Optimism has been shown to be an important part of good health and wellness. Without such sparks of inspiration or encouragement we can tend to forget that life can be more than just the daily grind of work and responsibility.
Can we learn to be happy in spite of life happening -- or rather, because life is happening? In this moment, life is reason enough to be happy. And any moment we believe we have to wait for our happiness, we're believing a lie.
Why are happy people healthier if their happiness is not affecting their health? I and my research collaborators have been looking at this issue for the past 20 years, as part of a detailed scientific study.