Choose Happiness

I was about to get on the bus this morning and I forgot my shoes… I had tennis shoes on, had to get my heels (please note don’t stop praying for my foot it still hurts!) and a guy said to me “change your mind? Had enough? Going home?” and I said “no, just forgot my shoes” (which caused him to look at my feet lol).


I have to admit that before the Easter 4 days off, I was tired, and it may have occurred to me at any given moment to hope in my car and proceed home, but I wouldn’t do that. Easter has left me refreshed. A combination of 4 days off with serving, relaxing, and remembering what God has done for me has left me with a fresh and vibrant attitude.

It was a short conversation about me becoming a principal and him going into banking, he said “everyone I know that went into banking is so much happier”. I said that I thought happiness was a choice. He said “no, I don’t think so, too many external influences”.

I know that Joy comes from the Lord. But is happiness a choice?

In the Declaration of Independence it says that we have the unalienable right to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. The pursuit. We can go out an pursue what makes us happy, but being happy is not an unalienable right.

I do think that happiness is a choice. I think that, sure, our circumstances can influence our happiness, but they INFLUENCE it, they don’t decide it. I think we can choose our focus.

There are many times when I am put into situations that I don’t like or I wish I could change, but it is my choice to focus on the positive, to find the joy, to be happy. There is something that many don’t know about me. I don’t really like large gatherings that I know a lot of the people. It’s really an odd thing because I do tend to be friendly, but put me in a group of 200 people and even if I know every single person, I get a little anxious. In the overwhelming of anxiousness I choose to celebrate and choose to be happy. It happened just the other day, I was standing in a sea of people that I love and I was totally uncomfortable but I chose to put on a smile, hug, and when I got a moment, took a deep breath! I choose to celebrate in those times, I choose to be happy, and I choose to love.

I always have the choice.

I have this crazy thing about my personality, I can see all that can go wrong in a situation, but sometimes I have to just see the joy and happiness in every situation, I choose to see God working.

I do think happiness is a choice, I think it can be influenced by external circumstances, but we always have a choice.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Comments

Deb said…
Amen Sista!
Deb said…
Amen Sista!
Felisol said…
It's easier to count the stars under a dark sky.
I think focusing on the blessings are a good way of survival.
Nevertheless I don't feel happy always.
Indeed I don't.
Joy in the Lord shall be your strength, Paul said.
I must at least, I realize, be happy about all the blessings the Lord is pouring over me.
Amen! Psalm 34:14 "Seek peace, and pursue it" ... echoed in Peter's 1st letter ... it's a choice and something we actively need to seek ... but it's certainly obtainable ... thanks for the encouragement sister!