I'm Happy for You!!

My wife and I were having a discussion on happiness over breakfast this morning.  We generally have slightly different perspectives on things like this and happiness followed that pattern.  I don't know how much she believes it, but she often tells me that she wants other people to be happy.  Lots of peope, people like me, the kids, relatives and various friends.  She wants everyone to be happy, and if their not, then she wants to do something about it. 

This is where we disagree slightly.  I don't think you can make me happy nor do I believe I can make you happy.  Yeah, yeah, I know all the jokes about that statement and I don't mean make someone happy by giving them pleasure.  I mean I can't make someone happy with themselves, their life or their enjoyment of life.  I can't make them appreciate the beauty of nature, the fascination of other people, the joy of discovery, etc...

Happiness is a choice.  A choice we all make on whether we wish to be happy or sad or somewhere in between.  I bring this up because I am very happy.  Happy all of the time.  I enjoy my life, it has been great.  Sure, I've had some disappointments, some terrible things, some lost love ones, etc...  But I think most people have had some tough times in their life, times they had to work extra hard to hold it together and slog through a difficult situation.  I doubt that my life has been more difficult than others.

Not everyone has it so easy.  Some people grow up in very difficult conditions, starving, homeless, sick, etc...  Still, even in these conditions, many people decide they want to be happy, enjoy the life they are given, and do the best they can.  I was in Colorado a few months ago and the cab driver was from the Sudan.  His family had been driven from home and forced to flee.  They headed for Chad.  He and an uncle were sent to the U.S. and the rest are to follow when the means can be arranged.  He was describing some pretty bad times, but he also said he was happy to be here and looked forward to getting the rest of his family here soon.

The rest of us have a responsibility to help each other whenever we can.  There are plenty of conditions in the world that make it tough to enjoy life.  But happy people still choose to be happy and unhappy people still choose to be unhappy.  Money, status, fame, love......nothing can make you happy.  You have to decide and choose for yourself.  Life is a journey of unknown duration.  Enjoy it my friends.