In 2006 Dr. Steve Hayes, a Clinical Psychologist, told Time magazine that “happiness isn’t normal.” The remainder of the article described Hayes’ own personal journey, and ultimately his development of a new psychotherapy model, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is based on the idea that pain is ubiquitous to humanity, and it is often the effort to eliminate pain that results in suffering. How are we to make sense of such a question, is happiness normal? At first glance, the normalcy of happiness seems to be a misinformed question. Our marketing and advertising strategies are based upon the pursuit of happiness; we might disagree about what makes one happy, but conventional wisdom tells us that happiness is normal and attainable. Of course, several thousands of years have taught us that often times wisdom is not conventional. The fact that in 2005 over 27 million Americans took antidepressants, and that over 18% of the U.S. adult population will experience an anxiety disorder in a given year, demonstrates that perhaps happiness is not normal. In reality, happiness is a fleeting emotional state that seemingly vanishes when intentionally pursued. So, what do such statistics suggest? They suggest that perhaps we focus too much on our feelings, rather than actions. When defining happiness, we often subscribe to an emotional state that consists of no pain and positive thoughts. However, no emotional state will ever be permanent. And, the effort to maintain a specific emotional state or to eliminate an emotional state is often a futile one. For example, take a few moments and try to NOT THINK ABOUT CHOCOLATE CAKE. How does that work for you? Probably not well. Therefore, if we make the sole purpose of life to experience the emotional state of happiness, and in our definition happiness equates to the absence of pain, we are bound to fail, because pain will be present as long as we have a pulse. But all hope need not be lost. A change in our focus will allow us to end our struggle with pain and turn instead to what we can control. Instead of making life about feeling happy, we can instead emphasize doing happy. We can turn our attention to what it is we truly value, and live according to these values each and every day. Living consistent with one’s values does not guarantee the emotional state of happiness. Sometimes our values are filled with fear and pain. Instead, living according to our values paves the way for joy and fulfillment. When we turn our attention to our values, we free ourselves from emotional entrapment. It is so very easy to be inhibited by thoughts such as “I would do it if only I felt better,” or “I can’t because I feel too anxious.” But now, we can loosen the grip these thoughts and emotional states have on us. Our lives do not need to be defined by how happy we feel, or how positive we think, but rather on the impact we make. Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington, Jesus and all other great historical figures are not remembered because of the happiness they experienced. They are remembered because of their actions. So next time you find yourself upset because you are not feeling happy, take heed; this might be the perfect time to turn your attention to what it is that you truly value. Although the emotional state of happiness may not be normal, joy and fulfillment can be normal.