Sunny Side Up: Happiness is a habit that has to be nurtured

Happiness isn’t a luxury, contends our columnist, it’s a necessity, and it’s something we can create. — 123rf

If you do an online search of the question “What is happiness?”, there’s every chance your search engine will request emergency leave for the rest of the day. This deceptive and slippery question assumes happiness is singular and definable, ignoring its subjectivity, cultural differences, and transient nature.

Happiness can be a fleeting emotion from a burst of joy when receiving good news. Other times, it’s a mood – a general sense of positivity that lasts for hours or days. More broadly, it can be a state of being influenced by life circumstances, personal values, and our environment.