Happiness is a Choice

Happiness is a choice. That is the basis for this entire blog. No magic formulas. There’s probably not a lot of new information. But if you’re looking for that sweet slap in the face otherwise known as a reality check, you’ve come to the right blog. Read. Process. Do.

Or you may close this window if you would like.

Waiting.

Continuing.

There is a strong likelihood that someone out there is currently suffering through your exact same problem, but with a better attitude. That attitude makes all the difference. Daily, I come across writings similar to what I’ve laid out for you below- and the negative comments people leave about how stupid it all is astound me.

You may be nodding in agreement. Or you may be saying something along the lines of:

“You have no idea what I’m going through”

Or

“I’ve tried being happy but bad things keep happening to me”

Or

“What a stupid thing to say. This is the dumbest thing I have ever read.”

In which case, you’ll probably be one of those people who leave a Debbie Downer type comment below. That’s okay. You’re perfectly entitled to your opinion. Negative or positive, I appreciate what you’re going through and you have every right to be in whatever mental spot you’re in.

I’ve been there. I had a really poor attitude regarding life for a number of years due to all the bad things that kept happening to me. Some of the things that happened were due to my choices and some were due to the choices of others. My parents let me make my own mistakes and learn from them without interference. I don’t have a (real) rich uncle living in South Africa who only needs my social security number and bank account information to wire me $1,000,000 before it all disappears in seven days. There isn’t a magical formula to bring back friends or family that passed away. For many years I dealt with negative things in a negative way. Additionally, I surrounded myself with people that had similar (negative) attitudes.

“I hate my job.”

“I want to travel but I can’t afford to.”

“It’s impossible.”

“If.”

These days, however, I am happy. I won’t say that a positive attitude just came to me one day because that would be a bold face lie. Simply put, I had realized, over time, that something needed to change- and the only things that I could control were choices I made and my general outlook on…frankly, everything. From there, it is a disgustingly slow, sometimes impossibly depressing battle up the old hill, folks. You change your attitude slowly. Bad things will still happen to you, you must accept this as a part of life. Eventually, however, you may begin to say “screw you, life! You don’t know me!” and kick life in the face with your awesome attitude. Your debts didn’t disappear. You didn’t win a year of free rent. You didn’t win the lottery. You simply changed your attitude on your debts, your payments, and your useless lottery ticket. When your attitude changes, so may other things.

This isn’t to say you can never be sad or angry or down in the dumps. This isn’t to say you need to always stay upbeat and ready to tackle life. Sometimes, you just want to lay around in sweatpants and watch television. Or cry. The key, however, is to surround yourself with people that want the same sorts of healthy, character building things that you want. Find people who don’t laugh at your dreams and goals. Don’t settle for friends who are merely neutral about your goals. Find the people who are just as excited as you are when you tell them you want a baby/house/trip to China/chance to bungee jump off the Empire State Building/patent for your invention/person to invest in your business model/etc.

Do all of your friends have to feel this way about your goals? No. However, those that do will be the ones that keep you in check regarding the path you want to follow. They will reinforce a positive attitude. They will change you for the better. Finding these people won’t be easy. It may take years. You may search for them and find none then stumble into them totally by accident. Chin up! The only one to keep you positive until you find them is you.

In the meantime, if you simply just need a little moral support, leave me a comment below or send me a message. I promise to respond.

Remember to smile today…