I know someone who is miserable with her life.
Absolutely miserable.
She talks (and talks, and talks) about when her life gets better she’s going to do X,Y and Z, but she makes no effort, none at all, to make her life better.
I’ve known this person for a long time and her actions and her thoughts haven’t changed since the first time I met her.
One of her biggest problems is that she is of the mindset that everyone else holds the key to her happiness. If her husband would change, if her parents would change, if her sibling was different, if her boss … get the idea?
Everyone else in her world is responsible for her happiness except her.
And that is the mindset that guarantees she’ll never be happy until she changes her thoughts.
No one, and I mean no one, else is in control of our happiness or responsible for it.
We are the creators (or destroyers) of our own happiness, regardless of anything else.
Thinking happy thoughts is our choice. Sharing happiness with others is our choice. Being happy is our choice.
Some of the happiest people I know don’t have a perfect life. They have challenges and adversity.
The difference is that they choose to be happy.
Much like taking a bath, it is a choice we must make daily.
I know. Because I used to be like this woman. I used to think “someday, I’ll be happy.” I used to expect others to make me happy.
I lined everyone else’s pockets with my keys to happiness.
Then one day I realized those keys don’t belong to them.
They’re mine.
And if I want to be happy, it’s my responsibility to make it happen. So I took all those keys back and started working on being happy.
It takes time and it takes effort, but you can reclaim those keys and make your own happiness.One key at a time.
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Each Monday I share my thoughts on happiness in my own personal Happiness Project for 2014. Feel free to post your thoughts or comments on happiness.
