I strolled past a library magazine stand and noticed that nearly the entire popular magazine section-complete with the usual juggernauts: Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Essence, Ebony and Good Housekeeping-bore similar "feel good" headlines. Curious, I flipped through one title and discovered that, apparently, eating one sweet treat per day will cause you to be happier. Only in America, I thought to myself, could we advise people to eat dessert to get happy when the reality is that folks in other parts of the world are trying to figure out which one of their many children to feed today.

We are, by far, the most prosperous lot of folks in the world...yet, we're among the most dissatisfied. According to statistics, suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death for all U.S. Americans, and is the third leading cause of death for young people 15-24 years.

Could it be that America as a country is made up of happiness gluttons? Is our definition of happiness skewed? In a nation where we're offered free basic education, a solid government, generous social services as well as breathtaking facilities and infrastructures, why on earth are we so blue?

Somewhere along the way, we've become the United States of Happiness. It seems as though many interpret the right to "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" to mean "we are entitled to fabulousity, coziness and never-ending bliss."

Interestingly enough, the constitution spells out the fact that happiness is a pursuit...it's our duty to seek, discover and apply happiness. What are you doing today to intentionally live a life of happiness? As Christians, what is our responsibility in being happy?

Both secular and Christian life coaches would agree with these five principles:

1.Happiness is a choice.

2.Happiness takes hard work.

3.Seeking to be happy is not self-centered, specifically because...

4.Happy people affect positive change in the world so...

5. A part of being our responsible global citizens entails seeking happiness.

In other words, the whole, joyful individual makes a world a little bit more whole and joyful than they found it. Wealth, health and social status matter, but not in the way we Americans are conditioned to expect. A close look at recent statistics and reports indicate that happiness hinges upon three factors:

A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

"The joy of the Lord is your strength..." Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

Want to combat selfishness, pessimism and guilt? Faith in God is the answer. A Barna Group study shows that by instilling virtues such as contentment, repentance, patience and generosity, Christians are among the happiest groups in the world. Essentially, center your life on God and you'll enjoy it more. Subsequent studies coincide with these findings. A Pew Research Center survey concluded that Christian Americans are 26 percent more likely to describe themselves as "very happy" than non-Christian Americans.

Belief is not the only ingredient for happiness, however. Practice, no doubt, is equally important which leads to the next factor.

VOLUNTEERISM

So then, men ought to regard us as servants of God... 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 NIV

Call it outreach, community service or activism or even grassroots organizing, volunteerism helps us to, well, get over ourselves. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, volunteers are often ordinary people who sacrifice to fit service into their lifestyles. Volunteers, on average, are about as busy as others, yet they make the time to serve others. Volunteers trade off more than an hour a day of TV watching, on average, to engage in service, the study says. In addition, the Corporation for National and Community Service says people who volunteer 100 hours of service per year can achieve healthier, happier lives than those who do not. These natural, healthy benefits include reduced risk for depression, increased sense of accomplishment and purpose as well as less incidence of heart disease.

There are plenty of avenues by which young adults can roll up their sleeves and get busy. But today's Twixter Generation-more than any previous generation-faces the enormous temptation to be self-consumed and lax. Yet, this is not the pattern that Christ set for us. One song says "To live your life, you've got to lose it...and all the losers wear a crown." Because God is a God of reciprocity, as we love others our love tanks are filled as well. Moreover, we build connections. In fact, the same Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed that in a typical day, recent volunteers tend to be more socially connected and interact with others. For instance, recent volunteers spend 78% of their mealtime hours eating with other people, compared to about 70% for non-volunteers and former volunteers. This leads to my final point...

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35 NIV

Finally, relationships make us happier. This morning, I listened to Joyce Meyer's "Love Revolution" sermon, which ignited a fire in my belly to the point that I quickly ordered the accompanying book from Amazon. "We have to declare war on selfishness," Joyce declared. "We have to focus on relationships, not hardships."

This year Coca-Cola set out to study global happiness. Human contact wins hands down when it comes to habits that increase happiness. People in all 16 countries agree real world contact with family and partners is the biggest source of joy (77%). "The results of the Coca-Cola Happiness Barometer show that staying connected with friends and family remains an important source of happiness for people around the world, and that this holds true across all continents and nationalities, including here in the U.S.," said Bill Kelly, Senior Vice President, Coca-Cola Trademark Brands, Coca-Cola North America.

Actualizing happiness means that we ought to prioritize all God, service and relationships into our lifestyles. Are you investing in your relationships? When was the last time you connected with God privately and intimately? Do you give of your time, resources and talents to others?

Ana Guthrie is a super cool chick with a heart for God and love for youth culture. She doubles as a not-so-naughty librarian and instructor at Florida Memorial University in Miami, Florida.