Happiness is a Choice: How to Live a Happy Life Each Day Using a Positive Attitude

Rev. Dr. Kitty Boitnott, NBCT, RScP

Heart-Centered Career Transition & Job Search Coach | Life Strategies Coaching

Everyone wants to be happy in life. It is the ultimate goal for most of us. So, why does happiness seem to be so elusive for so many? Why do we talk like it is something we are seeking instead of something we have already achieved?

Many people make the mistake of thinking that happiness is something outside themselves. They mistake it for something to be achieved, like finding the perfect relationship or the perfect job.

They think they would be happy if only they could lose 10 pounds. Or if they had a different house, the perfect mate, or a different career. Then they would be happy.

The problem is these things don't create true happiness. They might offer fleeting moments of joy. But they don't provide long-lasting happiness because they are outside of you.

True happiness comes from within. Outside circumstances do not determine it.

If you think about it, this is excellent news. It means we don't have to wait for everything to be perfect before we can be happy. It also means that you can choose to be happy and satisfied whenever you want.

It's common to think you'll be happy only when everything in your life is precisely the way you want it to be. What a relief to discover that it's simply not necessary for everything to be perfect before you decide to be happy.

Self-love is the starting point of happiness. If you live from a state of self-love, you'll be able to gain contentment. Your inner feelings of abundance can lead to excellent outcomes. You can enjoy great relationships, a sense of financial freedom, and meaningful work.

It's critical to recognize that you are perfect the way you are. Nothing is wrong with you! These might be things you think you have to convince yourself are true. But trust me. By giving up limiting beliefs, you'll finally experience true happiness.

Happiness is a Choice

Every day you make choices. For example, each day, you choose what to eat or drink, what to wear, where to work, and whom to love. Some options are good, and others are not, but all are based on our deep desire to be happy.

Yes, things can throw us off our ability to choose happiness every minute. Some people have a genetic predisposition toward depression, for example. It's a chemical imbalance and can be treated, but you have to be willing to seek out and accept help.

And then there is the occasional curveball that can throw us off. The death of a loved one, for example, can cause us sadness and pain. Other things can happen like divorce, sickness, the state of the world. Who can watch what is happening in Ukraine and not have their hearts hurt for the people who are being displaced, perhaps forever?

But none of that has anything to do with your conscious choice to be happy with what you have and to be grateful even in the face of despair. We all have days when things aren't 100% the way we would like for them to be. But that doesn't mean we can't choose happiness as a long-term choice. We can all choose to be happy even in the worst circumstances.

Your happiness depends on the conscious choices and the effort you put into living a good life.

And true happiness comes from knowing who you are and what you want in life. These are also choices you can make.

If you feel that happiness is eluding you, consider what has you feeling that way? And what choice can you make that will correct the problem?

Sometimes it just takes an attitude adjustment.

Instead of thinking about all the things you don't have right now, concentrate on what you DO have for which you can be grateful. Chances are you have a bed to sleep in, a roof over your head, and you know where your next meal is coming from. Consider that that puts you in the category of the blessed and the fortunate because millions of people worldwide don't have those things. Some people in your town don't have those things.

Consider that you may feel that things could be better in your life. That's fine. What can you do to make them better? You have the power of choice every single day. And you can choose to make your life better or choose to be unhappy. It's up to you. But it is always your choice.

Until next time.