Values essential for happiness: Yusuf Merchant

New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Suggesting three ways to be happy, author and doctor Yusuf Merchant said holding on to a good set of values and having gratitude along with living in the now can make one happy.

Speaking during the launch of his book "Happyness - Life lessons from a creative addict", he said: "of all the three suggested things people find living in the now most difficult. But they fail to realise that we only have finite time to live."

Merchant who is also an anti-drug crusader and founder-president of Drug Abuse Information Rehabilitation and Research Centre, explained that happiness is a choice.

"I choose to spell Happiness as 'Happyness' and that is happiness for me. Conditioning will only constraint happiness," he added.

"Holding on to a set of values and being dedicated to it is also important. We can have a different favourite value, but without value, life does not have any meaning," he said.