We Have Control Over Who We Are, so…Who Do You Want to Be?
Happiness is the state of being happy.
So, what does it mean to be happy?
Being happy is the feeling of pleasure and enjoyment.
Each of us is going to find pleasure and enjoyment in different ways and places. Too much of the time we’ve been led to believe that stuff is what’s going to make us happy. Jesus tells us in Luke 6:17-26, that’s not where our happiness comes from.
That doesn’t mean you can’t be happy if you have stuff. Things just aren’t the source of happiness.
Studies have shown that even though the standard of living is better now than it was fifty years ago, people are less happy.
Some of us have our “valuables out of whack”. This happens when we put too much value on valuables.
The question is, is your happiness internal or external?
We all know people who are happy even when going through tough situations. We also know those who, no matter how good things are, they’re still complaining.
I think Anne Frank is a good example of choosing to be happy. While living in a small, cramped space with seven other people, hiding from the Nazis, she found happiness even in her situation.
Here is a summary of her message taken from Andy Andrew’s book the Traveler’s Gift. The Seven Decisions: The Joyful Decision – Today, I Will Choose to be Happy
I am a happy person, for I now truly understand the concept of happiness. Few others before me have been able to grasp the truth of the physical law that enables one to live happily every day. I know now that happiness is not an emotional phantom floating in and out of my life. Happiness is a choice.
Today I will choose to be happy. I will greet each day with laughter. I am enthusiastic about the day. I am alert to its possibilities. I am happy! Laughter is an outward expression of enthusiasm, and I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world.
Today I will choose to be happy. I will smile at every person I meet. My smile has the strength to forge bonds, break ice, and calm storms. I will use my smile constantly. I will always smile first. My smile is the key to my emotional make up. When I choose to smile, I become the master of my emotions. Discouragement, despair, frustration, and fear will always wither when confronted by my smile.
Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit. In the past, I have found discouragement in particular situations, until I compared the condition of my life to others less fortunate. Just as a fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so does a grateful spirit remove the cloud of despair. It is impossible for the seeds of depression to take root in a thankful heart. My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. Too many times I have offered up the prayers of a beggar, always asking for more and forgetting my thanks. I do not wish to be seen as a greedy child, unappreciative, and disrespectful. I am grateful for sight and sound and breath. If ever in my life there is a pouring out of blessings beyond that, then I will be grateful for the miracle of abundance.
I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
Today, I will choose to be happy.
It’s up to you, you can decide to be happy or not.
As the new year begins, we start filling up our already busy lives with more things to do. I think reviewing the past and looking to the future is a great plan and the new year is a fitting time for this. What we need to be clear about is what we’re going to spend our time doing and what makes us happiest.
“…happiness is not an emotional phantom floating in and out of my life. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is the end result of certain thoughts and activities, which actually bring about a chemical reaction in my body. This reaction results in euphoria, which, while elusive to some, is totally under my control.” Andy Andrews, The Traveler’s Gift.