If we want more health and happiness, we have to learn about what constitutes health and happiness and what enhances them both. For hundreds of years we have totally dedicated ourselves to understanding unhappiness and illness.

There was such a real buzz at the end of last night’s talk. I was in Sligo delivering lecture 5 of 8 of the Moodwatchers course. It’s my favourite session. We discussed happiness. I talked about the limitation of pleasure and how the initial buzz of pleasure fades. Pleasure certainly is part of happiness but only part of it. Pleasure doesn’t last. I have pictures of myself with my first car. I am posing with it and looking very happy. I am sitting in the front seat wearing shades and waving out at whoever took the snap. I remember it well. It was a Daihatsu Charade – a rusty ball of tin. It was sprayed chocolate brown to cover the rust. But  I was so happy with it. You can see the happiness in my face. I was offering to drive anyone anywhere to have an excuse to drive it. But then some day much later on I discovered that there was a better model – one with a cassette player and sunroof.  There were more powerful engines available too. Soon I wanted a new car again – a much better on. One as good as my friends. Or even better than his!! Pleasure works like that. It doesn’t last. That’s why we cannot depend on worldly possession to increase our levels of happiness.

Over the last decade we have gained so much. Children stay at school longer than ever before in our history. People have two and three houses. Cars were being changed every two or three years. For years we were buying more and more. Borrowing more and more. Acquiring more and more material possessions. But I am convinced that there is more unhappiness around than anytime in our history. I have met so many wealthy people that want their happiness back.

I am passionate about my work. But last night really energised me more. The biggest crowd yet and they all came to hear about happiness. You see the message is clear. It’s easily taught. If we want more health and happiness, we have to learn about what constitutes health and happiness and what enhances them both. For hundreds of years we have totally dedicated ourselves to understanding unhappiness and illness. We have done a brilliant job at investigating the negative. Last night was an uplifting experience for me. It was wonderful to see people buzzing on a high with happiness!!