I believe that happiness is a choice. It is the result of the decisions we make every day, not something that merely falls on us by chance. In our culture, it is easy to assume that happiness is linked to material possessions. We often have thoughts like, “If I just had a nicer car… If I had more money… or If I had a boyfriend/girlfriend… Then, I would be happy”. These thoughts relegate your happiness to some arbitrary event. But your happiness is too important to be left to chance.
People are often waiting for the flowers to bloom, but they haven’t sown the seeds. They eventually realize that the happiness that comes from “things” does not last. Therefore, I submit to you that lasting happiness comes from within, and is not based on external circumstances.
We have the power to choose, every day, to be happy. We should learn to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Take a moment and think of some of the happiest people you know. I bet they are grateful for what they have, and they appreciate the intangible things in life, such as family, health, someone to love, and the weather. While none of these things are perfect, they have learned to focus on the positive qualities. Take the weather, for example, some people complain when it rains, but others are thankful for it – because it makes your gardens grow. Some of the poorest people (by society’s standards) are the richest people I know, because they focus on the things that money can’t buy.
Everyone can learn to be happy. I guarantee that if you do the following three things every day for the next twenty-one days, you will develop the “habit of happiness”:
1. Before you get out of bed, think of one, and only one, thing that you’re thankful for. Then say out loud, something like, “I’m thankful for my wife, who loves me unconditionally” or “I’m thankful for the opportunity to get an education”. It doesn’t matter what it is, just verbalize