The Choice to Be Happy...I am feeling inspired today :-)

So, many of you who have read my blog lately know that I have been going on about Socks for Happy People and there is a major reason why. When I opened my twitter account and began to look for people and organisations to follow their clever sock logo and name caught my attention because a) I love socks, I live in them and b) I consider myself a happy person; and that is what I wish to talk about.  You see, everyone is out there wanting happiness, desiring it, asking how to acquire it and the common questions come to mind: What is happiness? How does one obtain happiness? Can anyone truly be happy? These are all questions that people ask themselves all the time. There are even books written on happiness like Gross National Happiness by Arthur C. Brooks, which claims that Americans are basically the happiest people on earth (though I have yet to see this proven).

As I searched for images and quotes about happiness there was one underlying theme which came to mind which is exactly what I had been thinking the entire time: happiness is a choice. We choose to be happy. I am happy not because I have a perfect life or a perfect body (I have neither of those and I do not believe that anyone can brag about having either), I am happy because I choose to be. I choose to look beyond circumstances and lead a happy life. So, when I saw Socks for Happy People and read their blog and talked to Tom and Rich I thought to myself, these people have chosen to be happy and share that happiness with others. This got me to thinking about happiness and how we measure it.

You see, there are those who would tell us that happiness is found in shopping, music, religion, riches, material wealth and all sorts of things but I have seen that these very things often cause bitterness rather than happiness and I have to ask myself why. This is why I believe that happiness is a choice because both a very rich man and a very poor man can be happy no matter what their situation in life if they choose to be. The above quote by Helen Keller is great because this often happens to us. Rather than choosing to look through the open door we pine for the closed one which can lead to bitterness and loneliness. I'll take the open door any day! There are things that add to our choice to be happy--a smile from a stranger, a song on the radio, a colorful hat in a store window, a call from a friend, a proverb, etc. All of those things enhance our happiness. What about those who live in such dismal conditions that there seems to be no hope for happiness among them? Can they choose to be happy and if so, how do we help them to do so?

I think that there are ways to help people to choose to be happy even when in the bitterest and dire of circumstances. This is where ingenuity comes into play. A letter of hope can bring forth a choice to be happy, a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on. There are many things we can do to help people choose happiness. All I truly know is that when I wake up every morning I have a choice to make: I can wake up with a smile on my face and choose to have a happy day or I can wake up moody and crabby and creep toward a bitter outlook. Personally, I think I would rather choose happiness.

My life has been everything but perfect, even so, I choose to be happy and I know you can too! I encourage you to look on each new day as a fresh new start. Wouldn't you like to be happy today? Even if the toaster burned your whole wheat bread and the coffee was a bit weak this morning, you can still choose to be happy with everything and each opportunity you have. It's ultimately your decision to be happy, so what will you decide? I hope that, like me and countless others, you will this day decide to be happy everyday. Come rain or shine, in good times and in bad times. May you always be happy!

Just think of it this way, you will be healthier if you lead a happier life and both things are your choice to make. The decision is yours! Decide for happiness, it will be the best and wisest choice you will ever make! So, be happy and live long!

Cheers,
Nadia Marie