I cannot recall a prior time when there was greater interest in the subject of happiness. Hundreds of books and articles have already been published this year and presumably there will be many more by year’s end.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi [pronounced “Mee-hy Cheek-sent-mə-hy-ee”] asks, “What makes a life worth living?” Noting that money cannot make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of “flow.” He has contributed pioneering work to our understanding of happiness, creativity, human fulfillment and the notion of “flow” — a state of heightened focus and immersion in activities such as art, play and work.

Csikszentmihalyi says creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives. A leading researcher in positive psychology, he has devoted his life to studying what makes people truly happy: “When we are involved in [creativity], we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.” He is the architect of the notion of “flow” — the creative moment when a person is completely involved in an activity for its own sake.

He teaches psychology and management at Claremont Graduate University, focusing on human strengths such as optimism, motivation and responsibility. He’s the director the Quality of Life Research Center there. He has written numerous books and papers about the search for joy and fulfillment.

To watch his TED program, “Flow, the secret to happiness,” please click here.

His Amazon page link

To read his interview by Wired, please click here.