Choosing To Be Happy

I realized today that I may be leading my readers astray...

So far, I have written a lot about being happy and being thankful despite bad circumstances.  I decided that these words may be misleading.  I am referring to being happy and thankful despite bad circumstances  that you have no control over ... little annoying things such as the weather, what other people say or do, traffic ... or big things such as illness, the death of a loved one or perhaps a job loss or other life setback.  I need to clarify that I am not referring to just having blind happiness.  Nobody is required to live with a bad circumstance that they have the power to change.  Life is about doing (not wishing).  It is about making choices!  I encourage everyone to make use of the action plans that I mentioned in creating your bucket list to also make action plans to change any unhappy situation.  For example, perhaps you are not happy in your marriage.  Make it an action plan to talk with your spouse about any issues -- remember, communication is extremely, extremely important in any relationship! Tell him about the action plans you have decided to do to keep your marriage happy.  Encourage him to make action plans of his own too.  (But of course, don't forget the importance of making your own action plans for what YOU can do to make your marriage happy as well.)  Also realize that I am not referring to relationships that are hazardous to your happiness.  If you have gone through the action steps of trying to work on your marriage and it literally doesn't work (such as if you have an abusive spouse) by all means go ahead and make an action plan to get out of the bad situation ... these are steps to your own happiness after all -- so take care of you!

Happiness is a choice ... your actions are a choice ... so, once you choose your action plan for your happiness, go ahead and do it and accept it.  Be happy ... if you choose to leave a bad marriage, or stay in a job that is not what you dreamed of, or choose to not go on the trips that you had originally put on your bucket list ... realize that it is your choice -- no one made you make those choices ... so if that is the action you choose, then despite the circumstances ... yes, I still say, choose to let yourself be happy!