Can you choose to be happy?
Under what circumstances do you choose happiness?
I want to share with you what I heard on an interview I was watching recently. So, a superstar was asked how he strikes a work life balance? How he managed to keep calm and yet managed to keep himself mentally and physically so fit?
And he gave the simplest answer; he said I choose happiness every single day. And every day each one of us gets that chance to choose happiness. For example, say you have had a long day at work. You are really tired and all you want to do is get back home and relax with a hot cup of chai. Maybe you have to get dinner organised for your family, or maybe look into the schedules of your kids or maybe you need to prepare for a very important meeting. Or maybe it may just be that we want to catch up with your friends for a drink or dinner.
Now you get into your vehicle ready to drive home and you are stuck in traffic and there so nothing you can do about it. What is your first reaction? You know you were looking forward to the evening and now it’s looks like a plan that was never meant to be ruined by traffic. You can either feel miserable, get irritated and crib and complain or you can sit back and accept the situation.
Truth is we have no control over the external situation. Now you can either sit back and listen to your favourite song, maybe catch up with a friend that you have been meaning to call, or you can just sit back, take a few deep breaths and somehow it makes you feel calmer. You relax. And there you have made your choice!! Just like that. A choice to be happy. You chose a happier solution.
A few years back I was on a holiday in the beautiful state of Himachal Pradesh. I stayed at this beautiful resort which had a view is the mountains, the amenities, the staff; all made this a place which felt like heaven. Now there I met this wonderful couple. Everyday at the breakfast table I saw this couple. Happy to be in each other’s company, taking their time to enjoy breakfast, enjoy the view and each other. If I met them in the market, I saw them holding hands, laughing, shopping and just very caught up in each other.
One day at tea time I saw them sitting there and I decided to go upto them and get to know them. Their positivity was that infectious. I introduced myself to them and we started talking about the place, about each other. I asked them what they did to still remain so in love with each other, so happy together. They smiled at each other and then at me and said we choose to keep each other happy every single day.
We consciously make it a point to make the other person a priority. They had chosen to be happy. You know the truth is the happier you are the happier you will make the people around you. Focus on yourself, strengthen your closest relationships, focus on taking care of yourself, genuinely choose to be happy with what you have, where you are and most importantly with who you are because unless you are happy with yourself you can never really truly be happy.
Let me end this with a beautiful quote.
Happiness cannot be travelled to, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.
