Happiness is...

What is happiness?

Happiness is a state of mind that often eludes me, but I know is constantly there for whenever I'm ready to allow it in.  It's a choice that I make at the start of each and every day.  I can be happy, or I can be sad.  It seems so simple, yet unbelievably complex.  There are so many variables involved, but still so many constants.  These variables come in the form of completely random every day life occurences.  The constants in the form of the things that I love enough to allow into my life on a daily basis. 

What makes me happy?

I've found myself asking this question a lot lately, and there are plenty of answers.  Sometimes all it takes is a simple reminder just to let me know that these things are still in my life no matter how badly things seem to be going.  Just for the sake of remembering these things, I'm going to compile a list off the top of my head...

Family
Friends
Faith
Music
Analytical Thinking
Existentialism
Chance
Children
Sleeping
Driving
Living in the Present
Forgetting about the past
Charity
Helping Others
Deep Conversation
Opportunity
Ambition
Penguins
Dogs
Concerts
Text Messages
Facebook
Reading
Writing
Humor
Sports
Food
Making others smile and laugh
(Many more, but I'll stop here to save time)


Now, just for the sake of doing so, I'll make a list of all of the things that keep me from this happiness...

Depression
Anxiety
Laziness
Apathy
Fear
Regret
Time
Money
Bills
Failed Relationships



If I could choose 5 or 10 things that are currently controlling my life, most of them would come from my bottom list at the moment.  The more and more I think about this, the more I realize that this is a lifestyle that I am choosing to live.  I have complete control over the situation, yet I choose to focus on the negative things in my life when I have so many positive things to look at.  I haven't always been this way.  I used to see the good in every situation.  I used to point out the positive qualities in every person while so much of society was focused on the negative. 

Here is my challenge to myself...Take time out of each day to focus on the things around me that make me happy.  Life seems so complex, but when it's broken down into smaller pieces, it becomes so simple.  Make a choice each and every day to live a happy life.  Forget about the people that don't want me in their lives for whatever reason, and instead focus on the ones who go out of their way to keep me a part of theirs.  Stop dwelling on the past and live in the present.  My future can be as good, or bad as I want it to be.  It all depends on my everyday choices. 

This is not the way I planned for this blog to go, but it's helped me to gain some perspective and think about where my focus needs to be shifted. 

Thank you for reading, now I hope you can do everything in your power to challenge yourself to the same thing every day, and help others work towards finding their happiness when given the opportunity. 

It was a rough day, so I felt the need to write something that may be self motivational.  Sorry if you got nothing out of it :)