Have you ever thought to yourself, man I just want to be happy!
But what is being happy?
I’m pretty sure that everyone has their own meaning of what happiness is, so I decided to look up the definition and according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
Happy: enjoying or characterized by well-being and contentment (happiness and satisfaction, at ease in one’s situation, body and mind).
From that definition, I essentially get that happiness is truly a choice and you have the power to choose to be happy in whatever situation you may currently be in. Just to clarify, I am in no way discrediting the fact that we all have varying life circumstances, and some may be worse than others.
However, if you are still living then there is a purpose for that which should give you hope that things can get better if you put forth the effort and take the necessary steps to improve your current circumstances.
In my younger days, I used to think that being happy depended on achieving a certain income or lifestyle but that is simply untrue. There are tons of people who make great money, but they still aren’t happy because something else is missing and that something can be anything depending on the person. The key to finding happiness is to change your perspective.
We as humans tend to think that once I do this or that happens, I will be happy. Then it happens, it brings you joy momentarily then the cycle starts again, and we look for the next thing that will make us happy again. This is because most people have a habit of focusing on what they don’t have versus what they do have.
Nothing can make you happy all the time. We must choose to be happy and grateful for things we do have because after all, what we have now may be something that we used to wish we had. I mean, what would you do if it was all taken away?
This is where I have learned to be content but not complacent in life.
What does this mean?
Well it means that I am truly grateful for everything in my life because I know things and people can be taken away from you in the blink of an eye. Although I am grateful, I am always pushing myself to be better not just for myself but to make the world a better place. Because after all, service to others can bring you so much more happiness than simply acquiring things.
So when you find yourself:
- Frustrated about having to go to work, just be happy that you have employment because if you didn’t how bad could things get?
- Annoyed with your spouse over some silly reason, just be happy that you have them in your life because how would you feel if they were gone?
- Tired of your kids making noise and asking you questions, just be happy that you have kids and they are healthy because how would feel if you couldn’t have children or they weren’t well enough to get on your nerves?
- Wanting a bigger house or a nicer car, just be happy that you have a roof over your head and reliable transportation because how would it affect you if you had neither?
- Jealous that someone accomplished something you want to do, be happy that you know someone who may be able to share their knowledge and experience so you too can accomplish your goals.
So, you get the point, being happy is a choice, choose to be happy in whatever your situation while also choosing to do whatever it takes to continue to grow and become the best version of yourself possible.
Choose to look at the positive and not the negatives in life. Always remember, that no one thing or person can make you happy, you must first find happiness within.
I would like to leave you with two quotes:
“It isn’t what you have, who you are, where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.”
-Dale Carnegie
“Be thankful for what you have; you will end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
-Oprah Winfrey
I found my happiness when I changed my perspective, things can always be worse. I choose to live in the moment, be grateful and be hopeful that things will continue to get better as I continue to better myself in every aspect of my life.
Find Health in Every Day!
Dr. Lindsay