“Your every thought contributes to the way you experience life. So keep your thoughts positive & expect outrageous joy in 2010.” That’s the inspiring tweet that I added on Twitter at 8:30 this morning. I was feeling good and aiming to help others join me in the realm of self empowerment, happiness, and positive thinking.
The Absence of Happiness
Considering my positive vibe, you may find it hard to believe that I actually woke up at 7:00 feeling cranky and mad at the world. Well…it’s true. A bulb blew out as I flipped the light switch, my dog crapped in the floor, my favorite pair of pants wouldn’t button (thanks to an abundance of tasty Christmas cookies), and the term “bad hair day” seemed like an understatement.
There wasn’t even a slight trace of a positive thought in my mind and I really just wanted to go back to sleep. So, you may be wondering what changed over the next couple of hours.
Analyzing the Mental Attitude
I put myself on pause for a moment. I stopped moving. I stopped reacting. I sat still, closed my eyes, and dismissed every frustrating thought. When I opened my eyes, I felt calm enough to reassess the situation.
I decided to rate the level of importance for everything that was going wrong this morning. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 reflecting a major, detrimental, life-changing impact, nothing crucial was going on. Why was I so anxious and unhappy? I had almost allowed a few insignificant circumstances to ruin my entire day. This got me thinking about what it really means to be happy.
Pursuing v.s. Choosing Happiness
Some people pray or hope for happiness, as if it is something elusive that must be granted to us. But I believe happiness is a choice. No matter what is happening in our lives, we are always empowered to take a step back and look at it in a way that feels better.
Even in dreadful situations such as personal illness or the loss of a loved one, the choice to be happy lies within. We may not be able to change the circumstance itself, but we can choose our perspective on it. And our perspective plays a major role in how we feel.
Creating Happiness with a Positive Outlook
This morning, I changed my thinking and made a decision to be happy. I realized that even if I hurry from the house with messy hair and leave dog poop in the floor, the world will NOT come to an end. The same is true if I spend an extra 2 hours at home to clean up after the dog, replace light bulbs, re-style my hair, and find a pair of pants that fit over my holiday belly bulge.
Conscious Awareness and Appreciation
I decided to acknowledge the good in my life and offer thoughts of gratitude in order to get myself back on track emotionally. And now, thanks to these crazy things that happened this morning, I am even more aware of all that I have to appreciate.
I appreciate electricity and light bulbs, both of which are luxuries that many people don’t have. I appreciate my head full of tousled hair. 20 miles from me is St. Jude’s Research Hospital, where people lose all of their hair to chemotherapy as they fight for their lives.
I appreciate my dog, Pepper, who loves me unconditionally in a way that human beings have yet to master. And I appreciate the opportunities that I’ve had to pack on a few extra pounds. After all, the world is filled with those who fall asleep with hunger pangs and never enjoy a hearty meal.
What I initially chose to see as a bad day is considered an enviable day of great fortune by so many. And for that I am filled with positive thoughts, appreciation, love and happiness.
“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.” -James Oppenheim
Will you join me in the choice to be happy?
Nea is a Life Transformation Coach who believes happiness should never be optional.
If you’re ready to live a happier, more fulfilling life and you want to know how Nea can help you overcome what stands in your way, contact her now or click the link here to learn more about life coaching
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Hi, I'm Nea. As a 
{ 23 comments }
Right on. Analyzing and comparing perceived problems puts these issues into an objective perspective which can turn overblown issues into trivial ones.
Good post.
Sounds like you truly get it, Jordan. Love and light to you.
GREAT article on happiness. Really enjoyed it!
Thanks so much for checking it out. Have a happy day!
I did too Dani, it definitely got me thinking about the origins of happiness.
I personally prefer to see happiness as a way of seeing, a certain kind of perspective of the world that is derived from inside of me, rather than it being dependent on external conditions and chance.
Nice post! I recently watched a TED talk on “manufacturing” our own happiness and was going to write a post about… Choosing happiness, or creating it, is a more sure route to happiness than hoping to just stumble upon it.
Cheers,
Miche
Oh yes…. a sure route it is.
Hi! I just stumbled across your blog, and I will be reading! I am a 25 y/o raw vegan graduate student (clinical social work, mental health therapy) with a progressive neurological disease. I preach positivity in my blog to my readers along with the raw vegan diet to combat disease. It has kept me going with such a painful condition.
Happy 2010!
<3 Maria
Happiness is a choice and its one that many people do not choose to make. I am surpries because I thought that people would realize that they are in control of their lives. Apparently not. Good read!
It’s true that happiness is a choice but sometimes it’s hard to remember what it feels like to be happy. Naturally happy. I think children are great teachers of happiness as are puppies and dogs. Why they just wag their tail all the time and live in the moment.
Nea, this is a wonderful perspective. It is so easy to feel crappy because it is just a habit. No matter how good things are, we just reset to the point where we expect that goodness is normal and any slight deviation must be a crises. I’m sure it is human nature, but you are so right. We can just step back and change our perspective. It’s OK to get frustrated once in a while if you just feel it and then let it go.
Fab post and anything to do with choosing is all good with me!
Hey Nea, what a great article. I like your part where you mention that happiness is a choice. Many people like you say hope for happiness to come – they are looking into the future while the moment they are in can be miserable. We don’t have to “pursue” happiness all the time; of course, it can come by chance someday, but we can make it a definite choice, today. Thanks for writing and sharing this.
I definitely think it’s by choice. I do think that things happen beyond our control that could pull us in the opposite direction (especially when piled on top of each other), but I actually think this makes the argument for choice all the more compelling.
Thanks for a thought-provoking post.
Happiness is definatly a choice. Great article!
Remember, happiness is just a part of our experience of life. We should learn to accept and endure the experience of adversity. I believe that happiness cannot be without suffering.
Hi, cool post. I have been thinking about this issue,so thanks for sharing. I’ll probably be subscribing to your blog. Keep up great writing
Sometimes, stop pursuing anything is a form of happiness.
Hi Nea, it’s amazing how illusive happiness can be for so many people. We are taught to pursue it, seek it, work for it, buy it, marry it, and expect it. How much simpler it is to CHOOSE it. Excellent post!
Life is for deserve ,not to design . If you think , happiness most deserving for you ,you will get it .You can not design life for happiness .
I totally agree with your notion of “choosing” to be happy and also your point about paying attention to your thoughts. Even the bible speaks about holding each thought captive and deciding if it’s ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’ I’ve struggled with depression in the past, but choosing situations and choosing thoughts which lead to happiness have been more helpful than any therapy or anti depressants ever were.
Interesting story as for me. I’d like to read a bit more about that topic. Thnx for giving that information.
This is so true! Happiness is a choice. Indirectly anyway. If you make the choice to change yourself or your lifestyle for the better, happiness is a very welcome side-effect.
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