Happiness is a choice; not a response
I read this somewhere years ago and it made such an impact on me that I copied and pasted the article contents into a mac pages file, saved it, printed it, and hung it on the side of my refrigerator. I did NOT write this piece, I am simply re-posting it because it was a great lesson for me to learn. I don’t remember who the author was, so I can’t properly give them credit, but I’m sure they already know it’s a great piece 
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married. Have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough yet and we’ll be more content when they are. After that we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.
We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse or significant other gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is; there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, then when?
Your life will ALWAYS be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyways! A quote comes to mind: “For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first some unfinished business, time still to be served; a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles WERE life.”
y perspective has helped me to see that there is no way TO happiness; happiness IS the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it even MORE because you shared it with someone special. Special enough to spend your time with. And remember that time waits for no one and that it is our most scarce resource. We are all limited on time in one way or another.
So stop waiting: until you finish school, utnil you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, summer, fall, winter, until it snows, until the snow melts, until the first of the fifteenth, until your song comes on, until youve had a drink, until youve sobered up, until you die, until you are born again, to decide that there is no better time than right NOW to be happy.
Happiness is an attitude, a choice, and a journey; not a destination or something you can seek outside of yourself. Dance like no one is watching. Work like you don’t need money. Love like you’ve never been hurt. And live like there’s no tomorrow.
So the next time you’re feeling down, quiet all the noise going on in your head, and change your perspective. Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change.
Be well. And namaste.
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