Being happy - Find it and embrace it

IF psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall is right next Monday will be the most depressing day of the year.

We may not entirely believe Dr Arnall but events have conspired to give more than a hint of credence to his contention.

All of us pursue happiness in our own way and though we may know what makes us happy very often we don’t really know why a particular experience fills us with joy.

Some are lucky enough to indulge wonderful, grand obsessions. Others, maybe the luckiest ones, find happiness on different more everyday wavelengths.

But all of us, even the most intractable, wallowing pessimist, feel shortchanged if we don’t experience at least a version we can recognise. Some people have a great gift — the capacity to work at being happy or at least finding contentment. Believing in happiness is not always easy but it is one of the great ideas that makes us human and makes it possible to love.

Embrace it if you find it.