Searching for happiness

In one of those flashes of inspiration, I had a conversation in my late teens with someone about the meaning of life. I realised then that despite popular propaganda that there was more too life than the pursuit of happiness.
That terribly Buddhist idea has recurred to me periodically over the last 30 or so years. Not that there is anything wrong with happiness, but it is perhaps a consequence of taking life seriously rather than the main pursuit in itself.
In Australia at the moment is Martin Seligman who may be (though it remains to be fully proven) the thinking person's "Dr Phil". Who just seems to get worse....but that's another story (why was he wearing Micky Mouse ears on his show yesterday?). Seligman, according to Time magazine, is the chief protagonist of Authentic Happiness. Chief amongst his themes is the need to teach optimism in schools. This is not silly...(not all of us are naturally imbued with the half-full rather than half-empty perspective, I tend to be the latter and my wife the former) children need more than their parents' limited mindsets.
It is interesting to note that the person I had the conversation with (referred to in the first paragraph) has not so much pursued happiness as continued to promote good psychological practice and challenging life experiences (see here)