There is more to life.

More than just a bit taken back to hear the President of USofA, Obama declare one of his three objectives for his new term, as the pursuit of happiness. How incredibly shallow, vapid, doomed to disillusionment and dissatisfaction. The ultimate chase for the end of the rainbow that can never be caught and is such a huge let down even if you were ever to get near to it. Despite contrary claims I am all for happiness, take grreat pleasure in it when it comes my way and would grant everyone, if it was in my power, a sprinkle here and there. But not outright hedonism as a way of life, the prime target to see you through life.

It may be my puritanical up bringing or just a reflection of my being so out of kilter with today's thinking but happiness was that incidental that came as the unexpected reward for so more worthy effort. Targeted happiness seldom delivers. You cannot make, organise, precondition that people will respond to any situation and experience happiness. How many miserable, or flat evenings have you endured after going out on the town with all the mates intent on a good time? No amount of booze, food, cheap thrills or provocation can elicit that happy high so sought after. Happiness is a state of mind that arises out of the feel good factor of those around you. That cannot be manufactured or scheduled to order.

The surest way to feel happy is to go beyond the normal routine and push and extend yourself for something worthwhile. From the simplest most mundane, just setting the parameters so your kid can feel safe, secure and enveloped in trust and affection. All the way to loftier ideals. Such as doing some little thing to alleviate the dejection and outright misery of so many peoples lives, to do your bit to maximise the benefits from our amazing technologies, to setting back a fraction this planets plunge into chaos, to striving to attain new heights of imagination or intuition or to offer a small insight into better tolerance or understanding. Whatever from the gamut of possibilities, as long as your aim and objective is to help others, not just to promote your own well-being. Happiness is one of the arisings out of trying to selflessly help others. Their enjoyment on what small relief you have brought engenders your happiness.

Turn your back on hedonism and make it your life mission to help out all those others less fortunate than you are. That is the only sure way to happiness.