This week’s New York Times magazine was their “happiness issue.” It contained articles exploring the idea of happiness through the ages and the cultural forces that shape it. They start with a big statement that there’s a formula for happiness, but you won’t find it alone. This is followed by fascinating stories of people and how they found bliss.

The stories and some of the practices described are asset-based, such as contributing your gifts, looking for the gifts of others, and appreciating the assets in our neighborhoods. The issue concludes by saying that happiness is the shared work of making a world spacious enough to sustain the many ways free individuals choose to live and sturdy enough to hold us all together. John McKnight might have called this a democracy.

I thought of the many stories of individuals sharing their gifts, the connections, and how neighborhoods were strengthened. Often, listeners comment on how refreshing the stories are and how they remind them of happiness and the power of connection to others.