Choose Happiness

We all want to be happy. But we don’t always know how to get there. Ultimately, there are two paths: We can let life happen and hope that all the circumstances of our lives come together in just the right way. The other option is to take active steps to pursue happiness, in whatever situation we find ourselves.

In author Russell Grieger’s writings, he often refers to what he calls the five happiness principles. I want to share his principles and how you should think about them in your own life.

1. This is it. Right now is all we can be certain of. None of us knows what tomorrow holds. The point is that we are only here in this world for a limited time. When we keep that fact in mind, we are more likely to be deliberate about choosing happiness.
2. If it’s going to be, it’s up to me. There is no one alive whose job is just to make you happy. Not even the people closest to you! Ultimately, it’s up to you. If all those other factors that are outside your control so happen to align, that’s great, but that should only be a bonus on top of the happiness that you are responsible for creating. Grieger recommends adopting the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
3. Decide to be happy. We all make major decisions that will continue to affect us for the rest of our lives. Things like whether and where to go to college, who to marry, and your career. A decision that might be just as important, but is often overlooked, is the decision of whether to be happy. You can choose to mindfully seek the things that make you happy and to see opportunities to be happy each and every day.
4. Attitude is everything. A negative mindset can drag you down into unhappiness even when all the circumstances of your life seem perfect. But people with the right attitude will find ways to be happy even when the circumstances take a turn for the worse. It takes conscious training, but you can learn to focus on maintaining a positive attitude that will see you through whatever you face.
5. Work, work, work. Happiness does not come on a silver platter. It requires work. It requires constant, consistent effort to get up and do the things you need to do to find joy and happiness in every day. Doing it once is not enough; you have to make that choice again and again.

So start with these 5 power principles to happiness, and see what the impact is.