Dear Steven,
The world is a funny place, in that everything feels designed to draw attention. Often times away from what matters. What really matters is what Marcus Aurelius defined as one's ruling reason - The sum total of the depths within, as they affect our consciousness moment to moment.
Within is where you will find the sense of strength and love to navigate the world. Within is where you will find the natural rhythm for doing the things that matter. And there is a certain simplicity to life, and living, it that can only be found in the silence and solitude of looking within.
So the essence of happiness, that deep seated feeling of being content, is to look inside. And to do so in spite of this age of information that can sometimes feel like an age of distraction. It is also to interact with the world, and it's digital distractions, while always keeping sufficiently apart to be actuated from within.
As always the essence is habit - one small step at a time.
Yours always,
Lara