You, Antiphon, would seem to suggest that happiness consists of luxury and extravagance; I hold a different creed. To have no wants at all is, to my mind, an attribute of Godhead (Socrates)*
(Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)

“Godhead” in this context means “holiness” or a quality that is inherent in any deity. As I have mentioned in other articles on this subject, materialism is the principal source of unhappiness in our Western society. It is not wrong to want and possess material objects; it is not wrong to earn a lot of money through hard work and wise investments. What is a source of profound unhappiness is to never have enough. Though Socrates says that we should have not want at all, i.e., that we should get rid of our desires, he himself enjoyed good food, good books and exciting sex. He is actually suggesting that ‘no want at all’ should be a goal, like perfection, unattainable for us mortals, but necessary as a constant process to reach happiness.

Our society has converted us, through television, in followers of the Golden Calf. Look at the face of participants who win a prize on any of the shows. Some of them almost faint with joy. Alas! Such joy is false, short-lived and fraught with perils. What will happen when they lose it? What happens when the family demands its share? Or when friends come begging shamelessly? Would the same winners of important prizes manifest such joy witnessing a sunset, or looking at an insect, a flower, or traveling clouds? No, a resounding No is the sad answer.

We have acquired materialistic Egos who never seem satisfied with possessions. Even worse, these egos fall into bouts of envy and jealousy, when the neighbor drives home with a new car. The famous ‘Joneses’ factor is no laughing matter. It divides families, it “forces” some people to spend more than they can afford, it causes unnecessary humiliation when comparing with others. “My dad makes more money than yours”, is a phrase heard among children who grow up with false role models.

To reach happiness we must care for two entities: our body and our spirit. To neglect one means damaging the other. A sick body may very well cause stress and depression, unless the spirit is exceptionally strong. A tormented spirit will always cause harm to the body. Everybody knows how to conserve a healthy body; go to the gym, eat a balanced diet and get checked at least once a year. The spirit is a more difficult proposition, as we need the skill to introspect, that is to analyze our actions, their motives and their consequences.
The main ingredients needed to maintain the spirit healthy are Love and Humor. For the Greeks, the unselfish love was called agape, or self-sacrificing love. The best example of agape would be Jesus Christ sacrificing his life for all human beings. We can and must make agape part of our daily life with all that surround us; true, it is asking a lot, especially when we have an arrogant and irritating boss. Who said it would be easy?
Humor, on the other hand, is the ability to smile and make others smile. Randolph Pausch, who recently died of pancreatic cancer, always made people smile or laugh, even during his last lecture, knowing that he would soon die. He found happiness with his family and with his fellow human beings. He also seeded happiness in all who had the good fortune of meeting him. A good sense of humor and an apple a day will keep you happy and healthy (I just modified the saying a little!).

So stop complaining that life is unfair; get up and start changing your life. Smart people welcome change as an exciting challenge. You can overcome your fear by jumping in with both feet. A good man or woman knows that after a fall there is only one way to react: get up and try again.