Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe beamed with joy as she stepped off the plane onto British soil yesterday. Then she burst into tears as she embraced her daughter Gabriella, the pair finally reunited after years apart.

Six years ago, during a visit to her parents in Tehran, Nazanin was arrested, accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government and imprisoned. Now, after the British government settled a debtWhen you have borrowed money and need to pay it back. to Iran, Nazanin and another British-Iranian detainee, Anoosheh AshooriAshoori, 67, was detained in 2017 on spying charges. Both he and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe deny the allegations against them. , are free. 

Waiting alongside Gabriella was Nazanin's husband, Richard Ratcliffe. Theirs is a very ordinary story, says journalist Ailbhe Rea. His campaignAn organised set of actions to achieve a certain goal. for her freedom "taught us all a quiet, unassuming lesson about commitment". 

Now, this "ordinary" couple has only one word in mind for the future: normality. Nazanin's first act of freedom will be to drink a cup of tea and look at the toys her daughter has picked out. 

The Ratcliffe family are not the only ones seeking an average life. Millions spend years pursuing extraordinary experiences. But now a growing number say accepting being average could be the secret of happiness. 

The author Catherine Gray was once a successful magazine editor. But the endless parties never satisfied her. 

"I was always wanting, striving, seeking the extraordinary, but when I was in the extraordinary, I wanted it to be more extraordinary," she recalls in her book The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary. 

When Gray found happiness, it was in the "forgotten joy" of normal life.

"The vast majority of us probably put the desire to be exceptional or superior above our own happiness," summarises one columnist. "Being average is not aspirational and it's not impressive. But it might just be the key to contentment."

It is a view shared by essayist Nassim Nicholas TalebTaleb is a Lebanese-American essayist and statistician.. Elite athletes find extraordinary success, but Taleb points out they have a lower life expectancy than healthy people who exercise moderately. 

"To be a well functioning human being you must be at once a: mediocre runner, mediocre chess player and mediocre wine taster." 

Extraordinary moments can be worthwhile. One 2014 studyThe study conducted two tests on 50 students. At the beginning of the experiment, half were given a cup of tea, and half a glass of water. The groups were then given creative challenges, like coming up with a "cool" name for a noodle restaurant. found extraordinary experiences contribute to happiness. But for Richard Ratcliffe, a return to normal is the priority. "I think being alive and holding each other's hands is how we'll get through it."

Yes: If we constantly compare ourselves to others, especially the famous and the wealthy, we will never be satisfied. The key to happiness is appreciating the good things we already have.

No: Many people are bored and frustrated with their ordinary lives. The millions who seek fame, fortune and celebrity each year are clear proof. Success is far from overrated.

Or... What makes someone's life "ordinary" or "extraordinary" is entirely subjective. Moreover, everyone is different - no two people will find happiness in the same way.