For me...

For me, its not about living according to someone else's definition of what ensures happiness or prevents the lack thereof.

I am the only one who can define what it is that will make me happy.

For me, I'm not looking to encapsulate all of my views, stances, and philosophies through the voice of some previously established philosophy or religion.

I am the only one who can define what it is that will be my philosophy. And those who choose to simply listen rather than critically think upon and challenge an idea before adapting it to themselves are missing out on the fun and also the benefit of someone having done part of the work for you already.

For me, I'm not looking to figure it all out and live by it.

I realize it is a constant work in progress, changed every day by new experiences, discoveries, and realizations.

I realize that what I pronounce now, today, as the best way to live, is simply the best way to live today, as now is all that is real, and I am open to rethinking and restructuring this when my priorities, needs, and paths to happiness change.

If I say I agree with a quote, an author, a leader, I agree based on my experiences which have gotten me to this point, my thoughts, my mental schema, which no one but me fully shares. I need not declare to the world in a permanent sense that my ways and beliefs are best. I simply put them out there as what works for me and one might consider whether or not these things could work for them, filter it through their body of experience, and take the pieces that are applicable.

And I can confidently say at this point that these conclusions have been reached through conscious awareness, meditation, and thought, as well as pure proof of positive results.

And if someone doesn't agree, there is no need to find what is right. Each person has what is right for him or her, and can accept certain truths only as much as they are truth for that individual. Common ground is never and should never be seen as a solid foundation when its made up of different and possibly non-lithifying elements of understanding. If we seem to agree, know there will always be varying degrees to how certain this agreement is, because you and I will always be two different people. (And that's NOT to say we should never get into discussion about the ways in which we disagree...thats how progress and learning are best made and found, certainly!...but respectful questioning if there is lack of understanding and confrontational challenging are two entirely different things, one of which is worthy of response, and the other only worthy of reconsideration of the relationship with and issues of the inquisitor.)

And thats perfectly ok... to agree to disagree and to come from different places with resulting different thoughts...and something that creates the unlimited potential within man's ability to think and discover new thoughts.