Many times we grew up having a distorted views of what happiness is and what makes us happy. As a child it might have been a candy bar, a new bike, or a new friend that we believed made us happy. As teens, it was things like, a car, a party, or a new relationship. Adults see things like a job, a promotion, a house, or a family that makes them happy. In reality, all of these things can't make you happy. I love my wife, kids, and grandsons, but they can't make me happy. My home, my job, my car are all great, but they too cannot make me happy.
Happiness is a direct product of you. You have to decide to be happy. You have to take action to make you happy. To many times we try to replace our lack of happiness with thing or people and we end up right back where we were, unhappy. Lasting happiness come from within. It's about how you see yourself, how you perceive your world, and how you respond to life. Happiness is an attitude that must be developed and nurtured with constant guidance. If we truly want to have lasting happiness, we have to believe that we are worthy of it. We have to believe that our life is about the good around us and it's not out to get us. Personally, I have struggled with being cynical about the world and many of those who inhabit it. I have days where I allow people to distort my happiness because I allow cynicism into my life. When we can realize that we can change the outcomes in our lives and take the appropriate action, happiness follows. Happiness is about being you and not how people perceive you. We all have critics in our lives, but become the type of person that you desire to be.
Once we begin to understand that we are the key to our happiness, then we can begin to surround ourselves with people and things that add to our happiness. I married my wife because she adds to my happiness. My children and grandsons add to my happiness. My house, car, and job add to my happiness. I listen to music, watch movies, and TV that adds to my happiness. When we find those people and things in our life that don't add to our happiness, we either have to get rid of their presence in our lives or have very limited contact with it or them. When we are truly happy, we then can better add happiness to those around us. We can change our world and the world of those around us when we understand that the foundation of our happiness begins within us. Choose to be happy, take actions to make you happy, and surround yourself with people and things that add to your happiness....oh, and don't forget to smile.
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