On Being Happy
March 15, 2004
Being happy is a choice. I choose to be happy. To be truly happy, you must do these things:
You must innately love yourself and accept all your shortcomings. If you hate your weaknesses, you will not be happy. Instead, embrace and improve or improvise.
You must be able to be happy with everything that your are, no matter how much you think they are weaknesses. You must be happy with nothing before you can be happy when you possess something.
You must be happy being single and alone before you can derive happiness from others, no matter how much you love them. Happiness is found in oneself, not another.
You must find happiness from what’s inside you… be it your soul, your heart, your spirit, your guts and blood, before you can find happiness from external sources. Materials bring happiness only when there’s nothing inside you to give you happiness. Do not equate this to a poor person rationalizing his poorness. You must be happy with what you have instead of being sad about what you don’t have, when compared to others.
You must be happy in the long term and accept short term losses and sorrow. Sadness is a normal part of life but I choose happiness whenever I can.
You must find happiness in small things as well as big things. The first breath of morning mountain air is just as satisfying as reaching the peak of the mountain.
You must love being happy and strive to bring yourself more through self improvement and mental and spiritual development. Don’t become a stagnant person.
