"Happiness is what matters at the end of the day," said Max Strom at a talk he held on the second day of the World Government Summit in Dubai.

The author and teacher expressed concern for the fact that most people go through their whole lives without understanding what makes them happy at the deepest level. He added: "Ultimately, we have four main desires: live, be happy, have knowledge and love. However, unfortunately society focuses more on success and pleasure."

Speaking on what leads to a happy life, Strom said: "I think it’s a meaningful life. In fact people who have meaning in their lives will gladly give up pleasure. For example, often times people who work in charities are willing to buy their own plane ticket and spend their own money."

"Currently people are living very unhappy lives. In the US, about 25-30 % of the population is taking medications for emotions: depression, sleep dysfunction, anxiety. While this might offer temporary relief, I have yet to meet anyone who wants to live on medication for the rest of their life. Men especially suffer with these conditions as they are taught to suppress their emotions from a young age. However, such behavior leads to an unsustainable life. As a society, we need to teach our children how to deal with emotions, especially grief," said Strom.

Strom spoke of the immense benefits that can come from simple breathing exercises: "There are two types of breathing: subconscious and controlled. The latter allows you to treat your nervous system which in turn treats anxiety, depression and sleep disorders. In the US, the army has seen tremendous improvements in veterans with post-traumatic stress who do breathing exercises."

The breathing expert concluded by stressing the importance of taking at least 10 minutes per day to do breath work. "It should be considered as the new component to a healthy lifestyle," urged Strom.

The World Government Summit (WGS) 2017 has drawn the participation of more than 4,000 personalities from 139 countries around the world, reflecting the leading stature of the summit on regional and international levels and the high interest from governments, global organizations, private and public sector entities, decision makers, entrepreneurs, academics and university students as well as scientists and innovators. WGS 2017 features 150 speakers across 114 sessions that highlight the world’s most pressing challenges and showcase best practices and cutting-edge solutions to deal with them.