“Why are you so happy all of the time?”
I am asked this often. The first time I recall vividly. I was in a club in Tampa, Florida dancing and having a ball. A guy walked up to me and inquired questioningly “You sure smile a lot…” and just looked at me. Being a bit tipsy, without thought I responded “I know something you don’t know.” I smiled and wandered off, half giggling.
Later I thought to myself “humm… That must be true, but what is it that I know?”
I didn’t consciously have any idea.
In years since I have put it together.
The secret to consistant happiness:
The secret to consistent happiness is staying at cause rather than being at effect.
What do I mean by this?
Explained a little further – You have zero control of the world around you or anyone in it. Give up the reigns you have been grasping so tightly. Allow others to be and do as they will. The only thing you have control over is you and your reactions to them.
Your reactions to situations, life events and people are your choice alone. No one can upset you, no one can make you mad… in fact, no one can “make you” anything.
Once you realize this and stop reacting and stop basing your life around “what if’s” of others and choose simply based on your wants, needs and desires the happiness level rises profoundly. Saying “No” when you mean no is a huge part of it.
The word “Selfish” gets tossed around a lot. It really is a highly under rated concept. Those who get mad because you are being “selfish” are in fact upset because it was their intent to be selfish in their askings of you and you have just foiled their plans. Seem a bit hypocritical? It is. To be “selfish” is to place the self first. You are the one and only person who can do that for you.
So, if you want to be happy. Do it. Happiness is a choice. It’s not a mystical pursuit where it lays as a reward at the end of a journey. Happiness is in the moments. It’s in the details. It lies in every tiny choice you make. Most importantly it is in the now.
Choose you. Choose happiness.
While I publish here I also have my own site, www.SarahBarendse.com. Please visit me there for more in depth articles!
