I shared your blog on my facebook and twitter. I was building new habits, patterns and routines of happiness. Never wait for happiness instead choose it and keep it. Chapter 1. Have you ever met someone who stayed positive, even when they’re having a bad day, and everything that can go wrong seems to be going wrong? Taking the time to nurture your being on a consistent basis will keep your happiness tank full. 65 Choices Quotes One of my favorite quotes, of all time, is about choices. i agree with parts of this article, but i think if people ignored “feelings” and walked around all the time like everything is great (ignoring their feelings), i think they will explode at some point. Love this! Your way. :). I swear to God, happiness is … We're always making choices and doing things to be happy - choosing what to eat, what clothes to wear, who to love, where to work. Implicitly –. I worked at happiness. I think people should not live in the past and should look for ways to improve who they are. 3. Growing up was not a happy time for me. And choosing to be happy will make you a better, stronger, wiser, more longsuffering person. I hope not to sound too corny but honestly the thing that “does it” for me is trying to do whatever I am doing with Love.. it is impossible to have a heart full of love and be miserable! But the most vital element to being happy is choice. Very true. Some have minimal consequences, such as whether to have our ice cream in a cup or cone, while other decisions can be life changing. ” … happiness is not for the lousy souls. Being miserable is also a choice so why not choose to deal with things as powerfully as possible? People … Learning to change our attitude is frustrating, but worth it in the end. How can you choose to be happy when someone has treated you so badly, when circumstances beyond your control are bombarding you with pain? I’m standing here in front of you to express my deep sympathy and sorrow to those people who commits suicide, to those who doesn't value their life and to those who is lives in their past. Learning to change our attitude is frustrating, but worth it in the end.”. He was one of the most unfortunate people in the world. I am well known for the fact that I ALWAYS choose happiness. That’s when you find true happiness. Step 2: Decide to be happy physically. Closest aspect to happiness might be a mindset toward lifestyle. Happiness is not something really made, it comes from your action. I think happiness is a choice. Are you kidding me? Happiness is a choice that we tend not to choose. So well written. I met my wife there and built friendships that have lasted for many years." happiness options. -John. You can’t be happy without being these. If you feel yourself being happy and can settle in to the life choices you make, then it's great. The more you practice it and the more you become self-aware at how you are feeling. not sweep them under the rug, as this article suggests. My life had meaning and purpose and real rapture. 30, 2018 / Misc. Everyone has to deal with ups and downs and we all choose our own behavior so it’s about choosing to be positive over negative! I remember the day my life drastically changed for the better was when I learned that our patterns of thought are just habits. * And one more - "My happiest time was in college. I wasn't escaping from my family life I was simply doing what I could to be happy for myself. Happiness is a fleeting emotion. Whether or not it is clear to us, practically at every step of our life we are faced with the problem of choosing. Great post. Choose happiness. 2. Certainly genetics, your personality and nature, plays an important part in your happiness. What if everything you do fails? It’s not an easy choice all the time, and it very well may be the last thing you want to do sometimes. I cried, I threw a hissy fit, I fell into hysterical, if-I-don’t-laugh-right-now-I’ll-have-a-nervous-breakdown laughter, and then cried some more. This is a fantastic article. We all want happiness, but we seldom know the actual route to attain true happiness. Sometimes, you’re going to get angry. I couldn’t seem to choose happiness that day. Many people tend to associate happiness with things, seeing it as an outside force, where as the truth is that it comes from the inside, we cannot obtain happiness from anywhere but within ourselves. do something about it. Well said! Looking back I clearly see that I chose to go after happiness and I had I say this all the time but usually have a hard time explaining to people what I mean. Finally, happiness is not something that is obtained by accident. “People who are able to smile even through the worst of times have learned a very important lesson, the same lesson I stated above: Happiness doesn’t just happen.” Happiness can be a result of practice. Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. Studying acting and singing brought me tremendous joy and freedom. All I know is that happiness is not for the lousy souls. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But I choose to be happy in other ways. It was the best decision I ever made and I am happier today for doing so because it’s suffocating being in the same vicinity of such miserable people. Fantastic post! Write them all down. My boyfriend always told me this and i never understood. dont focus on being unhappy, thats just stupid. As for myself I choose “happiness”….even in the midst of a painful divorce, I moved myself to California and decided to start living and be happy! you cant force yourself to be happy all the time, its not logical. Some days are good, but there are probably more days that are just mediocre or plain bad, and it’s on those days that the true nature of happiness is revealed. That’s when you are said to have chosen happiness. State the facts. But I know that we can choose to try to do something about our own happiness. This is a great post! We create our own happiness. We can also develop habits that contribute to our happiness, so that happiness becomes our “default” mode. What a difference that made – I could have complained, cried, whined and on and on – not that I didn’t at times but overall it was the happiness of my new adventure that made it all worth while. I was taking action to be happy and it seemed natural, organic and rewarding to do. of course this wouldnt make someone happy to be in this situation. When we choose to be happy, things tend to work in our favor, and luck seems to be on our side; and even if things don’t happen the way you want them to, if you choose to be happy, you can accept situations for what they are and make the most of life, no matter the hand it deals you. We always have the choice to be happy. Happiness does take work. Love this quote, “We always have the choice to be happy. It was one heck of a day. Moreover, happiness comes from within and no one can steal your happiness. it stops you from feeling “feelings”. This is a great post and highly valuable! Happiness Essay 2 (300 words) Happiness is a state of bliss. If you’ve never considered happiness as a choice before today, there has never been a better time than right now to choose happiness. Knowing your purpose, setting goals and intentions enables you to be blazingly free to live your life the way you want to. My life is just so much better since I understood that! Even though, the word sounds too simple; but it is actually difficult to achieve now-a-days. Happiness is a state of mind. Presence of the mind. But I dont want to choose to be happy without him when he says he’s coming back. Happiness is a choice. Martin. Happiness indeed is a choice. That's when I'm happiest and 100 percent myself.". Great post Mariana! It’s true tho that happiness is a choice. There are some people who seem to think that happiness is the result of all the right wheels turning at just the right time. It comes and goes. I love this sentence in your blog. I couldn’t agree more – Happiness is a choice. Appreciation. It is a choice which we can choose to be happy than allowing other to control our happiness, so long one resolve to choose ways to stay happy, we will be happy. It takes steady practice. Take control of your emotions and start focusing on the good things in your life and the person you want to become. But the most important choice is to be happy and always look for ways to make others around us happy too. i think people should feel them as they come along in their life, and deal with them. I thank you for writing this article and helping spread your positive message, it is really important that more people start speaking this truth! No matter how much improvement we are doing in our lives, learning to be happy is completely a separate thing. Completely agree that happiness is 100% a choice – an important lesson. I think positive attitude in life is the key to being happy. You’re so right, because happiness is a choice. There are many meditation or yoga centres that give speech on happiness. Why were you so happy? Today is National Voter Registration Day! As your article points out, though, we have to take responsibility, and stop playing the victim/blame game. If it weren’t so, all those who suffered some kind of personal tragedy such as the loss of a loved one, would never get over the pain. Recapping Malcom Gladwell: Choice, Happiness, and Spaghetti Sauce Posted by ablack on May. Gandhi perfectly describes the solid feeling of happiness I was building: "Happiness is when what you think, what you say and I choose to be happy about missing him instead… and maybe that doesnt make sense, and maybe i should give up. The whole village was tired of him, he was always gloomy, constantly complained and always was in a bad mood. When grief strikes, or when you just can’t seem to catch a break, sometimes you just want to sulk and stay upset, perpetuate the sadness. ” Eudaimonia, is a Greek term variously translated as happiness, welfare, flourishing, and blessedness. Cheers! That's exactly what acting made me feel...that there was harmony in my life because what I was thinking, saying and doing all worked together and the hardships at home hardly hurt at all. Thank you for posting this up. Have you ever known someone diagnosed with depression or severe anxiety? In MOST cases, happiness is a choice Except for cases involving depression caused by biological chemical imbalances in the brain, happiness is a choice. Thanks Mariana for this great article! I believe what this article is really talking about (especially towards the end) is acceptance. Following those two steps will always keep you in a good mood. We are what we consistently think about. that’s so right Why not make happiness a daily ritual? I'm not saying ignore the real problems we all face in life but, think about what works well for you -- know what satisfies you -- do what gives you ultimate pleasure and practice it. In the life of each person there are some crucial moments when the whole fu Not an accident, not a charitable gift from the universe. Thank you for this post, love it =), Love this post. I do not consider HAPPINESS is one thing to get reached then had. Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. As in all of life’s complexities I think that BALANCE is the key; one must choose to be happy but not be blind to the things that are making them unhappy. This is true success and true happiness. This doesn’t mean to ignore the problem. Being thankful on a daily basis is a conscious decision that one can take or not! I simply just ignore everything that puts me into distress. But I agree when you say that it’s a choice more than anything else. There are some people who seem to think that happiness is the result of all the right wheels turning at just the right time. As a generalization, it's pretty safe to say that freedom of choice and a sense of autonomy have a powerful positive effect on happiness. The real trick is to CHOOSE how we want to react and feel now, every day. I know a few people who fall in this category. As a Life and Career Coach I thrive at assisting people to figure out what they want to do with their lives and then to do it so they can be happy! We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote. My ability to make decisions, my choices to do specific things, made me feel good, glad, grateful, jubilant, optimistic, hopeful, inspired. Everyone is looking for happiness in life.Of course, it is not always full of happy moments and you have to be ready for it. It’s a natural response, but it isn’t a required behavior, it’s a choice. I know someone who has gone though so much, yet that person still has a smile and is the most positive person i have known in my entire life. Many people feel this way. Most of the time I hated being at home so I found ways to counter my suffering. Think of a smile, for example. We can’t help it. Likewise, happiness is a signal or identification of good and prosperous life. It’s been tough building a brand, for instance, but it matters not what I “feel” along this process. Well written, concise article. This means, stand up straight, walk quickly, and smile. A smile will lead to more smiles around you, the relationships will deepen etc. It’s a feeling that keeps people healthy and fit. We can choose it moment by moment. That’s what I think of happiness. Happiness – as with everything in our lives – come down to choice. / Subscribe 0 Ted Talks are great but … That will always make you happy. Happy people are not held hostage by their circumstances and they do not seek happiness in people or possessions. But I was laughing about the whole thing by the next day. Happiness is not something you can turn on in the midst of heart ache, profound worry or fear but at least you have the knowledge, the facts and the life experience to know what makes you happy and then you can create it, work at it and have it in your life always. Freedom and happiness are highly correlated, then; even more significant, several studies have shown that freedom causes happiness. If more people realised that happiness is a choice the world would be a happier more positive place. I make it a daily habit the “equanimity game” as Marcus Aureilius called it, that when I’m feeling down I try to change my attitude to a more positive one…happiness. Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter. Mariana, You have the choice between being a lost traveller or an accidental tourist of life. I agree Happiness is a conscious choice, a personal choice to either be happy or miserable and it isn’t the responsibility of another to make a person feel “happy.” (there are exceptions of course) I also believe that whatever trials and tribulations a person crosses on their life journey could mold a person to become stronger because life isn’t a walk in the park. Some of our choices are good and others not but they're all based on our deep and impelling desire to be happy. Behind this is a soothing, sublime feeling that tells me whatever I’m doing is the right thing. Then life circumstances also affect your happiness such as upbringing, health and finances. So, I believe that real success and happiness comes from doing what you want to do and loving what I was out rehearsing, working and learning with positive people; expressing myself and giving form to my feelings. Or to be more precise, it's about decision making. You’ve to be you first and then let go & Breathe. But to do what you can and accept the outcome. There are two steps when faced with a difficult situation. Happiness is a choice – as is everything in our lives! Personally, in my own life I have discovered that happiness is a lot like a habit. These demands force us to work harder and harder to cross a finish line that keeps moving . You can choose to let it affect you or not to. Think about a time in your life when you were really happy. Great post, happiness is a choice…its not the easiest it takes hard work to be happy and even thought i don’t like using the term hardwork…once you view it as a choice it is empowering!! Your choice. 1. One thing after another went wrong. Happiness is definitely a choice. I see that it is a choice even in the midst of a horrible break up. All rights reserved. People who are able to smile even through the worst of times have learned a very important lesson, the same lesson I stated above: Happiness doesn’t just happen. I also like what you said about being around other people who are all chipper when you are not in a good mood; it does lift your spirits. Don’t understand but that’s the games people play. - If you hate your job you can make a choice to change it. It is for the courageous, the care takers, the ignorant, the selfless, the focused, the decisive and the vigorous. However, the consequence (resulting course of action) will be the polar opposite. We only need to decide to be happy. It allows us to think more clearly. I'm really good at it. Happiness is most definitely a conscious choice of perspective. Thanks for the article, well said! - If you want to be healthier that's another choice for personal happiness. Happiness is something which we can’t describe in words it can only be felt from someone’s expression of a smile. To me, that is the meaning of choosing happiness. 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