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Have upheavals that have lately narrowed horizons on things we took for granted—health, finances, freedom to go anywhere and meet anyone without fear of contagion—sharpened your focus on things that really matter? If so, you’re in good company. In an uncertain world order, we’ve come to realize that the pursuit of happiness is a worthy, even essential, goal. And it’s within our power to attain. ¶ When you think about it, happiness doesn’t need to cost money. It doesn’t even require physical health. You don’t have to hit rock bottom to find it. What it does take, in every case, is a decision to be happier. In these stories you’ll meet a 102-year-old who sees not life’s limitations, but its possibilities. A twentysomething who found that leaning into her own values is more sustainable than trying to please others. A recovering alcoholic who finds natural highs in solo hikes. And a man whose joyful new chapter began with a diagnosis of terminal cancer. ¶ That’s the message we hope you’ll take away from these stories: that a single decision, even now, especially now, is where the path begins.