We have been familiar with this concept of happiness being a choice for a long time. Come to think of it, is there anyone who willingly avoids happiness? No one, right? Everyone would want to choose happiness every single day if it was so easy. But the theory works for many people who think of ‘happiness’ as a broader concept of life. If you are undergoing a bad phase in your life, feeling depressed daily, sometimes for no concrete reason, or if you are having trouble feeling good about the life you have, this theory might change your perspective!
Define what ‘happiness’ means to you
When we talk about being happy, we necessarily don’t mean to feel cheerful, ecstatic, or elated. It is a state of mind where you feel a sense of calm within yourself. Happiness could seem like a strong word to define this state but eventually this calmness or pleasure snowballs into a greater feeling. Therefore, define your feeling of happiness and understand what it means to you. Partying, meeting friends, and having a good time with family are examples of ‘incidental’ happiness. It depends on the incidents. What we are trying to understand is the happiness of the mind. Is it the ability to get over sad feelings, anger, hurt, or worries? Maybe YES!
Prioritize your state of mind
It’s never going to be fun and frolic when it comes to daily life. One can never be happy 24/7. Waves of varied emotions make a graph of your day. Some days are too hard to go through, your past traumas haunt you more andthe smallest of inconveniences ruin your mindset. When running away from what you feel is not an option, choosing what you want to feel is. You decide yourtakeaways from the very situation you are in. Acknowledge the state of mind, prioritize it, and then resolve it.
Be responsible for your own happiness
Often, we derive happiness from the people around us. In an unknown way, we have given away the right to our happiness to other people. In simple terms, our happiness depends on people and their actions. It seems very natural;we are programmed that way from our childhood. But when the control of your happiness is in someone’s hand, how can you expect to stay happy? That’s never going to happen.Sit with yourself for a while and think about it. It is unfair to depend on someone for your happiness. We all have been there, but it’s never too late! It might take some time to take control back but go by ‘one day at a time’ and you will get there to see how beautiful it is to be responsible for what you feel.
When life gives you lemons, make a lemon pie!
We all have heard this saying. But what does it even mean? It’s basically to say—when life throws challenges at you and makes you unhappy, how you react to it is always in your hand. Either you can quit and say, “That’s not how I imagined my life to be” or step up and face it gracefully. The latter would give you guaranteed happiness in the end! This is the ‘choice’ that gives you happiness with time. The decisions you make today are the fruit of tomorrow.Therefore, your decision-making holds the key to your happiness. Be it a small decision from your routine, you have got the right to choose what you want. Make it happen and choose your own happiness over everything!
Gratitude and affirmations to the rescue!
There’s unimaginable pain and worry in this world. We all go through such tough situations and do not understand how to take them well. Forget staying happy; we start questioning our existence. We all have been there. On such hard days, what comes as a rescue is counting your blessings. There’s so much bliss in being grateful for the smallest of things in life. It makes you humble on a root level. Counting your blessings and searching for the good in everything is an art that paints a picture of your life bright. Daily affirmations of how you want your life to be and reminding yourself to be kind to yourself comes a long way. Practise gratitude and see yourself finding a way towards glee.
The joy of little things
You see what you WANT to see. That’s always going to happen. Why not use it for your own good? Happiness lies in the little things in your life. Be it eating comfort food, the first sip of your coffee after a long day, a relaxing bath, completing a task in time, watching a sunset, finding your long-lost dress, fitting into your old clothes, getting a nice head massage, sticking to the schedule you decided for yourself, and the list of examples goes on! In short, joy is everywhere around you; you just have to see it. When you decide to prioritize yourself, choose your state of mind every day and stay kind to yourself, you become more capable to feel the joy of little things.
Who knows if happiness is a choice but having the opportunity to ‘choose’ is happiness.
