Just Choose Happy

I think some days you just have to choose happy. A simple principal in theory, and incredibly hard in reality ~ at least for me.

Some days I am filled with grumpy, and bitterness, and self loathing, and over thinking and over processing things I shouldn't be.  Days I am irritable and other peoples annoyances and simple behaviors grate at my every nerve until I'm ready to explode.  If I'm honest, I think I need to change the beginning of this paragraph from "some days" to "most days..."

Sometimes it is someone else's fault, someone else's interaction with me warranting them to snatch up and walk away with my happiness... but nearly every time it's my own issue.  It's my own choice whether I choose to be happy or I choose to spiral into the ugly.

I don't want it to be my issue, I want it to be everyone else's fault and issue. I want everyone else to be responsible for my happiness and fulfillment, I don't actually want to have the weight of all that on myself.  Life is just easier that way - letting everyone else be responsible on our behalf.  Or is it?  Is it really easier to live in a life where we allow others to dictate how we feel inside, allowing others to be responsible for our unrest, fighting, and a general unhappy heart?  Is joy bubbling over and smiling in abundance and grace abounding not something everyone would love to influence and play in every single day?

How often do we let the sin and satans of the world suck our happiness, pull the rug of our joy out from under us?  We need to realize it's guaranteed to happen every single day.  We stand at the fork in the road of joy and unrest multiple times daily.  Sometimes we choose left, sometimes we choose right - but ultimately we are the only ones standing in our own shoes choosing which foot to put forward first.  For me, this is a hard pill to swallow, a hard concept to grasp for some reason.

Somehow I just need to resolve to both recognize this, and fight for my happiness back as quickly as possible. The longer I sit in my unhappy, the longer that unhappy thinks it's invited and welcome... the harder it is to kick it to the curb.

My unhappy loves nothing better than to move on in, make a mess, and stay as long as possible.

So how do we learn to start shutting the door to this unwelcomed guest sooner, or not even answer at all when it comes knocking?  I think the biggest key and defense mechanism is just simple awareness and intentionality.  We have to not be caught off guard, blindsided, unaware of the potential threat.  It's going to happen, plan on it, watch for it, be ready to turn it away.  Stress, unrest, tension, bitterness, unhappiness is all over, everywhere, every day.  Put on your armor and be ready to battle it.

Set your mind with the attitude of merely choosing to be happy.  Practice turning around, backing up, reversing the force as the tornado in the drain starts sucking us down.  Try to see the good, try to choose the high road.

I personally also think soul care, self care, silence, rest are also key ingredients to help keep the door to unhappy closed.  When we work on intentionally filling and protecting ourselves, our souls, our priorities, and schedules, it helps us build our defenses again the attacks of the enemy.

The happier we are for longer periods of time, the harder it is for the unhappy to quietly seep in.  When we reside in a state of extended soul health and happiness, it makes it more and more easy to notice, identify, and address the undesirable weight of unhappy.

It makes me think of the phrase "Muscle weighs more than fat..." The heaviness of our unhappy weighs so much more than the freedom found in our happy.  Happiness is lighter and brighter and bolder and so much better than unhappiness.

So just choose it.  Choose to be happy, even when the hand we're being dealt isn't ideal.  When the reality of the details and situations around us aren't to our choosing or standards.  When the disappointments and distractions are overwhelming.  Try see the good, try see the God in everything around you.

And of course I know this is easier said than done!  Everything in life is!  But if we aren't willing to at least attempt to take the high road once or twice (or every time you can), we cannot expect the far too busy and far too self centered, self revolving society and world around us to look up, see us, and choose our happiness for us.  We are the only ones living our lives, the only ones responsible for our choices...  so why not just choose happy?

There is absolutely nothing to lose by trying to just choose happy whenever we can.  I'm pretty sure we can help change the world, by simply helping change ourselves, one happy choice at a time.

{ Previous blog post "Bitter vs Better" HERE }
{ next blog post "Two Years Ago" HERE }