It’s 88 degrees and sunshine and the laughing children are playing on the playground. Up and down the slides! Over and over again! The sound of the ice cream truck is now within earshot. It’s off to ask Mom and Dad for money! Yep! Got it! Now, you get to enjoy the cherry popsicle as the sun begins to set.
Do you remember the days when life was ever so innocent and ever so pure? Do you remember when the carefree days of life, laughter and happiness surrounded our minds, hearts, and spirits? Can’t remember it? It’s because we were under the age of 10! Okay, so now, you remember it!
I just have one question, when did we stop being happy? Or more importantly, why did we stop being happy?
I know! At least, I think I know. Somewhere along the line, life got really hard. The ups and downs of life eventually surface, which include: financial stressors, illness, life, death, love, pain, heartbreak, and the list goes on. With all of these things going on, who could actually be happy?
Apparently there’s a rumor going around! If you’re really happy (and not faking it), everything, or at least most things in your life must be going well. In order to be happy, there’s a common misconception that you can’t really be experiencing any difficult obstacles in your life, because if you were, then you would be sad or upset or disappointed, right?
Ummm…wrong! The people that are happy are choosing to be happy. Obtaining happiness isn’t an easy thing. It doesn’t have to be hard, either. It is work, nonetheless. I would argue that happy people work hard every single day to be happy. It’s not just one of those things that happens naturally. Of course, some people tend to have a more positive optimistic outlook than others. However, when it comes to an individual that is consistently happy, all or most of the time, this person is making the choice to be happy.
Being happy is work, primarily because life gives us difficult challenges in which we are faced with on a regular basis. The secret to being happy lies with how we, ourselves, are going to choose to deal with life’s obstacles. Often times it’s easier to succumb to our troubles, by allowing ourselves to become sad, overwhelmed, angry, frustrated, or even depressed (when these emotions control our lives for long periods of time). Many times it’s much more challenging to actually “look on the bright side” and choose to accept things as they are, and just be happy when everything is going wrong around you.
Now, this is not to say that happy people are always happy. This is definitely not the case. Yet, what does seem to be true is that happy people tend to work through their difficult situations and accept that there are circumstances that one simply cannot change. Furthermore, with situations that you cannot change, one can always alter their perspective. The way in which we look at, examine, and analyze a situation can have a lot to do with our ability to be happy.
According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American philosopher and poet, “nothing can bring you happiness but yourself.” And, might this actually be true? Consider that no tangible thing such as money, cars, clothes, jewelry, or even another person can actually bring you happiness. Perhaps, it is something that comes from deep within. Might it also be true that “some pursue happiness—while others create it?” Life is hard. Work is hard. Love is hard. Happiness, on the other hand, can be as simple as a choice.
A Note to the Reader:
So, what are your thoughts on happiness? How do you define being happy? What does it mean to be happy? Did you agree or disagree with something in this article? I want to hear your thoughts! Whether it’s one page, one paragraph, one sentence or one word! Nothing is too much or too little! Sharing your thoughts are wonderful because it creates dialogue, discussion, and learning! Okay…ready, set, write!!
