The Practice of Choosing Happiness

Everyone wants to be happy. It’s something we all seem to be waiting for - the fairytale partner, the amazing job, that goal number on the scale, the day when every single minute works out as picture perfect as our imagination showed us it could be. But perhaps we got it all wrong. Circumstances aren’t the only ways to garner or guarantee happiness, happiness is something we can choose. We just have to practice, everyday.

Challenges will always arise. Things will not always be perfect but choosing happiness doesn’t mean pretending otherwise. It simply means making a decision to focus on the good even when things don’t seem good. It’s simply changing perspective: instead of seeing obstacles, choose to see opportunities. Instead of lack, focus on gratitude and when things are dark, find the light. Living in this mindset makes the smallest moments feel extraordinary.

Why Happiness Takes Practice

Essentially, choosing happiness has to become a habit. Like any habit, it requires consistency. Some days it will come naturally, other days might be a struggle and that’s when it has to be an intentional act. That’s why it’s called practice.

Here are a few ways you can strengthen that practice;

🌻Start the day in gratitude. Write down 3-5 things you’re grateful for every morning

🌻Notice the little things. Pay attention to the beauty all around us that we take for granted everyday - a beautiful butterfly, fluffy beautiful clouds, birds singing

🌻Reframe Challenges. Try to figure out what can be learned from the situation

🌻Surround yourself with positivity. Spend time with people that uplifts and encourages you. Listen to music, podcasts, or books that feels good in your soul.

Become a sunflower

Sunflowers naturally turns toward the sun. Choosing happiness is just that - finding the light and turning toward it even when shadows exist…especially when shadows exist. The goal isn’t to erase the hard parts of life - as much as we would like to, we just cannot - the goal is to help us grow stronger and more resilient.

Writing is a tool for happiness

Journaling is one of the most powerful and helpful ways to practice happiness. When you write down your gratitude, your lessons and your happy moments, you create a record of joy you can return to on difficult days.

Final thought

Remember, happiness isn’t about the perfect life, it’s about perspective. Every day we are given a choice….we can choose to lean into the good. While we can’t control everything that happens in life, we can control how we respond.

Today and everyday, say to yourself: happiness is a choice and today I choose happiness!