The Choice Really Is Ours

"It  isn't what  you have, or  who you are, or what you are doing 

 that makes you happy or unhappy.   It is what you think about."

Dale Carnegie

Happiness is a state of mind created if a person can focus on the positive, rather than living in fear and sorrow.  We view life through filters and we have the power to change the lens.  There is no way to avoid pain entirely, but shifting our thoughts can keep us from being captive by it.

Every human being experiences emotional, physical and spiritual pain. According to our perspective, we will either rise above it or become overwhelmed.  The choice is ours to make.  Where will we place our focus?  If a person chooses to remain in the role of victim, happiness will not brighten their door.  If an individual can see beyond the pain, he or she will move towards happiness in a gentle flow.

There are times when people have the opportunity to be perfectly happy, but they self-sabotage the situation and remain oblivious to the wonders surrounding them.  This is a choice.  Not a good one, but never the less, a deliberate one.  We can ruin the grandest  of times or celebrate the smallest of events, as the choice is always ours.

If a person is caught in a 'why me' attitude, they will flounder around a lot longer than if they pondered, 'what am I to learn from this situation'.   When the lesson becomes clear, we are able to move through any discomfort and celebrate the advancement, thus cultivating happiness.

Like all things, there are degrees of happiness.  It is the wise person who celebrates even the smallest detail with some element of joy.  As we remain thankful for our small blessings, our happiness accumulates into a life filled with joy rather than pain.