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I was reading this column about happiness by Diane Cameron of the Albany Times Union. It caught my attention because I have been on a personal quest for happiness over the past couple of months. My journey has been one of spiritual healing and growth, reconnecting with myself, and with God. Through prayer and meditation I have been able to truly hear my inner self, receive God's love and begin a path to ultimate happiness.

In her column, Cameron complains about all the self-help books on happiness that have been published recently. Her hypothesis concerned me. She writes, "... the pursuit of happiness is just nature's way of getting us out of bed every morning. We never actually get any happier."

As I read those words, I felt sad for her. Is that what she really believes? I wished I could reach out to her and share with her the joys of meditation, of quieting and clearing the mind and becoming one with God — the ultimate bliss.

But then she mentions she reads from a daily meditation book. So she knows! She must know happiness. She must have felt the high, the glow, the joy of meditation. She must have caught herself grinning ear to ear — as I have — when remembering to relax the muscles in the face, in the body, while sitting still, eyes closed, focused on breathing until even that thought dissipates and you are as clear as a still lake, your own reflection one with God's.

Since the moment I was born, I have been on a journey toward happiness. My mother taught me from an early age the same principle my teachers today espouse: That we have the power within to create the life we want. Whenever I would cry as a child, my mother would say: "You have the power to be what you want to be. If you want to be happy, be happy. If you want to be sad, be sad. But if you want to be sad, go do it in your room cuz you're bringing the rest of us down."

My teachers today are as wise as my mother. Rev. Chuck Cournyea of the Unity Church on Truxtun Avenue teaches to create peace within you and all around you. Anil Mehta of Chinmaya Mission off Calloway Drive teaches that we have the power to control our thoughts, and therefore our feelings and interactions with others. And this week, I feel so lucky to be attending a nightly lesson by Swami Ishwarananda at Chinmaya as he teaches chapter 6 from the Bhagavad Gita — how and why to meditate. He is so incredibly happy, he is downright jolly. He makes joke after joke and we laugh throughout the entire lesson.

I have always considered myself to be a happy person. But I can always be happier. Very few people reach true enlightenment, and therefore pure happiness. That is what we should all strive for. We CAN get happier. But we have to do it for ourselves. No one else can do it for us.

Valentine's Day is around the corner and a lot of Bakersfield.com users are pouring their hearts out on our site.

As promoted in The Californian's Eye Street section, we're soliciting love poems from all you prose pros out there. Read a selection of submissions so far, or submit your own.

Also, some of our readers are sharing their expertise on the topic of Valentine's Day. Learn about the holiday's history and the joys of handwriting cards to your special someone.

Have a photo, poem or story you want to share? Go to Bakersfield.com/yourwords and show us some love!

I did my duty this morning and voted. Boy was I surprised to see a street devoid of vehicles and an empty room when I walked in. Was I in the right place? Seconds later, I was filling in bubbles with a black pen and within a minute, I was on my way to work.

Predictions showed record turnout for a Primary election today. But judging by the lack of a pulse at my polling place, I'm predicting a dud!

Now get out and VOTE!