By 
The greatest truth about being happy is that happiness is a choice and a decision. It’s just a thought away! Every day you wake up and make the decision of how you want to feel.
Ask yourself, “Do I want to be happy today?” Isn’t that the choice of most of us? would do want? And yet we often go in the other direction.
Maybe life has been tough. You may feel that you have reason to think about unhappiness (loss of a loved one, a job, a home …), but the greatest purpose in life is to live a life of service and joy and you cannot live either. . those who do not make the decision to be happy.
My life was challenged when I experienced “the worst that could happen.” I tragically lost my 16 year old son to meningitis. At the time, I thought that pain was my life sentence, my burden to bear. I thought that I would never experience joy again. How could i My son died!
In fact, it was a journey to find stepping stones through recovery from the duel. It is a long road, but I found that each step was simply a decision. I would wake up feeling the shroud of sadness and then see my youngest son happily playing with action figures, or my five-year-old daughter wearing a crown, playing the fairy princess in her tutu and thinking: I can’t be sad when I see that! That is denying the other gifts that God has given me! I’d force a smile, and then I’d really start to feel that.
I decided then, I am the creator of my feelings and the joy of my life.. I began to write these moments and how easily I could transform my sadness into joy. It was just a thought away! And then … I decided to write my own future. I would write in my journal, describing what happiness would be like in my life ahead.
It was often simple things, like watching my garden bloom in the spring or a trip to the beach with the kids. Every day, I tried to gently pull away from the suffocating cloud of pain and discover a rainbow of joy. Sometimes I found joy in my own sad tears, because it was an expression of the deep love I had for my son. I began to feel excited by the vitality of regaining my joy.
Learn to love your life! It is your decision and your heart. So why not start writing the script for your future today? Don’t ignore the past! Hard times are your badge of honor and what you have learned from them is the platform for your future.
9 story points to write the script of your own life:
- Do something you love and it will never feel like work.. If you can’t work your dream job right now, pursue your interests within your job and that can get you on the path to your dream career.
- Keep your momentum young at heart! Never use age as an excuse. Louise Hay started her business at age 60 when she sold her self-published book, You Can Heal Your Life, from the trunk of her car. At 86 he runs the Hay House publishing empire. Set your goals now and start renegotiating the life you love.
- You will never run out of money because you will never run out of ideas. A wise friend told me this. Your ability to think and create ideas are the tools God gave you to be resilient. Use your talents and skills to break new ground.
- “If someone says no, just say NEXT!” – Jack Canfield, author Chicken Soup for the Soul. The entertainment business is a constant pushback with success peppered. Don’t stop chasing what you love. If you give up too soon, you may have been standing at the door of the person who was about to say “Yes!”
- Take steps to remove worry from your life and let passion fill it. That is resilience. I remember seeing actor Will Smith interviewed by Oprah and she asked me if it felt good to be rich. Said he still falls asleep worrying about money. That is the pattern you learned in life. Will Smith! Yes Hears worries, then “worry” is really the enemy of our spirit. “Worrying” is just fear at war with your faith.
- Consider additional sources of income. Look for your talents like cooking, tutoring, or selling products or services to get a cushion. Ask a friend what they think your talents are. It may surprise you! Even if you only pay for utilities or help replenish your savings … it’s worth it.
- Life is about expressing love. Never let career or money problems ruin a night with your partner, ruin a day with your child, or interrupt your sleep at night. When you feel those worries taking over, change them to expressing love. Take your partner out on a date or spend a day with your kids.
- When you have a tragedy, recognize it as a time to grow in faith and strength.. William Bridges author of The Way of Transition wrote: “Change can happen at any time, but transition comes when one chapter of your life has ended and another is waiting behind the scenes to make its entrance.”
- Look at your past and write the first act in the script of your life.. You will see the cycles that you have already lived. There is no history without conflict, but you have survived! Now write the second act as you would like your life to be. This is called having a vision for the future.
I urge you to start writing the next part of you life. Write your story with passion! You are the star of your own show! And remember … Happiness is just a thought away! I urge you to live life with love. It is the only approach that will bring you peace and a life full of joy … happily ever after.