remember that Happiness lies within you. Happiness is never outside you. It's always within you. If you want to be happy, you can. No matter the external circumstances. Happiness is inside YOU."

These thoughts came to me after reading your blog. So just quoted my reply through my writing in my blogs.