Happiness: A Choice?

Winston Churchill once said, "You create your own universe as you go along". Indeed. We create our own destiny. It's not about luck nor is about kismet. We choose our thoughts which creates our feelings, which in turn creates the world as we each know it to be; either a good place or a bad one. There is so much power in the thoughts that we dwell on. And we should never underestimate them. Negative thoughts leave us feeling depressed. Conversely, positive thought have us feeling happy. We can't feel crappy if we're thinking happy thoughts. It's just not possible. Don't believe me? Well, then give it a go.

I recently stumbled upon a book called The Secret which addresses this very issue - the laws of attraction. Positive or pleasant thoughts attracts favorable events and "healthier" people into our lives. One negative thoughts can - and will - throw us into a depression, or a state of anger, jealousy, helplessness etc...AND brings undesirable people into our lives

The good news is that we can control our minds. But we must be aware of what is going on in our psyche. We can always choose to cancel out our negative thoughts we have with positive ones. My mind has always had a tendency to travel to very dark places. Once I visit my dark side, I find I'm on a path that takes me in a downward spiral. That's human nature. In the last 10 years or so, I have had a history of depression. One can say that it is genetic but in my case, it has always been situational. In other words, there were clear events that lead to my depression. What I have come to realize is that I was the cause of my own misery because I would re-play in my head all of the crap that was wrong or unfair in my life. I allowed myself to be consumed by my negative thinking.

It's been said by many that our thoughts are the primary cause of everything. "What we think about is what we bring about". It's also about how we choose to experience our experiences. In psychology, they call it "framing". It's how we decide to "frame" an experience that largely creates the affect and emotions that we attach to an event. I am guilty of having "framed" my experiences as being completely negative when, in fact, there has always been the proverbial "silver lining", even in the worst of times. I just chose to ignore them.

The choice is always ours: we can either look at the bright side or fall into the miserable trap of the dark side of anything and everything. According to The Secret and the laws of attraction, what we think about is what we get. If we dwell on our fears and worries, it's highly likely that we will attract even more fear and worries. Focus on the good stuff, and get more of the same. Sounds simple because it is. We have to shift our thinking and choose happiness over unhappiness. I'd like to add that I know that depressing things happen to each and all of us at some point. We cannot and should not dismiss the negativity that comes our way. But we must make a conscious effort to move forward and away from it after acknowledging it. My heart goes out to those who feel depressed because I know all too well what life looks like when we are in the throes of depression. I'm talking about clinical depression, not just feeling "blue"(but the same rules apply here as well).

None of this was easy for me in the beginning, and I am not going to pretend that is. It's mindset. We all live inside of our own minds. And it takes time to make that shift. Waking up in the morning should not be a dreadful experience for anyone. It does not have to be.