In the past days, I had a series of heart-to-hearts with friends good and distant, old and new. The essence of these conversations were variations of the same question: are you happy? Some just casually inquired while others bluntly told me that I seemed unhappy, or well at least not glowing.  If we discount that those conversations were after 9h workdays with a 2h commute, I felt that they were valid. Am I happy? Do I need to be happy? Thinking, or rather pondering on this topic for a few days - here is what my mind distilled. Thinking back, I can recall many occasions, when I was momentarily happy. Fun trips, good jokes, great books, and a million other that made me happy. Usually for a duration between a…