THE GRAND OVERVIEW OF LIFE
THE PROCESS TO HAPPINESS
Happiness doesn't just happen.  It is learned.  (Of course, it might happen in perfect circumstances and if a person did not learn any dysfunctional beliefs - but don't hold your breath waiting for this to happen!)
The sequential overview:
Born           →      Learn rapidly early years   →     Learn           →         Obstacles    →  Not happy
With                         (Low knowledge,              Add knowledge              intervene
Sufficient                    little reasoning,                   Revise what 
Basic                         perspective is:                    doesn't work 
Equipment                 "Powerless"                                               The one belief to change 
                                 "Dependent"
                              - Must have love 
                                 to survive)
"powerful enough", not "looking good", false threats, etc.  Those make us feel bad, so we do strategies that harm ourselves, often in trying to seek relief from our illusory fears - this greatly affects our health AND it sucks up our time that we could spend really getting value out of life.
The corrected belief would be that there is nothing wrong with us, and that we have all the equipment we need (as the Dalai Lama says).  We don't get the results we want from life (make mistakes, etc.) simply because we lack the knowledge to get the desired results, not because we are defective as a basic human unit.  So the fault is not with us, but our lack of knowledge.  Therefore, the solution is to learn what it takes.  (A good statement of this concept and related ones is in Listings Of The Self-Esteem Affirmations Themselves, in the first section, from Barksdale.  We have provided writings to complete your education properly on this.)
 
Since we cannot learn everything about everything, we must effectively learn to manage our learning so that we learn that which has the highest payoffs.
From this we develop procedures (that work).  Sounds boring, but we have procedures for doing everything but we often don't design the important ones to work.  We learn them passively and/or reactively rather than with intention and effectiveness.  
Human being    +    Learning    +    Procedures    +    Know           =    Happiness
                              (including                                     what is 
                              unlearning                                    wanted
                                of the 
                            nonworkable)
That's almost all of it - the rest is "stuff that actually happens in life" and you've got all of that which comprises life.
SUCCESS IS SIMPLY...
   1. Know where   ←            3. Identify the gap             →             2.  Know 
           you are                                                                                        what 
                                                                                                           you want
                                                                                                    ("informed" choice)
                                               4. Fill the gap
                                                     Commitment
                                                         Why vs. why not
                                                     Plan
                                                     Learn 
                                                     Action