The desire to be happy is one of the most fundamental urges for us all. And yet, the ways we go about becoming happy tend not to last. Why is this? If we take a closer look, it becomes clear that the happiness checklist we create has the unintended consequence of also making us unhappy. So what can be done about it? It turns out that there are ways of lowering our dependancy upon external conditions being met in order to connect with a deeper sense of contentment.