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The Declaration of Independence reminds us that “the pursuit of happiness” is a fundamental right in the United States. And there seems to be a focus on happiness these days. PBS ran a series on happiness and why it matters, called “This Emotional Life.” The self-help industry is exploding with people buying books and products looking for ways to increase their happiness.

Meanwhile, we are living and working in a time when people are cynical and mistrustful, and for good reasons. With continued high unemployment, home foreclosures in 2010 could be higher than last year. According to one report, the divorce rate is also on the rise because economic stresses have become a trigger for marital stress. There is no doubt that we are living with uncertainty, which is often accompanied by fear and can lead to disengagement.

“This Emotional Life” talked about having supportive relationships either at home or in the workplace as a critical element for happiness. People need a sense of community to support them in order to be resilient. Friendships help keep our spirits, hopes and dreams alive. The program talked about how isolated prisoners of war survived by creating a “tap code” for communicating with one another. A support system is critical for resilience. The downsizing and layoffs that have taken place were out of necessity, but these decisions poke holes in the social fabrics of organizations and weaken our sense of community and trust.

I believe that is why the movie “Up in the Air” resonates with so many of us. As one of my friends said, “The timing of this movie is perfect, because it reflects so many aspects of our life as we know it. So many things are ‘up in the air.'” George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a “termination facilitator” who fires people for a living. He appears happy because he has no connections – nothing and no one to tie him down. So he is not bothered by the fact that his job is to zoom in and efficiently deliver the bad news. In fact, he is very effective at doing so.

In addition to living in the air and counting his frequent-flier miles, Bingham also is a motivational speaker, with the title of his stock speech being “What’s in Your Backpack?” He advocates for minimizing on a personal basis, stressing the joys of avoiding commitment and keeping personal relationships at a distance. Paradoxically, what he tells people to unpack is exactly what we need for fulfillment and happiness.

Richard Leider, the real-life author of “Repacking Your Bags,” views packing differently. Leider defines the good life as “living with people you love, in the place that’s right, doing good work, and with a sense of purpose,” and says we should pack our bags accordingly. In our pursuit of happiness, the key is to be grounded by packing our bags with relationships as a support system to get us through tough times.

Jann E. Freed holds the Mark and Kay De Cook Endowed Chair in Leadership and Character Development at Central College in Pella.