Taking the easy road is nice for a while, but for talented, motivated people it isn’t enough. To find satisfaction you’ll need to set ambitious goals, solve challenging problems, and develop strengths you may not know you have.

Although the hard road is more fulfilling, it isn’t all champagne and victory laps. There will be times when you feel beaten and depressed — times when quitting looks like the best option. There is no formula for dealing with hard times, but these 8 steps will help you understand your predicament and determine the best course of action.

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Increasing prosperity and economic growth has paradoxically led to record levels of personal debt. Modern life offers a bewildering array of possibilities for getting into debt — financial institutions make it as easy as possible. But, when you face a mountain of debt, don’t expect much help from them in overcoming the situation.

Debt can bring anxiety, stress and unhappiness; but, by being aware of your financial situation you can enjoy life without permanently battling against the problem of debt. To avoid suffering from serious debt problems consider these suggestions:

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Professor Tal Ben-Shahar teaches the largest course at Harvard on “Positive Psychology” and the third largest on “The Psychology of Leadership” — with a total of over 1,400 students.

Last night he made an appearance on The Daily Show to discuss his new book, Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment. Here are some interesting quotes from the interview:

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When I was a kid my parents sent me to summer camp in New Hampshire. This was a great experience. I liked it so much that I worked there as a counselor when I was old enough. At camp we did tons of great things like swimming, sports, and archery, but for me, the most memorable experience was Trip. Once a week, everyone loaded frame packs with supplies and left camp for an overnight trip of canoing, hiking, or rock climbing.

My favorite kind of trip was hiking. If you’ve ever hiked a mountain, you know it’s a physical challenge, especially when you’re carrying your food and shelter on your back. When the terrain got steep, campers got tired and inevitably started complaining. I can vividly recall their pleas:

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This is part two of a two post series by guest writer Michelle Martin.

Today I want to share with you some thoughts on how to discover your dream career opportunity.

First, Remember That This is a Journey of Discovery

Many people I know are control freaks and perfectionists. I happen to be both.

We always want to know what’s around the bend, the one “right answer,” that will help us to perfectly control our lives. Unfortunately, the “perfect answer” doesn’t exist.

The truth is, many of us have learned to hide both our passions and our talents. For many complex personal and cultural reasons, it’s often safer to pursue the path of what’s “acceptable” rather than what we really want.

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This is part one of a two post series by guest writer Michelle Martin.

It’s been my experience that most people look for a new career by thinking about jobs that already exist. They think “I always wanted to be a teacher” or “I’d love to go back to school to be a nurse.”

While this method isn’t completely wrong, it is limiting. It’s based on what you know of various jobs (which usually isn’t much) and it assumes that the job you want is a job that exists right now. In today’s economy, this is decidedly not the case. By some estimates, 75% of the jobs that today’s kindergartners will hold don’t yet exist. Trying to decide what you want to do based on the jobs that are available will automatically limit your opportunities. There are plenty of other career barriers that you’ll have to deal with. Avoid creating new ones.

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