Our best traditions and thinkers tell us that happiness is found in "the small"—in celebrating the details of everyday life and living wisely with limits.  They teach us the joys of simplicity and modesty, and that by embracing diminishing experiences, we can make our suffering sacred.  By promoting a sound, wholesome existence for both the individual and society, this perennial teaching offers a viable alternative to the grandiose thinking that is responsible for so many of our personal and global problems.  In exploring this archetype of the small, our aim will be to understand why very little is needed to make a happy life.

Michael Gellert, MA, LCSW, is a Jungian analyst practicing in Los Angeles and Pasadena, and former Director of Training at the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles.  He is the author of Modern Mysticism, The Fate of America, and The Way of the Small.  His books will be available for sale and signing.