If the world is progressing toward greater well-being due to all the advances in technology, health, wealth, social issues, science, then why are people reporting greater amounts of depression? It's because we're not progressing toward greater well-being as we distance ourself from the original purpose for our existence, which is love of God, self and others. This is the good news in the midst of all the bad news.

8. Depression now ravages
teenagers: fifty years ago, the
average age of a person’s first
depressive episode was about
thirty. Now the first one is below
age fifteen.
Martin Seligman, PhD

9. You have to be blinded by
ideology not to see that
almost everything is better in
every wealthy nation than it
was fifty years ago.
Martin Seligman, PhD

10. Progress in the last 50 years…
•We now have about three times more actual
purchasing power in the United States.
•The average house has doubled in size from 1,200
square feet to 2,500 square feet.
•In 1950 there was one car for every two drivers;
now there are more cars than licensed drivers.
•One out of five children went on to post–high
school education; now one out of two children
does.

11. National happiness in the last 50 years…
•The average person from Denmark, Italy, and
Mexico is somewhat more satisfied with life
than fifty years ago, but the average American,
Japanese, and Australian is no more satisfied
with life than fifty years ago, and the average
person from Britain and Germany is less
satisfied. The average Russian is much
unhappier.

12. So, what’s up????????
•It has everything to do with
the failures of the Modern
Age, and perhaps with what
we mistakenly call
“prosperity.”

13. So, what’s up????????
•Positive life meaning, is the
foundation of happiness. So,
the pursuit of happiness is
based in the discovery of a
positive life meaning.

14. So, what????????
•Secularization has failed. I’m
suggesting to you that what you,
me and the world need is not
more progressive secularization,
but a renewed sense of practical
sacredization.

15. Sacredization…
•Sacredization – The recognition that
positive life meaning transcends any
individual or societal sense of
success. But comes exclusively from
the God of the Bible who loves and
wants you, in spite of you.

18. The way to meaning…
•You’re going to have to
leap from poor
scientific reason, to rich
spiritual reason.

19. The Christian good news…
•Your life matters,
because your life
matters to God.

20. How much you mean to God
•“For this is how God loved the world: He
gave his one and only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him will not
perish but have eternal life. God sent his
Son into the world not to judge the world,
but to save the world through Christ…”

21. How much you mean to God
•And to all who believe in Jesus, and
accept him, he gives them the right to
become children of God. They are
reborn—not with a physical birth
resulting from human biology,
passion, or plan, but a birth that
comes from God.

22. The ABC’s of living with God
•“A” admit to God through a
personal prayer that you
don’t really know God, and
that you would like to.

23. The ABC’s of living with God
•“B” believe, tell God through
prayer that you believe Jesus
died and rose from the dead to
reconcile yourself and God.

24. The ABC’s of living with God
•“C” commit your life to getting
to know God better and better
every day of life.
•“A” admit, “B” believe, and “C”
commit, it’s as simple as that.