I have good news: The world is becoming a happier place.

The happiness index, as measured by Perspectives on Psychological Science, had risen in 40 countries since 1980. Scientists attribute it to economic growth, democratization and more rights for women and minorities.

I did one of my final projects this school year on happiness. I conducted a series of interviews with people to discover if they believe it’s possible to be truly happy and, if so, how. I was shocked by the number of people who don’t believe it’s possible for them to be happy. I had people tell me time after time that too much was holding them back. There was no way to be happy at this moment.

That’s ludicrous.

I worry sometimes, along with a lot of people, that my generation has been spoiled by instant gratification. We grew up with instant messaging, cell phones, Google books, and “spoilers” from advance copies of Harry Potter. We’ve never waited for anything.

So where’s the connection between this idea and happiness? It’s quite simple. Happiness isn’t something that falls out of the sky and into your lap one day. My dad once told me, “You have to work awfully hard to be happy.” It’s true.

For me, happiness can be summed up in the slogan of the T-shirt company Life is Good: “Do what you like, like what you do.”

The second part is more important. You can’t always do what you want to, but you can have fun doing what you have to do. Sometimes, that takes some work. But it’s worth it in the end.