Is there such a thing as happiness or is it an illusion and does aiming for it leave us disillusioned? 

Almost all of us have had those flashing moments of joy that temporarily blind us; weddings, the birth of children, welcoming new friends into our lives, that holiday and the many things that remove us from our world for minutes, hours or days before the ordinariness of life steps in again.

Does happiness or unhappiness exist between these periods of brightness or is the absence of joy similar to shadows that are in reality the absence of light?

Unless there is a genuine reason for lack of contentment for example homelessness, poverty or discrimination discontentment is derived from a sense of entitlement. “I should have that.” “That should be mine.” It is a phenomena in a world that is overloaded with ‘celebrity’ lifestyles and the obnoxious amount of spending that seems to be compulsive by these so-called celebrities.

How are we supposed to be content when X has a mansion filled with objects that are tacky but also expensive and exclusive? We cannot live within their means but some people feel a need to try and max out credit cards by buying cheap and worthless imitations of expensive tat.

Contentment is a companion that wavers with the ups and downs of life and our moods and emotions. It is attainable and can be sustainable for some people and can exist whether it is punctuated by blinding flashes of joy or not..

We seem to have forgotten – or perhaps we have no memory – of simple and non-competitive lifestyles. We know that money doesn’t buy happiness but who hasn’t been tempted by the idea of shelling out some cash to rent some for a while?