Choosing Happiness

Happiness does not have to be something you hope to have sometime in the future. It is totally in your power to make it happen now. Many people search their whole lives for happiness. For some, this search becomes endless, and can result in doubt that the attainment of happiness can ever be achieved. Many people die without ever knowing happiness. What a waste of a life!

Part of the problem might be that you are searching outside of yourself. Happiness is not found anywhere but within you. We all have the power to choose right here and now. The things happening in your life are immaterial because you choose how you are going to let these external factors affect you.

Happiness does not depend on circumstances. Many people will tell you it does. So will many marketing messages. Think of it this way – if your joy is dependent on circumstances then you are built on nothing solid and are a slave to life, other people and whatever is thrown at you. If you give in to circumstance then you have lost.

One personal example is that my younger brother, who is a multi-millionaire (tens plus), recently tried to rub my nose in how much money had compared to me. At one point he even came around to show off his BMW M6, which was at the time the only one on the Gold Coast. He tried different ways of attacking my mind, seeking to control my feelings. He did not succeed, for a whole host of reasons. Quite frankly it was a pathetic attempt, as well as being very nasty. It is such a shame that he has such an empty soul so as to behave that way. What actually saddens me is that the only thing I can admire about my brother is that he is a world class, self made, businessman. I wish there was something more. I would have liked a decent brother, regardless of whether he helped me or not. It would be good if he was truly happy on the inside. Fortunately, I do have brothers – not by blood – but in spirit.

Sometimes we experience just how harsh reality can be. There are simply things that are way beyond our control, people who we just can’t change and circumstances that are just impossible to avoid. In times like these, we can choose peace. We can simply opt to forgive and experience an inner calm that gives us the strength to move on and continue.

In order for us to be able to use our power to choose happiness over everything else, we need to know what happiness is and what it truly means. Happiness can be relative and an illusion. Because we all came from different backgrounds, we don’t share the same likes, dislikes, and pet peeves. In other words, it seems that only you can really define what happiness means to you, and only you. It depends on where you are at in life. It depends on how spiritually connected and whole you are. Have you ever wondered why many people, once they have got this and that, been there and done that, still aren’t happy. This is because they have not found the true source of real happiness. Here is a clue; the more in tune you are with true spiritual laws (which are busy working whether you believe it or not), the happier you will be. You will also find that your character develops in a positive way.

A lot of people are guilty of constantly making happiness a future occurrence by preceding every sentence they say with an “if” and a “when.” These phrases trap happiness in the future. Joy can be attained in the present by anybody, no ifs and buts about it. To make this even more likely, you need to focus on those things that leave you with a powerful feeling of gratitude. This is one of the key tools because when you begin to focus on what you are grateful for, you can’t help but feel more hopeful and excited.

So take time everyday to sit and write about what you are most grateful for. Spend time thinking about it. Spend time speaking about it. If you become vigilant with this practice, you will notice more and more things to be grateful for. The fact that you are alive or that it’s a sunny day are the small things that you can smile about.

If you are still not sure how you can be thankful for a sunny day or the beauty of green grass, flowers and so on; then imagine what it must be like to be blind – for the rest of your life. Be happy that you can walk and that you are not dependent on someone else to wipe your backside. Yes, stop the moaning, whining mindset and focus on the good. In any case, if you don’t; things will get worse!

Happiness can be yours now. It is entirely up to you to make the choice to claim it. Just know your worth. Everyone deserves to be happy, no matter what kind of person they were in the past. The point is, you just have to be happy about life in general and stop comparing yourself to others. No one has everything, and there are surely things you have that others don’t. Life is just a big box of wonderful surprises. Though you may go through difficult days, there are still blessings waiting for everyone along the way. Give yourself a chance and start seeing the glass half full. One thing which sets optimists apart from the pessimists is their ability to succeed by simply being thankful for what they have, no matter how small it is or how little it is worth.

Note: The above post was originally written for an old blog, which has been discontinued. The image below shows the comments made about the post (on the old blog), which I have preserved due to their significant nature. You will also note that one comment refers to this blog, which you are reading now.