The Appreciation Of Happiness

A common misconception is the right to happiness…the assumption of satisfaction…the entitlement to contentment.

Unbridled expectation can be a cruel master and, if permitted to rule, results in unhappiness. It can be a slippery slope. Unrecognised and untended, unhappiness can be a tipping point beyond which lies sadness and, ultimately, depression.

We are easily distracted. So many of us put so much time and effort into packing our own personal griefcase that we miss the point that we are all responsible for our own happiness…that our attitude is linked to our gratitude.

Happiness is a measure of our own reaction to the things that occur around us. It’s how we process the good and the bad things that happen to us and convert them into something positive that we can do for us and through us.

Joy is self-generated and it’s dependent on being in a state of mind that permits us to recognise the triggers. There will be times when more effort is required. There will be other times when the smile on our faces is a true reflection of the smile in our souls.

We can choose to be happy but first we must discard personal assumptions (and those coming from our circle of influencers) about what our life should be at this particular point in time.

It’s only when we reach the stage where we can sincerely appreciate our life for everything that it is that we can then begin moving toward making it everything that it can be.

Other people can show the way, point us in the right direction and encourage us. But the steps we take are ours and ours alone.

We get to decide. We get to choose. We get to change.

The responsibility – like the reward – is entirely personal.