8 weeks with no TV

I was watching a video on ted.com a few days ago and a Buddhist Monk was talking about the meaning of happiness. He said that "well being was a sense of deep serenity and fulfilment", and I thought about how close I might come to that so I did a bit of a mental tally. I came up quite a bit closer than I had thought I may, and the best thing was that I realised that any areas where I am a little behind I have all the pieces lying around just waiting for me to put the jigsaw together. Now I admit I have been on holidays for a couple of weeks, which will always make us happier given that is the point of holidays, but it made me wonder if I can feel like this now why can't I feel like this mid next week when I am working. It is a state of mind, my choice, right? The other thing I thought is if I am doing things that make me unhappy why am I doing them? Yes I need to pay the mortgage, school fees etc, but at what point do I stop collecting and start enjoying?

I wonder if any of this has to do with the fact that I sold my TV last year and I now have a fish in it's place? There is a bird nesting on my balcony too!

Lisa