Choose to be Happy.

Merry Christmas friends!

A few days ago I penned a piece about “coping” being another word for “not giving up” where I touched on what 2020 was for me. So this Christmas I want to talk to you about happiness.

Happiness is what makes life worth living. Typically we pursue that which makes us happy and in turn the attainment of that thing makes us happy. Conversely when we fail in that pursuit or life doesn’t meet our expectations we then feel unhappy.

Ie. the pre-condition to happiness is the attainment of that which makes us happy.

But sometimes life doesn’t work out the way we want it to- take this Christmas for example, it’s not exactly the one we all had in mind this time last year now is it? I’m fortunate enough to live with my partner in our lovely home but many are not so lucky. Even so I still miss my family dearly, especially my father who I now haven’t seen in a year.

In the worst of this year I realised that happiness is a choice, not an automatic response. That happiness comes from within. I can choose to be happy. The choice to be happy is a decision that each of us make every single day without even realising it.

Today, I choose to be happy.

Yesterday I chose to be happy and tomorrow I will choose to be happy as well.

It’s a choice that I make at the beginning of every single day. Even when the clouds are covering the sky at night and we’re left surrounded by the dark- just because we can’t see the stars behind the clouds doesn’t mean that the stars aren’t there. We remember what they looked like the night before!

In the same way, whenever I find clouds blocking the stars out of my night sky, I know that beyond the clouds the billions of stars are still there. Eventually the clouds will move on and the stars will return to my night sky once more. There’s a comfort I’ve found in knowing that there is actually a wider context to our world than simply what we can see directly in front of us. Something beyond the veil.

The metaphor is apt, the story of Christmas of course involves the star in the night sky followed by the three wise men to Bethlehem. Essays could be written about the meaning of this metaphor alone- but since ancient times humanity has looked up to the stars in the night sky to try and rationalise our existence in this world.

So taking that into the modern day, I’m practicing divorcing my happiness¹ from the circumstances of life around me. I have decided to be happy- because whatever it is that troubles me there are two things that run true:

1. It too, shall pass.
2. Being upset about it will not make it pass any faster, it will only make it more unpleasant along the way.

It’s not about being heartless or unfeeling, it’s about taking control of our wellbeing back from the things outside us.

So join me this Christmas in choosing to be happy, put some Christmas tunes on, have a glass of wine_² and just do it! The stars are there, whether we can see them right now or not!

***
Thanks so much for reading, keep an eye out for my next post in the New Year about a new daily habit I’ll be trying for a year- one you can try too! It’ll be out on New Year’s Day! If you’ve enjoyed this article please don’t forget to hit that “like” button down below and follow my blog to get my latest content delivered straight to you as soon as it’s out!

On other socials? Check me out on Instagram where I’m most active for day to day cheer!

Stay safe and well out there folks and all the best!
-Mike.

1. Obviously we aren’t Vulcans from Star Trek (unfeeling). What I’m saying is that in general life’s too short to live miserably!
2. Or some other drink for those of us who choose not to drink alcohol!