We all want the things that we’re sure will make us happy—money, success, independence, love. But when we finally get them, we can find to our surprise that we are the same miserable, moody, or just neutral people we always were. Is that just the way things are?

Luckily, no! There are people whose lives are full of serious challenges but who nevertheless feel peace and joy—and there are those who have few difficulties in life and yet feel hopeless. Cultivating the ability to feel contentment is the key. We can teach ourselves to be happy and enjoy every day, and M.J. Ryan, the bestselling author of The Power of Patience and Attitudes of Gratitude, shows us how. The Happiness Makeover presents a plan that can help you: