Happiness
Happiness is a state of mind. So does that mean all I have to do to be happy is to think happy thoughts? Well, if that were true, how come so many folks are less than happy? I have a friend who likes to say, “I’ve been happy and I’ve been sad. Happy is better”. I want a pound of what she is smoking. And this happiness stuff, it rubs off. Just being around a happy person seems to start a happy virus
When I am not feeling happy, what is going on? Well, some obvious stuff could be happening, like someone drove into my car, or I ran into someone’s car. Wait, someone did run into my car one day and I found myself telling her it was OK and comforting and smiling and, yeah, feeling happy anyway. I guess that somehow, on that day, I was ‘in happy’ and that was that. I just believed it wasn’t personal
Some say that I can be right or I can be happy. Is it a one or the other choice? Well, now that I think about it, often times, yes it is a choice. The simple example of a car darting in front of me to cut me off generates a bloom of, uhm, reaction. Once I notice the auto response I can then pose the question, ‘right or happy?’. Yuh, sometimes it is a choice and when I simply choose to be so, happy is my result
The key to all of this choice is that I must notice what is going on with me. If I don’t notice that I am reacting to being cut off in traffic, using an automatic habitual response, then that is the response and the associated feelings come with it. When I notice, I am sort of detached, like an Observer watching what is happening. From Observer position I can choose happiness. How often do you Observe yourself?
Eleanor Roosevelt apparently said, “no one can make you feel anything without your permission”. Now that is a thinker piece. Really? Sometimes yes, sometimes not so much. In any case, choosing happiness, whenever I can manage it, feels like a great option. Bringing happiness to the world is a help, makes the world a better place.
I want to do that whenever I can. The alternative is not helpful… to anyone.