I CHOOSE HAPPY!

Barbara Ward-Finneran

It amazes me how many people don't allow themselves to be happy.  Really happy.  Happy in that light-hearted, enthusiastic, positive, energetic kind of way.  Happiness is not a luxury.  It is a choice!  Not to choose it - seems to me, to be a very unfortunate form of self-denial or torture.

Being happy and positive fosters motivation, gives you and edge, makes you look and feel better.  So, why does it's importance get so overlooked?  Now, I know people, WANT to be HAPPY... but they seem to lack the concept that you have to CHOOSE to be HAPPY!  This choice has to be separated from your troubles and challenges - we all have those.  Many which you cannot completely or instantly control or change. 

If you love what you do, or where you are in life,  no doubt, it is much easier to be enthusiastic, positive and happy.  When you are not  - you have to push the mark and raise the bar.  Only YOU can do that for YOURSELF. Focus on what is good.  Embrace that glass half full approach.  Forcefully if necessary.  It may seem completely out of your comfort zone - but break out of that box.  Banish the negative thoughts from your head.  When you catch yourself thinking them - shake them off immediately - then, force in a happy or positive thought.  At first, if you aren't a natural optimistic, it's going to feel like work.  It is work.  Work that will be worth it!  You have to pay attention to your own thoughts and work to control, reprogram and choose them.  

It can be done!  Try it.  You can choose happy!  I CHOOSE HAPPY!  You'll feel more motivated, creative, inspired, driven, the list is endless.  You'll begin to see solutions and not just problems and have the tenacity to shake off discouragement quicker and reverberate resilience.  

Dare to be happy!  CHOOSE HAPPY! Go ahead, I double dare ya!