How To Find The Art Of Happiness

I took my wife to the Doctor’s today and I had the occasion to witness something wonderful. I had to make an appointment with the same Doctor and so I spoke to the receptionist. I had to give her my date of birth and she commented that I was just a baby, or something to that nature. Anyway, she looked to be somewhere around my age and, by her comment, I assume she was older than my sixty years. The thing I noticed was her attitude. She was upbeat, smiling, joking, and talking about things that most older people do not talk about. A person’s positive mental attitude makes a difference.

Why do I say that? Because I was so taken by her that I started noticing other people around the same age. Most of them had a sour expression on their face and looked much older. I saw her walk and she had a slight limp, but it didn’t seem to slow her down. Others I watched had various difficulties, but the all looked to be in much more misery than she did.

What’s this got to do with me?

Well, I’ll ask you what your demeanor is like. Are you happy and upbeat, like this receptionist or are you grumpy and sour like so many others I saw? How do you feel; physically and mentally? Do other people like to be around you? Do you like to be around other people?

You have the choice to be happy or not. The decision to put a smile on your face and make the most of the day is yours. No one else can tell you how to feel. If you are happy and upbeat, it will be hard for others to bring you down, although it can happen after some time. If you are down, it will take someone else quite a while to bring you back up.

How do I change my mood? There’s nothing to be happy about!

I have no doubt that things can be bad for you. The questions is, what good is it doing you to be down. I don’t care if you are dying of some incurable disease, being depressed and down or worse yet, angry, is not doing you any good at all! Some studies actually show that it is doing you harm!

I can’t tell you how to change your mood other than to just decide to not be down, but to be happy. I have battled a negative grumpy demeanor my whole life so I know it is not easy. I also know that it is as easy as making the decision and putting a smile on your face, even if it is forced at first.

Yeah, but how do I really do this?

There is a great book out called How We Choose to Be Happy: The 9 Choices of Extremely Happy People–Their Secrets, Their Stories
It is about studies done on “happy” people and what makes them that way. The book says that they found a strong relationship to happiness and health, happiness a wealth, happiness and success. I suppose that you can do this on your own, but this book seems to be a good one to reference! If you really want to become like the receptionist I met, like the people in How We Choose to Be Happy: The 9 Choices of Extremely Happy People–Their Secrets, Their Stories, then this is the book for you. It is am easy read and you will find yourself wanting to be like some of the people it describes!

P.S. Here’s another one! How to Be Happy, Dammit: A Cynic’s Guide to Spiritual Happiness. I’ve not read it, but I like the title!