As I get older, I’m realizing something that might sound a little backward: happiness isn’t something we chase, it’s something we choose. Joy lives inside us. No matter the circumstances, we can decide to enjoy the moment… or not. And sometimes, the fastest way to happiness is allowing ourselves to be present.

My husband and I were flying back from San Francisco to Hawaiʻi on United Airlines, packed into very cramped seats. I sat next to a blonde woman who was excitedly meeting her friend and planning to enjoy Christmas and New Year’s in Hawaiʻi. Meanwhile, my husband and I were fumbling with our phones, trying to connect to the Wi-Fi. No luck. I decided to fall asleep, figuring it would kick on eventually.

I woke up mid-flight and tried again. Still nothing. My husband gently woke me to ask if I wanted anything to eat, but we hadn’t preordered meals, and ordering required the app… which required Wi-Fi. About an hour and a half into the flight, the announcement came: the Wi-Fi didn’t work because it was an older model plane. You could hear the collective groan ripple through the cabin. My husband and I scrounged up whatever snacks we had tucked in our bags. The passenger next to me, wiser than we were, pulled out a sandwich she had brought along. We looked at each other, shrugged, and both fell asleep again.

Later, I woke up and realized I couldn’t find my phone. But without Wi-Fi, there was no reason to doom scroll, check notifications, or watch a movie anyway. I needed to use the restroom and decided to deal with the phone later. When I returned, my seatmate stood up to use the restroom herself. As I searched around my seat, she kindly tried to help by turning on her overhead light — except the light wouldn’t turn off. She tried again. And again. Finally, she called the flight attendant, who stared at it and said, “I’m not sure what to do.”

My seatmate jokingly suggested tape. The flight attendant disappeared and returned with a few pieces of used tape. We both lost it. Full laughter. Howling. First the Wi-Fi doesn’t work. Then we’re told the plane is old. Now the light won’t turn off and the solution is used tape (picture of the broken light with used tape). We probably disturbed our entire section with our laughter, but in that moment, it was pure joy.

That flight reminded me what joy really looks like. Sometimes it’s choosing not to complain. Sometimes it’s making do with what you have. Sometimes it’s laughing at the absurdity instead of fighting it. And sometimes it’s putting your phone down — or losing it entirely — and being fully present with the humans around you.

So as I look ahead to 2026, I’m calling it the year of happiness — by being a little more unhappy. By letting go of expectations. By not needing everything to work perfectly. By choosing humor over frustration, presence over distraction, and connection over control.

For 2026, here are the lessons I’m carrying forward:

• Happiness doesn’t require perfect conditions.

• Joy shows up when we stop resisting what is.

• Being “unhappy” for a moment often leads to deeper gratitude.

• Laughter is one of the most underrated leadership skills.

So here’s my wish for you this year:
May you be a little unhappier — in the best possible way.
May you laugh more when things go sideways.
May you make do with what you have.
And may you discover that joy was already sitting right beside you, taped light and all.