Recently, I blogged that summoning and maintaining the wonder and fearlessness of a child within is an essential part of being fully alive and human, and fearlessly and persuasively battling in court. Here are some further thoughts on feeling and finding happiness and fulfillment in life:

– Recently, my 7-year-old son asked why there are people who do not realize how magical our planet is. He said it all. Somewhere along the line, too many people lose the enchantment of childhood, in the drive to become a surviving human being, or merely a so-called "mature" person, ceasing the dancing, laughter, singing, wonder, and creativity, in other words making themselves empty.

– My friend Trudy Morse was infectiously ageless, enchanted and enchanting. She did not fear death, and welcomed death when undergoing a near death experience. 

– Robert Thurman (Uma’s father) aptly underlines that real happiness comes out of our own cells. (Minute 11:00.) He also aptly says that all the misery comes from being caught in different kinds of illusions. (Minute 1:00.)

– Robert Thurman also points out: "Much like transpersonal psychology, [the principles of Buddhism] can enable [people] to transform their souls and psyches from being so self-centered, self-defeating, dissatisfied, afraid and aggressive."

– Wayne Dyer points out that abundance and inspiration are available to all of us, including: "On June 27, 2012, I woke up and started writing. Something compelled me to start putting words on paper… All along I thought I was making the choices, but all along there was a bigger pattern, a greater game that a hand larger than mine was playing." He also points out that "ignorance is suffering and wisdom is bliss." (Minute 2:40.)

– Daniel Neumann aptly points out: "Most of American society sees the world through rational eyes, valuing the good life by ease, the cost of labor by efficiency, and the reason for existing as profitability”without any deeper meaning pertaining to the most important question of all: Why?"

– Is gratitude an overly simplistic way to become happier people? At minimum, gratitude brings us away from the suffering that arises from self-centeredness

– We can make our own magic, even without magic supply stores to visit. Nevertheless, when I visited the local Barry’s Magic Shop three years ago with my son, it was a wondrous event. When I decided to buy him an illusion or two last week, I learned the store had closed last year. In this age of Internet sales of magic equipment, the love of the craft led to his keeping the store running, when profit alone did not justify the store’s remaining open. I was always enchanted by my visits to Louis Tannen’s magic shop in Manhattan, which still is open for business, and will check out their online catalog for future purchases.

– On trial mornings, a successful trial lawyer whom I know converses to himself with one juror at a time. Wishing each of them well can also do the trick, I believe. This humanizes them, and also the lawyer and his client. People yearn to be real. When a lawyer or anyone else talks to or treats them as real — rather than feeling separate from them due to real or perceived differences — that is powerful for connecting with and honestly persuading them.

I deeply thank, bow to and hug my wife, son, and everyone else who inspires me on the path of powerful happiness, fulfillment and persuasion.