happiness is

When I was younger I was a big fan of self help books. Back then I was a naturally happy person without many troubles, so it seems odd to me now that I would have devoured book after book on self growth and development. I think I used the books back then as a gauge for how well my own life was going, at the time I was single and young, blessed with good health and (thank goodness) a healthy family too and the books seemed to affirm all the good things in my life - everything I was doing right without even trying.

All of the lucky things that I just took for granted.

So having read all of those books I thought I was prepared to face the challenges that life throws at us with confidence and ease. To face those challenges all I would need (I thought smugly, back then, when I was reading those books) was a witty slogan to persevere. For example, any of the titles from the hundreds of chapters I read.

When you get knocked down, get back up again.

Pray.

Be kind.

Do unto others as you would yourself.

Happiness is a choice.

I'm focusing on the last one today. About happiness. About choices. Choices take effort and determination. You find your thoughts tripping back into the negative and you have to gently pull them back and remind yourself to breathe. To pray. To hold and take things lightly. To be flexible. To treat the ones you love with the gentlest care.

Oh, yes. Happiness is a choice.