Today I read Proverbs 15 where we are told many different things but I was particularly struck about the verses that had to do with happiness. I think many people make the mistake that happiness is contingent upon what happens to us, but they are wrong. True happiness is actually based on what we decide and how we choose to act to situations. There are numerous examples of men that were in Prisoner of War camps in World War II that never stopped smiling and helping those around them. When we decide that we are going to be happy no matter what, we will be happy.
I used to use a phrase all the time when I was ending conversations with friends. I used to say "have a good day, and if it's not a good day, make it one". I was trying to convey to my friends that they had the power to decide what kind of day they were going to have. I will say that, at least in my own life, my attitude pretty much stays the same all the time. I'm happy almost all of the time and have a pleasant disposition without making a conscious choice about it. I think this is both a spiritual gift, and also a result of my choosing to be happy when I was younger. It's so consistent that if people I am around all the time, such as in college when I was younger or work now, see me not smiling, they ask me what's wrong and what's got me down. I have a reputation for being happy. We can each of us determine our own attitude and outlook on life, all we have to do is decide how we will be, no matter what happens to us. Until tomorrow.
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