Happiness or not (your choice)

Happiness is not a permanent state.  Some of us remember when something unexpected made us happy.  If you’re lucky you can experience happy feelings and at the same time accept that these feelings are fleeting.

Being nice is a choice for people.  “Nice” is an action word that can be fleeting for some just as feelings of happiness can be for many.  Some people appear to “be nice” and some people are genuinely nice.  Being nice and being happy can be two different experiences.

For people who lean more toward Optimism (those who predominantly feel things are not that bad and feel things will get better) studies have shown they tend to be healthier.

Many people leaning in the direction of Pessimism (those who have a difficult time or refuse to see situations in a constructive light) are illustrated in these same studies as those who can become ill more often and can suffer illnesses longer.

A constructive viewpoint can be to become aware of and understand that life is not always about feeling happy or that only good things are going to happen.  This viewpoint can include the ability to accept the highs and lows of life as being just what it is – Life.

Some with constructive views have learned to take the challenges the lows may bring with it and over time find a way to discover opportunities that can benefit their life in the short or long term.

When we understand that outer things like changing our weight, success in our endeavors, great milestones, making a great income, having more money or finding the love of our life – no thing –– nothing external can make us permanently happy.  Contentment (which is more long term than fleeting happiness) is an internal work in progress.  It’s your thoughts, what you consistently think about and eventually an understanding that finding and appreciating that the essence of your individual, unique self is more than enough.