The Key to Happiness

Happiness is a decision.  Pain is inevitable but misery is optional.  We all will experience pain in our lives but misery is optional.  The apostle Paul said that we should count it all joy when we fall into various trials.  How in the world do we do that?  Well, joy is something that we have deep within us.  But happiness is a decision. We can be joyful even in hard times knowing that we will be learning something from this experience, growing from the pain, or even need to know a particular form of pain so that we can be a support for others later on.  We never know why we may be suffering, but misery is optional. 

Sometimes I think we leave the key to our happiness in someone else's pocket.  Our happiness is not dependent upon someone else.  If we love ourselves, we are joyful within and do not need an outside source to generate happiness.  We should never let anyone have enough control over our emotions, our feelings, our schedules, or our lives that they make us feel less than fabulous.  When we let someone else or something else have that much control over us, we have left the key to our happiness in someone else's pocket.  Other people or things should be an enhancement to our lives.  We should never hinge our decisions or opportunities upon other's opinions, what others will think, or what others are doing.

Take a job for example.  As valuable as I may be to my company, I would be replaced quickly if I left.  So take the vacation.  Use up the personal time off.  Don't be storing those off days up.  Use them.  If you turn down opportunities to take time off because of something going on at work, you have left the key to your happiness in your work desk.  Don't leave that key laying around because anyone or anything is willing to pick up that key to YOUR happiness and keep it.  Then what are you left with?  Anger, worn down feelings, exhaustion, unhappiness, aggravation, tempers, etc.

Take people's opinions for example.  Everyone has an opinion.  They are like noses, everyone has one.  If you let other people's opinions influence your decisions, then you have left the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket.  Take that key back.  Don't leave it laying around because there is always someone or something that is waiting in the wings to take that key from you. 

Put the key to happiness on the key ring of your heart and keep it there safely so that no one or nothing can take it away and put it in their pocket.  When you do this, you take back your control.  You feel in charge of your life again.  You feel empowered.  You feel joyful.  People and things in this life are enhancements.  They are not here to make you happy.  If they were, we would all be miserable all the time because people are human and we live in a fallen world.  And things, well, they are inanimate objects that were never intended to make people happy.  They are fleeting moments of fun, but not true happiness.  Take your key back.  Put it on the key ring of your heart and take your control back.

Thanks for reading my blog.  Please share it!
Jennifer