I want to be happy and I’m banking on it that you do, too. Even though this sign –“We tend to seek happiness when happiness is actually a choice.”—hangs in our living room as a daily reminder, I can still forget. It’s so easy for us to be deceived. We can spend a good part of our lives seeking happiness in all the wrong places. I’m guessing you’ve been there (or you may even be there right now). You’ve looked for someone or something to fill up that big hole inside you that feels completely empty. And in the short-term you may have met someone or purchased something that temporarily brought you happiness. But as the days, months, or even years passed by you started to realize that you put unrealistic expectations on that special someone or something to bring you happiness. 

Happiness is a choice we can make every day. I’m not going to tell you it’s always an easy choice, but we do get to choose. No matter what we’ve been through, what we’re currently going through, or what lies ahead, we have a choice. We can either let our past circumstances or current situations define us or refine us. We can let our challenges keep us down or propel us forward. Choosing happiness doesn’t means everything is perfect or that we don’t each have our own “hard.” Or even that we have to fake it until we make it (but I’m not totally opposed to this strategy to get me out of an emotional funk). We’re human so we’re going to experience a wide range of emotions depending on what we’re facing. We may be happy, mad, glad, sad, excited, angry, upbeat, depressed, mellow, relaxed, tired, energetic, etc. on any given day.  Choosing happiness rather than seeking happiness is more of a decision regarding the mindset we’re going to have as we approach our day in spite of everything that’s going on in our lives. If we go into the day with negative thoughts/feeling and we’re looking for someone or something to fill us up, we can’t expect to find happiness.  

 On the other hand, if we start our day by focusing on gratitude and our blessings, despite our “hard” we are choosing happiness. It’s not as simple as saying m, “I’m going to be happy today.” It’s actually something that needs to be recaptured by us every single day. It takes being deliberate and choosing to find happiness in the little things every day. And not waiting for happiness to be bestowed upon us by someone or something.

What about you? Do you seek happiness or choose happiness? If you tend to seek happiness, what steps can you take today to begin to choose it?