@brit- Perhaps we should strive to be content rather than happy or elated or anything on the high scale of things? Being happy is not always a "normal" mood. Usually happiness happens due to circumstances that elicit a specific emotional response, like being happy that you won an award or that you son is getting married or that you don't have a new cancer. Being content is sort of like in the middle of being happy and sad or depressed. After I got my PTSD somewhat under control I became content. I thought that everyone else was happy. I have a happy husband, but I have never been always happy. So I settled on understanding myself better and coming to accept it. If I find that I need to change something in myself than I change it. It might or might not make me happy.Thursday I found out that I have no new lung cancers so I was elated, of course. But today I am just content and that is ok with me.
This is interesting and makes good points. https://blog.bufferapp.com/happiness-is-not-enough-why-a-life-without-meaning-will-make-you-sick