A profound shift in attitudes is underway all over the world. People are now recognising that ‘progress’ should be about increasing human happiness and wellbeing, not just growing the economy.

March 20th has been established as the annual International Day of Happiness and all 193 United Nations member states have adopted a resolution calling for happiness to be given greater priority.

In 2012 the World Happiness Report which ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels was published for the first time. Leading experts across fields – economics, psychology, survey analysis, national statistics, health, public policy and more – describe how measurements of well-being can be used effectively to assess the progress of nations. The reports review the state of happiness in the world today and show how the new science of happiness explains personal and national variations in happiness. They reflect a new worldwide demand for more attention to happiness as a criteria for government policy. The countries Bhutan, Ecuador, Scotland, the Arab Emirates and Venezuela have already a minister for happiness.

Who doesn’t want to be happy? This feeling is guiding our actions and decisions ever since. The days when publicity told us – and we believed it – that products can buy happiness are gone. New ways of becoming happy have replaced them. The book market is full with books about happiness. Just type the word in at amazon and you will get a whole library full with happiness. Dr. Andrew Weil is giving in his book “Spontaneous Happiness” all the necessary instructins ranging from nutrition, exercise, supplements, environment, lifestyle, and much more. Mindstyle magazines are booming such as Happinez, Flow,… inspirational cards and online quotes … you cannot not find happiness on the market.

Gurus are giving you the key to happiness in workshops and talks. Activities to be in a flow are promoted to support the way to happiness. Colouring is the current trend to be creative and create in this way your happiness. The graphic designer Clare Youngs offers for this her book “Colour Yourself to Happiness”.

Happiness also entered the art world with the exhibition The Happy Show by Stefan Sagmeister at the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Fraunkfurt/Germany, The “grand master of graphic design” explores and transcends the boundaries between art and design. The exhibition documents his ten years of ongoing investigation into happiness with the aid of videos, prints, infographics, sculptures and interactive installations, It takes visitors on a journey through the designer’s way of thinking and his attempts to increase his own happiness by training his mind as others train their bodies.

It is a lifelong search to be happy – and we will get always new support for it. Therefore let’s create a happy future.