We have been thinking about happiness wrong. Almost all of us have this notion of achieving happiness and being happy. It's wrong. Very wrong.
Happiness is never a state; it is a pursuit. It has always been about the pursuit of happiness, an unending chase for happiness and happiness is best thought of as a pursuit. Appreciate it when you can catch it and make peace when it gets away.
Happiness is like a butterfly - sometimes you can catch it, sometimes you cannot. You just cannot be happy anymore than you can be angry or you can be sad. It's all fleeting. These emotions are never a state.