Happiness – we say it’s what we want, yet, so often it seems unattainable. We believe our happiness is based on outside events and, therefore, feel we have no control over whether we are happy or not.
In his book, “The Untethered Soul”, Michael Singer says happiness is a choice and it is one in which we have the power within ourselves to attain if we truly want it. He says, “Most people don’t dare give themselves that choice [to be happy] because they think it’s not under their control.” We tend to say, “Of course I want to be happy, but all these terrible things are happening in my life. If they weren’t happening, then I would be happy.”
In choosing happiness, there are no if’s, ands, buts, or conditions. We make a decision to be happy no matter what is happening. It may be painful, so what? Do you want to be happy? In spite of the circumstance you have decided to be happy. I know someone who fell off his bicycle at the age of 80 and was sure he broke his back on the way down because of the pain and crack he heard as he went down. He slowly got back on his bike and began singing, “Happy Days are here again” all the way home. No one would have guessed he was in pain.
Singer says, “The question is,very simply, ‘Do you want to be happy or not’?” Period! So happiness is really about choice.
We can choose to be happy no matter what is happening or not happening in our life. If we choose to be happy we do not let outside influences keep us from being happy.
That is easier said than done – unless we practice gratitude. When things “rob” us of our happiness, practicing gratitude – looking for what we are grateful for, rather than what we do not have – allows us to practice acceptance and with that acceptance – happiness. Remember, the choice is ours and the more we practice making that choice, the further along in our spiritual development we become.
Quote of the Week
“People tend to burden themselves with so many choices. But, in the end, you can throw it all away and just make one basic, underlying decision: Do you want to be happy, or do you not want to be happy? It’s really that simple. Once you make that choice, your path through life becomes totally clear.”
Michael Singer
