Life doesn't have to be easy to still be happy

As we go through life, we will hit hard times and we will feel pain and sadness. Because we are human, we can experience those feelings and express how we feel.  It is important to understand that even at the worst of times, the happiest among us remain happy at the core.  What distinguishes a truly happy person from another not-so-happy person is the ability the happy person has to recognize the negative situation, own the feelings he or she is experiencing and then make a conscious decision to focus on those things that bring happiness.  Essentially, that person replaces the negative feelings with ones that are positive.  Some may think that the person who is happy when they should be in despair is delusional or does not want to accept their reality.  Your reality does not have to dictate your disposition.  If you are down and out and things are looking bad, by focusing on the negative and the gloom you are not going to get yourself out of the mess you are in.  You need to focus on remaining happy, and through your positive attitude, great things will come. 

Let me ask you this:  If you see two homeless people asking for money on the side of the street and one of them is being nasty and spiteful to those passing by, the other one is smiling and cheerful, which one would you be more inclined to help?  You would feel more compelled to help the happier one because that person is sending out a positive vibe and it will make you feel better to help that person.  Now, think about yourself for a moment.  If you are going through a hard time, your attitude and perspective on life and your current state will show through.  If you are positive and upbeat, people in the position to help will be drawn to you and will be more inclined to help you and your situation.   

You may not always have control of your situation, but you do have control of your emotions.  It is possible to be in a bad situation or point in your life and still be happy.  It is up to you to look for the good in everything and commit yourself to being happy even when things get tough.

Faith, Hope and Happiness

How can a person feel happy when the world seems like it is falling apart and cascading down around them and they feel like they are stuck in an avalanche unable to run? I know there are many people who feel this way right now. They feel discouraged, stuck, and paralyzed by fear. They are afraid of losing their job, their benefits, their home, car, etc. How can a person in a situation like that have any hope for feeling happy? There is hope and when there is hope, there can be happiness. The happiness I am referring to is not tied to the desperation and fear one is feeling – it is tied to the hope and faith that through the right actions things will get better.

There have been several points in my life when things looked bad for me. At one point, I went from having a housekeeper to being a housekeeper almost overnight. I could barely feed my daughter and I found out just how creative I could be with the small amount of money and resources we had. During that time though, I remained positive and happy. I could have been miserable and I could have gotten away with it. If I allowed myself to get down in the dumps, certainly everyone would have understood why. They would have been right there commiserating with me as I dug myself deeper in self-pity. For whatever reason, it never occurred to me to take the negative route. Instead, I decided to make a game out of the situation. Every time something came up, like a bill or a broken down car or an empty refrigerator, I would come up with a plan and I would get to working on executing it. As I faced numerous obstacles, I found myself laughing when I should have been in tears, because I knew deep down that this was only a test. I even repeated to myself the public service address, “This is a test. This only a test.” I owed it to myself and to my daughter to remain positive and determined to get us back on our feet. I fought the battles and I am sure I shed a few tears along the way, but at the end of the day, I went to bed happy and proud of myself for not allowing another situation to defeat me.

I knew things would get better and when I came out the other side, I would be stronger and wiser. From it, I learned there is nothing I cannot do. I stayed happy because sad did not appeal to me. Sad is not productive. Sadness deteriorates hope. Hope is what we all need to survive even in the worst of times. Hope is the light at the end of the tunnel and it brings faith. Faith is what provides us with power greater than us. I have always found happiness in knowing that everything happens for a reason and through hope and faith and a little hard work, I will pull through gloriously.
When life is throwing massive crap balls at you – you have a choice. Stand there and take the direct hits or do your best to dodge it. No matter what, you will get crap on you occasionally. When you find yourself in a mess, laugh it off and figure out a way to get out of it. Have faith that no matter how bad it looks right now it will get better. You will get through it. We always do.

Make the decision to be happy no matter how bad things are around you. You will gain strength in happiness. You will also draw the right people to you when you have a happy demeanor. Especially when you are down and struggling, positive and proactive people is what you need to help you through it all.

Through hope, faith and action you can get through the hardest of times and remain happy along the way. I know you can!

What is your face telling the world?

Have you ever walked down the street or through the supermarket with a million and one things on your mind and you realize you have the ugliest scrunched up scowl on your face? You know the look I am talking about. The kind of look that screams, “Don’t bother me; you may be my next victim!” It happens when you get so caught-up in everything you have going on, the tension mounts until you can feel your shoulders tensed up all the way under your earlobes and you notice the innocent fellow shoppers are afraid to make eye contact with you. Okay, so I am exaggerating just a little here, but you understand what I’m talking about, right? I don’t usually get that bad myself. I could though - I am capable of it. Aren’t we all?

Do you know how to prevent that painful, scary look? Smile. It is that simple. If you make it a point to smile at others, you will instantly feel better. I make it a point to smile when I am running errands. I do not like to run errands. Almost hate it in fact. In order to enjoy it more, I go out of my way to smile at others and even strike up conversations with strangers. It is about the only thing that makes the running around bearable for me. I get through my errands and find out interesting bits of information about others and before I know it, I am done with my errands. Lovely.

As you go about your daily activities, notice what your face is telling the world. Remind yourself to smile and make the best of every moment. This takes self-awareness and requires you to step outside yourself, but the rewards are worth it. You will find you enjoyed your day so much better and you may be preventing wrinkles while you are at it.

Smile!