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Choosing Happiness

By Gay Barefield Jun 24

Oh happiness, why do you elude us? We want you to jump on our backs like fleas on a dog and bite a bit of cheer into our every day. Once bitten, we try so hard to rid ourselves of you, scratching and clawing to get you out of our lives. Where does this vicious cycle end?

Every day we search endlessly for happiness. We look for happiness in objects, in people, in our jobs and in different locations. While we might get a glimpse or a whisper of happiness from time to time, it still refuses to stay with us for very long.

Or is it the other way around?

Once we have happiness and start enjoying the presence of its company we start trying to find ways to sabotage the feeling. We feel guilty because we are happy and others are not or we don’t feel worthy of that happiness feeling. So off we go to make ourselves unhappy and shake happiness out of our very souls.

Happiness is a choice, a conscience choice that needs to be nurtured and stroked like a cute furry puppy. When we want that puppy to lie still beside us, we cuddle and rub its belly, speaking softly and gently. If you want happiness to stay and be your constant companion you have to make room for happiness to grow. To do this you will have to make the choice of letting go of some old ideas that conflict with you being happy.

From my own personal experience, one of the biggest things that will stand in your way of happiness is the desire to always be right. Sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud doesn’t it but it’s true. The more you try to be right the harder you have to work at being right instead of just being happy.

You deserve to be happy!

Make that choice to put the same effort into happiness as you do at always being right. Work at being happy, make a mantra out of “Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?” Be willing to make the effort to change just one thing about being right and see what happens. Then do it again and see what happens. Each time it will get easier and you will find the company of happiness more often.

Clear out some space in your life and stop your search for happiness. It is as close as warm puppy breath on your cheek, always there…..just waiting. Tell happiness to stay and tell yourself it’s okay if it stays. There’s always room.

 

photo credit: rkleine via photo pin cc

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Categories: Making Simple Changes in Your Life

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Comments

  1. Leanna says

    July 11, 2012 at 6:13 pm

    It’s true, so many people are trying hard to catch happiness. They’re struggling to find something that is the opposite of struggle. You really can’t achieve something by going about it in the opposite way. By flipping the switch and making the choice to see things differently, in a better light, then happiness isn’t some far-off goal, it’s something we can have instantly.

    • Gay Barefield says

      July 11, 2012 at 6:32 pm

      So true Leanna, as the saying goes, “Can’t see the forest for the trees.” Usually it’s right there just waiting and all we have to do is open our arms and embrace it.
      Thanks so much for your comment!

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