Happiness doesn’t just happen – it has to be made, it has to be produced, created, discovered, built from the ground up. And it has to be a decision in one’s mind: the decision to be happy. It is really simple, believe it or not. One must have a conviction to be happy no matter what trouble life throws at them; because life can certainly disrupt a person’s happiness, getting in the way of them enjoying their own life, with all the countless and never-ending mishaps and suffering. Happiness is something that comes to those who expect it and therefore deserve it.
Having gratitude – the quality of being thankful; a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness – is another way people of all cultures cultivate happiness. Instead of focusing their mental and spiritual energy on negative things, like bills, financial problems, health issues, happy people focus on being alive and not decrepit, having people to love and support them, waking up in the morning, having a purpose to fulfill, being able to breathe and think and eat and pray and love. They are grateful for anything and everything. Happy people make gratitude a daily habit, even a ritual. -ck
