Choosing Happiness
October 20th, 2008, 8:13 pm by Priya Florence Shah
Filed under Self-Awareness, Happiness, Stress-Relief, Attraction, Empowering Women, Self-Esteem, Self-Love, Healing, Wellness, Self Help, Attitude, Self-Improvement, Spirituality, Books, Experiences, My Life, Personal Growth, Thoughts
The first time I learned that I could choose to be happy was in a book by Richard Carlson called Shortcut through Therapy: Ten Principles of Growth-Oriented, Contented Living
But, I’ve learned since then, that the simplest answer is usually the right one. And the reason we’re not happy is because we tend to complicate our lives far too much. Or that we put conditions on our state of being. As in, “I’ll only be happy if such-and-such happens.”
It took reading that book twice to drive the message home. That happiness really IS a choice. And that I can choose to be happy NO MATTER WHAT. That simple realisation changed my life. I hope it will help you too… 
Happiness lies in the passions we pursue and in the pressures we decline. It is in knowing how to work and when to play. It is in the treasured objects we keep nearby and in the ordinary moments we elevate into small celebrations. It is in the note we write to a friend and the kindness we show a stranger. It is in the colors we love and the music that transports us. It may be as simple as sunlight on your face; as sudden as a shared smile; as sensuous as a single flower on your desk, candles on your nightstand, or cookies hot from the oven. Happiness is what you make it, where you make it.
- Alexandra Stoddard, Choosing Happiness: Keys to a Joyful Life
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