Most of us just seem to muddle our way through life searching for happiness. We follow any number of pathways -- religious, sensual, intellectual, pharmaceutical -- and reach varying levels of success.

Isn't it time we tried a more scientific approach?

A few have already started, and although the research is still in its infancy, these pioneers have begun to draw a bead on strategies to quantifiably make people happier.

Bob Russell started looking into this when a client -- Russell does newsletters and such for financial planners -- asked whether there might be research out there to support the idea that delaying gratification makes people happier. The client figured it could be a selling point for his services.

Russell couldn't find much on that question, but in his search stumbled onto the budding field of "positive psychology."

"Instead of the disease model of trying to make miserable people less miserable," Russell says, "positive psychology looks at strengths and tries to build on them to create more lasting feelings of well-being in our lives."

The University of Pennsylvania's Martin Seligman and his colleagues have been studying what they call "interventions" that they have theorized can boost those good vibes. Their studies formed the basis of a class at Harvard that began as an eight-person seminar but soon became so popular that it had to be held in a theater.

"Happy people are not richer, or healthier or thinner," Russell says. What they do seem to have in common is a vibrant social life, meaningful interactions with friends and loved ones, and some sense of higher purpose.

Russell -- a longtime Columbian who, among other things, has spearheaded the Longfellow Independence Day parade and acted and directed in plays for various companies in the region -- teaches public speaking and fine arts courses at Howard Community College. Now he's persuaded the college to let him teach "The Psychology of Happiness: A Humanities Approach" there this fall.

Russell is devouring all the material he can get his hands on, and new data emerge constantly.

"The theories are young and we have tons to learn," he says. "My syllabus changes every day."

Russell warns that this is no puff course. There'll be homework and plenty of reading to do.

Students will also test their own levels of happiness and employ some of the interventions positive psychologists are studying. Russell's pupils will then gauge what effect these strategies have on their happiness.

Among the assignments:

* Find someone in your life who's not been thanked enough, write that person a letter expressing your gratitude and deliver it to him or her, in person. Gratitude is big in the happiness hunt, Russell says.

* Identify your "signature strengths" and utilize them in new ways for a week.

* Write down three good things that happened to you each day for one week.

* Write about a time when you were at your best and what strengths were exemplified in the experience.

While much study remains before any scientist will claim understanding of how such strategies might increase one's level of happiness, Russell figures the answer might not be that complex.

"Maybe it just keeps your mind off all the crap," he offers with a shrug. "Is that bad?"

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