Are you happy? The pursuit of happiness is an unalienable right ranking up there with life and liberty, at least as it is written in the Declaration of Independence. The successfulness of this pursuit can vary quite a lot from one person to the next and there are those who seem to have given up on the quest altogether. Some appear to have a knack for finding reasons to be unhappy.

So, what makes a person happy and what doesn’t? There must be people out there asking that question, given the volumes of selfhelp books that have been published on the topic. Nobody is happy all the time, right? Everybody has their ups and downs. At least that is what Mamma said, and I think it must be true. Even “happy” peoplehave moments when they aren’t so happy.

Another certainty is that, as much as we might wish otherwise, we don’t hold the power to make someone else a “happy” person. The door to happiness opens from the inside. Another reality is that, although some television advertisements would indicate the opposite, happiness can’t be purchased. For some of us, that is good news. Wealthy or not, we all have a shot at being happy. I suspect that in some cases we are happier with less rather than more. Maybe that is because we don’t know what we are missing, but I don’t think that is all of it. Still, I would be inclined to think there are times where ignorance contributes to happiness, and I have benefited fromthis at points in my life. I was happy because I didn’t know any better. It worked.

Reflecting again on those famous words of Thomas Jefferson, I wonder if we possibly do ourselves a disservice when we “pursue” happiness. Perhaps there is a better, even easier, way to get it. Some never give it a thought at all, and the feelings are just there. For instance, my little grandson is a “happy” baby, as evidenced by his big grins and frequent “happy baby” noises. But surely his disposition is more innate than anything else. Since he recently began crawling, he is busy pursuing many things, but I doubt “happiness” is on his agenda.

Recently, I saw a Facebook comment where someone claimed to have found happiness only after they quit looking for it. Maybe that works better. Stop the search and let happiness “find” us, instead of the other way around?

Oh, so many questions and so many answers - once I thought to do a Google search. Why didn’t I think of that before? Let’s see, WikiHow says this, “Studies on what makes people happy reveal that it doesn't have much to do with material goods or high achievement; it seems to whittle down to your outlook on life, and the quality of your relationships with the people around you.” I think I said that, didn’t I? Except, I didn’t mention the quality of relationships with others. But, I did think it; I just didn’t put it into words.

The next source, Michael Anthony, who wrote a book, entitled “How to be Happy and Have Fun Changing the World,” says, “True and lasting happiness always comes from within.” Nothing profoundin that statement. I think most of us know that already. So on to the next “expert.”

Wow! I think the Mayo Clinic may be on to something! If I had read their website on the subject sooner, I would have simply reported to you their information and skipped all my own comments. It is that good!

Here’s a quote: ”Ten percent or so of the variation in people's reports of happiness can be explained by differences in their circumstances. The bulk of what determines happiness is your personality and - more modifiable - your thoughts and behaviors. So, yes, you can learn how to be happy - or at least happier.” They go on to say that “happy” people tend to do certain things with their lives. The list includes devoting time to family and friends, appreciating what they have, maintaining an optimistic outlook, feeling a sense ofpurpose, and living in the moment.”

Happiness is a byproduct. Simple, yet profound.

So, yes, it is probably best to forget the “pursuit.” It is far more productive to spend time caring about others, being grateful and thinking positive, having a worthwhile job to do, and living life right now. Then, there’s a good chance that sometimes-elusive thing called happiness will find us.

Find more information at www.mayoclinic.com/ health/how-to-be-happy.

Annette Rowe is a freelance writer from rural Gentry and a speech-language pathologist at Siloam Springs High School. She may be reached by email at awalkinthepark50 @ yahoo.com.

Opinion, Pages 6 on 08/31/2011