@Blue_Bird, thank you so much!!! Yes, I have discovered that a secret to happiness is gratitude. We can mope and complain about all that is negative or seemingly negative in our lives, thereby missing all that is positive and all that we DO have. I am trying to make a daily practice of having gratitude. And yes, self -improvement I feel also leads to greater happiness, because one is constantly learning from mistakes and striving to do better, therefore, a person can feel happy about their own progress in life.

Thank you for your post! Hugs to you.