Choosing Happiness

This statement is so profound. I've thought on it many times and contemplated the depth of it.

The door, to me, means my life. Everything in it. My family, friends, my mind, my thoughts, my body, my  intentions.. the door is everything.

We are bombarded with negativity like we are civilians in a war torn country. It can come from all sides, unexpectedly and violently. It can come softly with just a whisper. Sometimes, it is an underlying and invisible entity that we are unaware of. Like cancer, it can eat away at us from the inside out without even knowing it's happening. Getting stuck in rut of negativity happens easily. You are going through life and before you know it you realize you are bogged down and your wheels are stuck.

If we are lucky, there are still those around us that will lend a hand. And that helps, temporarily. It is a band-aid for a deep gash. The only true way to sew up the gash or get your wheels back on solid ground is to change your thinking. It is a cycle of self perpetuated abuse that only you can stop.

"My life is hard." Everyone's life is hard. It's called life. It is inherently hard. It's like working out, the more you face the pain..the more you grow and become strong. Life is not about being easy, it's about weathering the hard stuff and building a better you!

"No matter what I do, I can't seem to be happy." Happiness is a state of mind, not a state of doing. It comes from within. You want your life to be filled with happiness? You must first find out how to be happy in a very deep way. Plant a seed of intention and foster it within yourself. If you find that negativity from outside sources is causing your beautiful flower of happiness to wither, then block out that negativity and shine your internal light on it. It HAS to come from within, not without.

"I am always broke." To me, this is one of the smallest reasons to allow yourself to feel negatively. I have been poor enough that I've had to ask for food. I've had enough money that I've been comfortable. Either way, I never gave it the power to take away my internal sense of happiness. I've seen rich people who are unhappy in life and poverty stricken people who light up with a joy that is contagious. Money is a thing..and things are not internal. They can only create a false sense of happiness.

"Everyone seems to hurt me." Life is a tide that ebbs and flows. People will come into your life and people will go out of your life. We are all part of one big ocean. It is a fact that there will be times in your life that a person will let you down, not live up to your expectations, or walk away. This is why it is so important to always hold on to our sense of self..and foster it. You can choose to rant and rave about the people you interact with, or you can see them as a gift for a time, until that time comes to an end. Just realize, that when the end comes, you are left with yourself. This is why it is important to know how to be happy inside. The rest is a bonus.

"I'm always sick or in pain." Apart from the fact that sometimes we are faced with illness or injury outside our realm of control, negative thinking can perpetuate illness and pain. Our bodies respond to it in a very real way and it will become problematic. Only you can fix that. You do have the power to heal pain and illness caused by negativity, all by yourself! That is amazing power!

As a whole, we've become OK with complaining. We accept it as part of life. I challenge you to become aware of your own state of negativity. Find the positive..focus on it. Rid your life of things and people that only contribute to negative space you are existing in. Make it a positive space..only leave room for more positive to come into it.

We are human. We are not perfect beings. This is life's work, but your life will be richer because of it.