Being Happy Is A Choice Anyone Can Make
I once thought that happiness was the result of some great personal doing or something that happened to me. What I have found out is that’s not it. Feeling good and being happy are choices to be made, sometimes every minute. Habitual thinking rules our lives until an effort is made to change the patterns of thought. Like a deep rut in a road we develop deep ruts in the neural pathways of our brain. They stay put until new paths are created. It takes practice and mindful thinking to change. It takes being aware as often as possible of how we think, feel and act. Altering thought patterns are slow but the more often attention is paid to the thinking, the faster it can come about.
It became clear to me several years ago that happiness is not necessarily a derivative of our circumstances. While researching and writing a book about Sarah, a Navajo woman, I became keenly aware of that. Sarah and her family were happy people. They joked and laughed while they sheared a herd of sheep in very hot weather. They didn’t use electric shears because the electricity was too far away. Instead they used hand-shears on all those sheep. Frankly I would have been grumbling the entire time but they made it fun. This was not an isolated incident. I spent a lot of time on the reservation with them and rarely heard a cross word or griping. The refrigerator rarely had more than one or two items but there was no complaint despite the fact that Sarah had diabetes. I noticed that other people on the reservation had the same light-hearted chuckling and happiness regardless of the poverty and life’s difficulties. I was deeply affected.
What I learned is that despite income, health, or any other conditions we can choose to feel happy. Yes, there are times that are hurtful or traumatic or injurious and that do need time or altering and healing but more often than not we can improve how we think. There is almost always something to feel happy about. When I get down in the dumps and things don’t seem to be going well, I think about what is good and what I am grateful for in my life. Oftentimes I recall pleasurable, fun times and actually feel the happiness or love inside. The attention to how I feel changes my whole attitude and persists more and more each time I deliberately choose to feel good.
Even though it takes awareness and persistence, it is easy to do. We all have at least some good times in our memory banks and there are things we can appreciate about life no matter how difficult the moment might be. It takes paying attention to lousy attitudes and feelings. Once you become aware of what’s going on, you have the ability to select pleasing responses. Access them more regularly. Make the choice to feel good and be happy. Not only you but everyone around you will be glad you did.
©2006
Dr. Karen MacKay is a chiropractor, acupuncturist, hypnotherapist, Feng Shui and wholistic health practitioner. She has authored two books: Dear Sisters, Break Free From Domestic Violence, and The Wisest, Healthiest Buffalo. Her website http://www.HotFlashQueen.com and twice monthly Ezine, available at eZine@hotflashqueen.com, are about healing and feeling good. She also has Guided Imagery MP3 downloads to help the healing and awareness processes.
Tags: choice, happiness, healing, joy, mindfulness, well being