If we look around, we will notice that many people – perhaps most people – are unhappy. There are people who have fulfilled many of their dreams. They got married, had children, bought a house, built a career or a business, but are disappointed and dissatisfied. The reason – or one of the reasons – for this is that many people look for happiness in the wrong places. They make the mistake of thinking that they will find happiness in the tangible things, such as a house, a car, vacations, clothes, and so on. But these tangibles aren't what bring happiness. Imagine somebody who is thirsty decides to eat some delicious, nutritious food. The food tastes good, and is beneficial for his body and his health, but it won't quench his thirst. It's of course good to eat healthy food – but this won't help him if he's thirsty. The same is true of material things. There is certainly nothing wrong with enjoying material blessings. And they are even beneficial for us. But this is not what brings happiness. We achieve happiness through the intangible, by feeling accomplished, by feeling fulfilled, by filling our lives with meaning. In marriage, for example, a husband and wife can exchange wonderful expensive gifts but still be unhappy. What makes a marriage happy and fulfilling is not the gifts, but the intangible aspects of the relationship, being able to sit together and laugh, to enjoy each other's company, to listen to each other. This concept, the importance of the "intangibles," is relevant to teshuvah , as well. When people think of what they need to change, they usually come up with specific things they need to change. Perhaps it's the about the way they talk, the words they use, the way they dress, the things they do or don't do on Shabbat, or how often they pray. Of course, these are all extremely important. But this isn't enough. The Gaon of Vilna taught that the six most important qualities for Torah life are alluded to in the first word of the Torah – בראשית . They are: בטחון – Placing our trust in Hashem, believing that He is caring for us at all times. רצון – The will and passion to do the right thing, no matter what this entails. אהבה – Loving other people, and loving Hashem. שתיקה – Knowing when to be silent, when not to speak, when not to respond when we feel upset, angry or hurt. יראה – Genuine fear of Hashem, deferring to His authority. תורה – Making Torah learning an important part of our lives. These six qualities are intangible, things that we cannot necessarily quantify. But these are the areas which we need to focus on if we are going to make real changes. Too many people feel content just checking off boxes on the religious checklist. They make sure to dress a certain way, to spend Shabbat a certain way. Of course this is important – but it can't stop there. It has to be sincere. We have to change our interior, the intangibles such as our trust in Hashem, our love for our fellow Jew and for Hashem, and the other qualities mentioned by the Gaon of Vilna. To demonstrate this point more clearly – I am blessed with a large and impressive library. Somebody who walks into my study will see enormous bookcases lined with all types of books. Outwardly it seems like I'm an accomplished scholar, having so many books. But I know that this means absolutely nothing. The number of books in my office is a tangible statistic, but it says nothing about my commitment to Torah or about how much I know. This is the problem that too many of us have. We look at the tangibles in our lives, the boxes that we check, and we feel that it's enough. But it's not. We need to work also on the intangibles, on our inner beings. How sincere are we in our commitment to Hashem? How genuinely do we care about the feelings and wellbeing of our fellow Jews? Do we really make Torah and mitzvot our highest priority, or do we just try to fit them in? Do we just go through the motions, or do we really seek to build a strong relationship with Hashem? In order to truly change, to really become the people we want to become, we cannot just make a couple of "cosmetic" modifications to our lives. We need to look deep inside ourselves and change our outlook, our mindset, our priorities. This internal "reset" will help us transform into the great people we know we can be, which will then bring us the greatest levels of happiness and fulfillment.