A close friend of mine had awakened me from a light sleep when she called one morning to tell me about some of the great changes happening her life; changes that she was looking forward to in the coming months. In all of her excitement, she managed to mention how she had recently purchased a couple of self-help books on being happy. It was then that she and I both had a moment of revelation as she said to me:
“People are always complaining about how they just want to be happy. Maybe they should ask themselves, ‘What makes me happy?’ Well, if eating a bowl of ice cream makes you happy, then do it! If going to the beach makes you happy, then go to the beach. If watching a movie makes you happy, then don’t wait until the weekend. Do what makes you happy, and do it now!”
She was right on target with her newfound awareness. Happiness is what you make it, and you experience it when you choose to experience it. It’s the moment by moment process when you choose positive and pleasure-filled thoughts to focus upon versus what doesn’t feel so good. As you practice this process, you will eventually realize that nothing outside of you can dictate your happiness. Only you can decide what to give your attention to, and ultimately, what makes you happy.
With so many chaotic things going on in the world, let us be reminded of just how quickly life can change for the worse. If we truly want to experience happiness, we should seize as many moments as possible and do the things that make us happy, do them on purpose, and do them often. After all, happiness is yours for the taking.
Which reminds of a favorite childhood song of mine, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”… Are you old enough to remember this tune? Check out the music video below and feel free to add it to you playlist of pick-me-up tracks. 🙂
Originally published at bcstarks.com