Is happiness a choice? Is it a mere decision we can make at any situation, every step along the road of life? Can we always say that the glass of water given us is half full instead of being half empty? Can it be made full by believing that it is full when it is really not?
What shall we say to the beggar who has not eaten in three full days?
What shall we say to orphaned children whose parents were devoured by a dreaded disease, children who now roam the streets naked and helpless and lost?
What shall we say to the unloved, to those who have nobody to show them the way of compassion, sympathy and friendship?
What shall we say to the imprisoned when no real sin accuses them of their supposed crime?
Is it easy to decide to be happy? Is it even possible to find peace when a hurricane hovers about you, ready to tear you apart?
I am not saying that it isn't possible
I am not saying that we cannot
Yet say not so easily that happiness is a choice
and that at any point in time, we can choose to be happy
Say instead that we can choose to approach God Most High
and that we can enter His sanctuary
Say that we can surrender there
and let go of our tears
Say that we can ask for Grace, for Strength, and for Healing
For this we have a choice
and with this we can have Hope
Finally my friend, we can hold on to that Hope
and believe that we can find
what it is we're looking for.
This article was written by Jocelyn Soriano at www.itakeoffthemask.com
You may republish or e-mail this article as long as the original author above is cited and a link back to the website www.itakeoffthemask.com is provided. If you wish to receive free stuff and unlimited blog ideas on self improvement and spirituality such as this one, visit www.itakeoffthemask.com
itakeoffthemask.com is not your usual personal development website that tells you what you already know, but an online life coaching site that unmasks what you're really going through and offers real empathy and empowering resources for your comfort and healing. You can check those who have been comforted and inspired by reading their testimonials
Hurt? Brokenhearted? Burdened?FREE 7-Day E-mail Course:
Click Here!
You need not be alone.
"The world breaks everyone and afterwards many are strong at the broken places." - ERNEST HEMINGWAY
Posts Related to Is Happiness a Choice?
Do we need other people’s prayers?
Have you ever wondered why we pray for other people? If God is good, why couldn't He just give us our desires? And why do ...
Do you know the sacred?
You have read the holy books and deciphered them one by one; you were taught by the masters and have been initiated into the ...
Harnessing Great Power
Strive not to possess more power, strive instead to know your purposes and for what use that power is for. And after pondering on these ...
On the Nature of Love
Love is the Father Love is the Son Love is that which the Father and the Son express and manifest, that which encompasses both, that ...
When people hurt you, does it mean they don’t love you?
When people hurt you, does it mean they don't love you? Does it mean they don't really care at all? Take heart and wallow not ...
I am now in a year long relationship and life has been treating me well. It is not a perfect relationship, we do have our shares of ups and downs but we come out of each as a better individual and we grow and learn together through those past mistakes. I just... } – 
3 Responses to “Is Happiness a Choice?”
I believe circumstances dictate our emotions and our emotions drive our happiness. Pretending to be happy after a tragedy is only pretending. Choosing to be happy during a tragedy makes about as much sense as choosing to not feel pain after you have burned yourself, or that hunger is a choice when you have nothing to eat. Happiness is not always a choice.
The greatest success stories show people who have chosen to rise out of their crappy situations.
I agree that we cannot be happy all the time but we can decide to be happy.. to find a way to rise out of the misery we are in. Happiness is a choice, albeit not an easy one. Healing is, as you said, also a choice. Healing could just be a step towards happiness.
Much of everything is a choice.
1 I worked for used to tell me hey kid u have no shoes but look next to u they have no feet!