Happiness is a Choice

Written by Lovelyn on February 9, 2009 – 2:34 pm -

Happiness does not depend on what happens outside you but on what happens inside you. (Harold B. Lee)


Many people defer happiness. They say to themselves, “I’ll be happy when I get a better job,” or “I’ll be happy when I have a new car.” What have you been putting off happiness for–wealth, career, meeting the love of your life, that big break? How much time are you spending being unhappy because you feel like you need these things to be truly happy?

Happiness is a choice. When I first heard this I was 21 years old and in a church class. The person teaching the lesson was very adamant about this statement and wanted all of us to write it down in our scriptures. I was annoyed because at the time I was quite unhappy and thought that he was telling me that was all my fault. I refused to write, “Happiness is a choice,” in my scriptures. In fact, the teacher of that class is lucky I didn’ t get up and punch him in the face. (That’s really Christian of me;)

Now that I’m pass my young and hostile stage, I think he was right. I know that when depression grips you it’s hard to break out of and some depression is the result of chemical imbalances, but I think that general unhappiness is a choice. You choose the way you respond to your circumstances. You choose the things that you are willing to recognize as important in your life, so why not remember and recognize the good things you have.

Some days, I wake up all in a funk. I start thinking about all the things that I want that I don’t have and those thoughts drag me down. Then I spend the day feeling sorry for myself. What good does that do anybody?

Look at your life. What is truly good about it? Remember those things. You choose the attitude you face the day with. The circumstances around you may change and may even change for the worse at times, but the way you react to those changes is up to you. Choose to look be optimistic. Choose happiness now, don’t wait for it to find you later.

Photo by Sukanto Debnath


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2 Comments to “Happiness is a Choice”

  1. Today I went forraging through the webs of the interents « Root Of All Happiness Says:
    February 16th, 2009 at 7:54 pm

    [...] a good quote that I found on: http://artofbalancedliving.net/ “Happiness does not depend on what happens outside you but on what happens inside [...]

  2. Love What You Do | The Art of Balanced Living Says:
    October 20th, 2009 at 1:34 pm

    [...] Working in a post office probably wasn’t either man’s main ambition in life as a youth. Maybe one wanted to be an Olympic athlete and the other wanted to be a movie star, but they both ended up working in the post office. One man is obviously miserable and the other makes the best of his situation. He chooses to be happy. [...]

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