Happiness is a Choice

I am a firm believer that happiness is a choice. It isn't the things or events or even the people in our lives that "make" us happy. All of these certainly have influence, but in the end, we decide whether or not to be happy. We make that choice.

"We shouldn't wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available—all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect....no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it....Let us resolve to be happy, regardless of our circumstances."-Dieter F Uchtdorf

I love this quote. It's so true! Life is hard but would you rather go through life and be happy each day or would you rather wait around for the right set of circumstances? It's all too easy to think "If only _______ would happen, then I'd be happy" or "I'll be happy when _______" but I can pretty much guarantee that when whatever it is finally happen, it's not going to all be roses and sunshine. There will be something then that you don't like. And in the meantime, you've wasted all that time when you could have been happy. So choose to be happy now.

"But I can't be happy because _______"

Uh huh. Nonsense. There's always something to be happy about. Start small. Maybe even as small as "I'm alive", "I have sight", "I live on a beautiful Earth", anything even remotely positive. Build from that.

Having a bad day at school? You have a chance to learn, to receive an education. That's more than others get.

Having a hard time with parents? Chances are they're trying to help and/or protect you. Disagree with their methods, but appreciate that.

Friends giving you trouble? Remember that there's a world full of people out there. The odds are pretty good that at least one of them would make a good friend. Go find them.

Struggling to make ends meet? Think of the financial skills you're learning! People pay money for those kinds of lessons and you're getting them for free!

Sometimes it's a stretch. Sometimes it's really a stretch. But there is ALWAYS something to be happy about if you look hard enough.

Don't feel like looking? Well, you obviously have the mental capacity to decide that. That's something worth being happy about in my opinion. Being happy is inescapable, really.

Notice something else? Being happy is tied to being grateful. When you're grateful, you're happy. When you're ungrateful, you're unhappy. Being grateful can come naturally but a lot of the time it takes a conscious effort. So make it! It's part of choosing to be happy.

Choosing to be happy doesn't mean you won't be sad or upset or hurt or angry. You still feel all those emotions. It's part of being human after all. But if you choose to be happy, you have a peace that's always there. You can be sad but you know that it won't last forever. You can be hurt but you know that things will get better.

Choose to be happy. It makes you....happy. Surprise!

Choose. It's your decision, your responsibility. So what will your choice be? Are you going to be happy?