"Happiness is not a thing.
It is not something to be pursued.
It is not even something we attract.
It is always an attitude;
a perspective that we choose."
-- Albert Strong
Many people choose an unhappiness response to some event. They choose to grieve. The key word is choose. Many do so because that's what they were trained to do under certain conditions, or it is what is expected of them--the right thing to do. Some even assign specific periods of time where this is expected and falling short of the full expected time frame wouldn't look good to others in the community.
There are all sorts of spoken and unspoken cultural expectations of behavior. Of course, to go along means you're part of the culture and in the group, and to choose another way is what we call the outsider.
It's not even going against the crowd. Although, I've found that the crowd isn't all that insightful. It is merely choosing one's own way and if in so doing, it requires walking away from the crowd, so be it.
I've often chosen the crowd in years past. I've chosen unhappiness, depression, outrage, anger and more. Now as I look back, I find it interesting how people will choose those things over happiness, joy, well being. I know that I did, and yet I cannot exactly explain why except that it was expected or that I got some egotistical value from it, such as, sympathy, seeming support, and more. Whatever the benefit that came never seemed to be worth the effort that it took to endure the symptoms.
So, finally, as I found mentors that convinced me it was a choice and deep inside, I also knew it to be true, I now choose happiness and joy even as others choose opposites. I no longer care much about being in the group because it isn't any fun and once you get that you have the power, you just can't go back, and there isn't any reason to do so.
Take Courage: Choose Happiness.
Spread Some Joy Today--choose to be joyful. Just for the heck of it.
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