I like this story, I do — but I also think it comes from a privileged perspective.

When you have 3 kids, work two jobs, you’re up in the morning early anyway, and don’t have too much time for perspective beyond a stack of bills coming and if everyone’s getting enough to eat.

One of the strongest people I know, who is grateful and kind and determined, lost her children, one after the other. Despite doing all of the above, she readily says she is heartbroken every day.

I’m a journalist and cover people with debilitating mental illnesses, and their families — happiness can be a fleeting, elusive thing in many of those cases.

I’m not saying this piece is wrong, but I am saying it assumes the ‘average’ person hasn’t gone through deep trauma, or that the ‘average’ person means someone who hasn’t made a lot of money or isn’t a hugely popular extrovert, and I’m not sure that’s true.

I think happiness is difficult, and at times close to impossible in certain life situations. To say it is as simple as doing ‘10% more of x thing’ somewhat ignores the ‘100% amount of x pain’ life can put people through.