happiness: it's a choice

How to be happy: that seems to be the million dollar question. Countless books are written on the topic. Ones that give secrets that don't work, or ones that ramble on and on until you're so confused you can't tell whether or not they really addressed it at all. Well I've always heard that you can't buy happiness. So here's my two cents on the topic, and its absolutely free!! :)

I said I was going to have a change of heart, and just be outgoing and happy and a better person. Sounds pretty miraculous-- magical even! Well the truth is that the trick to being happy, that all powerful mysterious secret, is simply to choose to be. That's all it takes. Choose to be happy, look on the bright side of life! It's really that easy!

The pitfall is that it actually takes getting out and doing something. I've noticed that the days I spend all day on my computer, or not getting anything done, maybe just watching tv, those are my bad days. It almost makes me depressed. And when I'm depressed I don't feel like doing anything. It's a vicious cycle! So how do you fix it?? Get out there! Ride your bike with your friend! Do something! :)

This past week I've discovered some things that help make it easier to choose to be happy, that people might mistake as the answer to happiness. They are really all rather superficial, but they help and can sure be nice!

All week we had state standardized testing for the sophomores, so the rest of us got to sleep in. Its amazing what a difference even just getting enough sleep makes! But that's not really the point I was getting at. Since there was so much extra time, my Seminary hosted a Dating Week where we were just encouraging people to go on a bunch of fun double/group dates all week. Since I'm on the Seminary Council and was partly in charge, I led by example and did a lot of encouraging, dating, and helping. This meant that I was smiling at everyone, being friendly, and encouraging and helping as much as I could. I was always doing something!

So happiness is a choice. But here are the secrets the choosing to be happy:

1. Smile!! You can trick yourself into being happy simply by "putting on the face" of being happy
2. Sleep-- Get plenty of it at night so you don't sleep through life! Its too precious to miss!
3. Be active-- get out there and do something! Ride your bike, take a walk, do your homework. Just do something! (Exercise is great for relieving stress though!)
4. Last but certainly not least, Do something kind! They really aren't kidding about that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you do something nice. Even if its just taking your sister out for ice cream!

I said I was going to be happier and better. Well this is how! I'm going to choose to be! But I'm not going cold turkey, as it were. The secrets are to be used so I am going to use them! My plan is to try and smile and be more friendly, and to go to bed a lot earlier than I have been, say between nine and ten each night. Then at the very least I am going to ride my bike every day, but that isn't quite enough. Doing one thing is good, but staying busy is better! So I'm not going to waste a single moment. I've got plenty of homework to keep me busy, fixing my car, getting ready for college, time to spend with friends, all sorts of things to do! And finally, I'm always looking for ways to do something nice. The one I find easiest is to just open the door for a girl, or tell her she looks nice today :) Man if everyone would do even just that, this world would be so much better! But I'm trying to spread happiness, so even through this blog hopefully I'm accomplishing something and doing something nice!

Let's get out there and make our difference!


"Happiness is a choice. Why would you choose to be otherwise?"
-Peter DeFord