A dirt path with wooden railings on both sides leads along a mountain ridgeline, overlooking valleys and lakes with green fields and forested hills under a colorful sky with clouds.

Still here? Great! You’re likely seeking more than quick answers or fleeting inspiration.

I invite you to linger for a while. Wander through these pages, take in the stories and questions shared, and—when you’re ready—join in with your own reflections.

In a world full of noise and rigid blueprints, isn’t it refreshing to find a place that knows the source for happiness is not the destination but the richness and value of the journey.

Here, you won’t find one formula or dogma. Instead, you’ll encounter my approach: to listen deeply, absorb what resonates, and leave the rest.

This site is an invitation to share the discoveries of a curious mind. You’ll find the doubts, and growing pains that have shaped me—tools and ideas that proved worthwhile, questions that keep me up at night, stories that challenge and uplift.

My background includes years spent in traditional learning environments, gathering insights and accolades, yet the most important lessons often happened outside the classroom, in moments of uncertainty, change, or wonder.

Whether through lively comment threads, thoughtful emails, or silent contemplation, all of our voices matter. Let’s build a resource for posterity where exploration never stops.

Through blog posts and dedicated topic pages, we are diving into themes like meaning, fulfillment, morality, ethics, happiness and the subtle power of choice. These are questions without easy answers, and I don’t expect agreement—only honest exchange.

There will be opportunities to connect whether by sharing your story, reaching out via contact, or collaborating on new projects. This dialogue is at the heart of our site’s purpose.

If you have time to discuss an idea, use the chat feature included in this site.

If any idea or resource here enriches your journey, I’m grateful. If you disagree or see things differently, I welcome that too.

Let’s build a dialogue where exploration is encouraged, growth is celebrated, and generosity—of spirit and knowledge—finds room to flourish.

The Greek word for happiness is “Eudaimonia”. In its translation we find it also refers to: fulfilment, living a good (moral) life, human flourishing, and moral or spiritual success. You will find here many of the results of my search for the path to a happy life.

The ancient Greek philosophers were pretty much obsessed with the idea of a good life. I find an appeal to the ancient philosophers especially through the positive psychology movement. Research has shown that one of the greatest sources of happiness is “flow”, or the experience we get when doing something challenging that we are good at, whatever that may be; it could be writing, playing music, teaching, cooking, or just talking with friends.

I found that creating art and writing get me in touch with a part of me that only appears when I’m creating. I compare it to an umpire in baseball brushing off the dirt from home plate. The creative energy and drive exist in me but can be accessed much better if I’m creating.

I call it getting in the flow of the river of the Universe. sweeping away the stuff that covers up that part of me.


As you move through these pages, you’ll find stories, tools, and reflections that shaped my path. I invite you to share your own discoveries, doubts, and triumphs. We can find new ways to grow, reflect, and enrich each other’s journey. Thank you for stopping in and giving yourself permission to reflect and grow.

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The journey is better with fellow travelers, and I’m honored to walk alongside you for a while.

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Icons representing ethics, optimism, loyalty, trust, honesty, quality, and core values, each with a label below.

ETHICS

The ancient Greek philosophers taught that true happiness and flourishing come from living an ethical, virtuous life dedicated to personal excellence, wisdom, and harmony. Their ideas shape much of modern positive psychology and continue to inspire those seeking purpose and fulfillment.

The Ethics of the Good Life

Ancient philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle believed virtuous living was the key to genuine happiness—what they called eudaimonia or flourishing. Instead of focusing on material gain or fleeting pleasures, they argued that a fulfilling life is built on inner harmony, personal growth, and doing good.

Socrates: Virtue and Self-Examination

Socrates taught that “the unexamined life is not worth living” and that happiness comes from developing virtues like wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. He believed that true happiness cannot be found in external possessions but results from the health and harmony of the soul—achieved by practicing self-examination and striving to do what is right.

  • Socrates saw the pursuit of virtue as inseparable from the pursuit of happiness

  • Engaging in thoughtful dialogue and constant questioning refines our understanding of goodness and helps us live well.

Plato: Harmony and the Soul

For Plato, happiness is a lasting state of inner harmony maintained through the cultivation of virtues guided by reason. He described the soul as having three parts—rational, spirited, and appetitive—and believed that happiness arises when reason governs, resulting in balance and justice.

Wisdom and philosophical contemplation help individuals understand their true nature and make decisions that support their inner peace.

  • Justice is both a personal and societal virtue: a just person (and a just society) is structured harmoniously, allowing happiness to flourish.

Aristotle: Flourishing Through Virtue

Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia is central to his ethics. He believed happiness is not a fleeting feeling but a lifelong activity: doing and living well through the practice of virtue.

  • Human beings achieve their highest good by fulfilling their unique potential through rational activity in accordance with virtue.

  • Virtues like courage, wisdom, moderation, and kindness are developed by habit and wise choices, making happiness a result of continual growth and effort.

  • Lasting happiness is only attainable through a “complete life”—active engagement, reflection, and excellence over time.

Connecting Ancient Ethics to Modern Positive Psychology

Positive psychology builds on these ancient insights by emphasizing the role of personal strengths, character development, and engagement (or “flow”) as sources of well-being. The Greek focus on virtue, wisdom, and meaningful activity aligns with what research now shows: fulfillment comes from using our talents purposefully, building strong relationships, and living in accordance with deeply held values.

Why Ethics and Virtue Matter

Being an ethical, virtuous person is vital not just for personal happiness, but for a flourishing community and meaningful life. Practicing virtues daily creates inner harmony, helps us navigate challenges with resilience, and supports positive, thriving relationships—as true for the Greeks as it is for us

If you're inspired by ancient wisdom and the science of happiness, strive to make ethical choices, cultivate virtues, and seek harmony in your life—your path to flourishing begins at any moment you realize and adhere to the Truth.

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ABOUT

Hugh Wallace Hultman is a degreed psychologist, imaginative designer, Internet architect / engineer, and artist in numerous media with his primary focus on cold, warm, and hot glass. His unique approach and innovative style blends precise realism with abstract expressionism while retaining a contemporary feel. Hugh's works are shown at various United States and Caribbean galleries, with his two main studios, GlaZ 1 and GlaZ 2, located in Minnesota and The Turks and Caicos Archipelago respectively..

my own words:


I began the journey in rural Wisconsin. I went to Franklin High School and continued my education with time at the University of Wisconsin in Madison Wisconsin. After a few years of conforming to the crap that society was dishing out I quit and hitchhiked across the US and into the Caribbean. During my adolescence I had to stare down the barrels of the VietNam war. I was 174 in the draft and didn’t have to go die in the jungle. I would have urinated in the bed or gone to Canada instead of killing women and children or even worse getting killed myself. I took to the streets of Madison and influence the end of the war. Remember Kent State?

After reading the book “Narcissus and Goldmund” by Herman Hesse everything became clear. I was to follow my impulses and go where my imagination took me. Totally opposite the rational and ethical route. I can’t believe I survived those times. looking back I can see I was no way prepared for a virtuous road. It was a blast!

It's common for me to work at in a variety of media, including Weaving, Painting, Metal, Wood, Fused Glass, Stained Glass and Photography. I've spent many years doing digital art and creating photo techniques used for the development of Internet applications. As in my art creations, in my web sites I mix logic, math, data movement, and pixels of light to create design with function. Conveying the message with taste, ease, and to the point.

The medium I use at any moment is a vehicle of variation and exploration. My philosophy and aesthetics are the fibers that run through them, connecting and expanding. More than making single images, I like to develop logical structures that create new visual progressions. The creative process, this dialog between self and medium, evolves into the visual. Their evolution ever changing and broadening to encompass new avenues of thought and creativity. I try to capture a moment and condense the elements of my work to their essence: to a sense of space that has a concentration of spirit, character and physical presence. I am particularly interested in variations, colors, patterns and lines, constantly searching for the perfect curve. I will not live in fear of becoming nothing... I choose to inhabit my life... to allow my living to open me... to loosen my heart... until it becomes a wing... a torch.... a flower.... I choose to risk my significance... Nowhere and never and now and forever I search for the truth,

Yesterday I did not know it could be today! I share what I have and teach what I know. I'm well aware that opinion can easily disguise itself as our integrated truth. Let's see what's ahead and grab a fleeting chance for empathy. It surely will be a ride on a roller coaster, a trip to the stars, and maybe a chance to touch a kindred soul. I’m on the PATH