Growing up (and even now) my dad would always tell us that happiness is a choice.
He would say that when you wake up, you get to decide: Am I going to be happy today? Or am I going to be (insert unhappy emotion here).
Now, he'd typically say this when one of us kids was in a particularly bad mood, and hearing that we were choosing to be in a bad mood often just made us (more) mad.
And maybe at that age it wasn't totally a choice; a lot of it was hormonal.
But, there was still some choice involved.
Now that I'm a rational, grown human being I can easily understand where he was coming from with that little bit of insight.
He's right.
He's always been right.
Every day, I wake up and I get to choose the path my day will take; it's always easier to take the positive path.
Even on a bad day, or when things get rough...it's still easier to be positive, to choose to be happy in spite of the issues.
Life was never made easier by frowning or wallowing.
So, yes. Sometimes life gets weird and hard. Sometimes a miserable day is absolutely necessary.
Sometimes life throws curveballs.
But life is too short to waste it feeling sorry for ourselves...for wallowing, for worrying, for anger.
Instead, we should look ahead towards the things we know we enjoy, and move through our struggles with a positive attitude.
Way more can be done to address what's bothering you if you carry a clear head on your shoulders, and a smile on your face.
And now for a list of 10 things that make me happy:
1.) butterflies
2.) snuggling with babies
3.) the trike (a motorcycle)
4.) good friends
5.) fresh pressed juices
6.) avocados
7.) sunshine
8.) learning new things
9.) daisies
10.) running
He would say that when you wake up, you get to decide: Am I going to be happy today? Or am I going to be (insert unhappy emotion here).
Now, he'd typically say this when one of us kids was in a particularly bad mood, and hearing that we were choosing to be in a bad mood often just made us (more) mad.
And maybe at that age it wasn't totally a choice; a lot of it was hormonal.
But, there was still some choice involved.
Now that I'm a rational, grown human being I can easily understand where he was coming from with that little bit of insight.
He's right.
He's always been right.
Every day, I wake up and I get to choose the path my day will take; it's always easier to take the positive path.
Even on a bad day, or when things get rough...it's still easier to be positive, to choose to be happy in spite of the issues.
Life was never made easier by frowning or wallowing.
So, yes. Sometimes life gets weird and hard. Sometimes a miserable day is absolutely necessary.
Sometimes life throws curveballs.
But life is too short to waste it feeling sorry for ourselves...for wallowing, for worrying, for anger.
Instead, we should look ahead towards the things we know we enjoy, and move through our struggles with a positive attitude.
Way more can be done to address what's bothering you if you carry a clear head on your shoulders, and a smile on your face.
And now for a list of 10 things that make me happy:
1.) butterflies
2.) snuggling with babies
3.) the trike (a motorcycle)
4.) good friends
5.) fresh pressed juices
6.) avocados
7.) sunshine
8.) learning new things
9.) daisies
10.) running
