Happiness is in your control

As I continue to look at ways to find that happiness again after the pain of grief, I came across this article from Lou Tice who produces a daily newsletter which I subscribe to…today he talks about some people seem to be happy all the time

“Every day, no matter where they are or what they’re doing, they find things to laugh about, to celebrate, and to praise. You know, it’s an interesting fact of life that what you see is mostly what you look for. Our brains are designed to help us notice that which we have decided is important, and ignore or even blind ourselves to that which is irrelevant.

So if you make up your mind to be happy no matter what happens to you, you’ll be amazed by all the things you never noticed before that bring you a smile or a laugh or a moment of joy. Most happy people weren’t born that way. At some point, they made a conscious or unconscious choice to enjoy their lives, right here and right now. What do you suppose would happen if you made the same choice, starting today?”

I believe that our grief can blind us from idea of finding happiness again, because somehow we don’t feel it is right, that it “proper” that we smile. In fact, we are human with human needs and we have every right to be happy. Happy does not mean we forget or that we don’t hurt….happiness means that we are coping with the pain.