Nairobi — Kenyans amaze me constantly. At a time when the economy is in the doldrums and the country is ravaged by drought and famine, a full 86 per cent of Kenyans claim to be happy, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Saturday Nation.

What's more, contrary to the commonly-held perception of Kenyans as a people obsessed with money, 90 per cent of those surveyed said that for them, inner peace was more important than wealth, and nearly 40 per cent of the women and 30 per cent of the men surveyed stated that their families were the main source of happiness.

The survey also found that Kenyans tend to value knowledge more than wealth, a finding that is consistent with other studies that show that the average Kenyan will be willing to forego food and clothing in favour of education.

Have Kenyans undergone a psychological transformation in recent months or have we as a nation been maligned unnecessarily?

I suspect it is the former. The post-election violence and the subsequent economic decline of the nation last year might have played a role in making Kenyans more aware of the fragility of life and the need to maintain and nurture relationships in times of crisis.

Studies have shown that economic hardship often leads to stronger family ties and greater appreciation of the little things that make life worth living.

The global recession, for instance, has transformed several communities in the United Kingdom, who now use a barter system to exchange goods and services with their neighbours. Those who find themselves out of a job take up voluntary work, or use the free time to rejuvenate neglected hobbies and passions.

Many are finding that the relationship between money and happiness is illusory. According to David Nettle, a Reader in Psychology at the University of Newcastle, over the last 50 years, per capita incomes in developed countries have increased several-fold, but the increase in average happiness levels in these countries has been zero.

Moreover, an increasing number of people are "downsizing" by either taking up part-time employment or escaping the rat-race by seeking employment in less stressful professions. Some are eschewing consumerism in favour of simplicity.

Many people who have postponed happiness in the belief that it is something that will happen in the future - when they get a promotion, retire, when their children have finished college or when they get married - find their happiness levels do not change much when their circumstances change.

This is because happiness has little to do with momentary joy or pleasure - rather it is a general sense of well-being and satisfaction that is linked to fulfilling one's potential. It is not about living long, but about getting the most out of life before you die.

Recently, I had to make a choice between unemployment and remaining in a highly-paid job that denied me the chance to fulfil my potential and which constantly eroded my dignity and values.

I chose the former because staying on would have not only seriously compromised my principles, but also led to the prospect of remaining unhappy for long periods of time and seriously impacting my emotional and physical health.

The organisation I chose to leave is full of people who are postponing their happiness in favour of job security and money. Many are waiting for retirement to begin living.

Who would have thought that ordinary Kenyans, despite their meagre incomes, would have their priorities right?

In all my years as a career woman, I can honestly say that I never felt immense joy in an office job. I am not inclined to entrepreneurship, so I do not have the option of self-employment.

Looking back, I don't remember ever wishing that I could spend more time in an office. My dream was always to be able to earn a living from writing in my living room. I am now wondering whether I wasted several years sending meaningless emails and editing pointless documents instead of doing the many things I love, including writing.

I now have a chance to do just that. Whether I will survive in a world where money makes the world go round is another matter. What does matter to me is that I am free to do just what I like for the first time in my life.

A colleague once told me that time was the only thing that we could not buy, so we must spend it wisely. There is never a good time to find happiness - happiness is all around us, if only we could give it a chance to enter our lives.