How to be Happy

Of course, you can argue that money can offer us a certain standard of living and a form of security in today’s world, where ‘Money makes the world go round.’ You can afford to drive a BMW, stay in a three-storey bungalow, eat the finest food and drink the finest wine. Also, rich people can be happy people too. I do not disagree on this point. After all, all these luxuries should be enough to make a man feel happy in the short run. However, money is after all, an external object that we can lose or earn overnight, and letting our happiness hinge on something that does not last is unwise. Happiness derived from these worldly pleasures tends to be short-lived.

What about the relationships with people? They can bring so much joy in our lives, a joy not measurable by money. They are always there to share your happiness or be there for you when you need help. At the end of the day, when you look back in your life, they are the ones that bring a smile to your face and warm you heart. They are your pillar of hope and support. Yes, there are times when you fight with each other, ignore each other, but by the next day, you will most probably have forgotten all the grudges and unhappy moments. Yes, love can bring you happiness. But is that really it? What about those who don’t come from complete families or what if these closed ones leave you (touch wood)? Will they be unhappy forever?

Saying this, I believe you can guess that I’ll construct millions more arguments to dispute why things that people perceive to bring them happiness, such as health, religion, success, sex, world peace etc., are not what I believe brings happiness to people. I’ll bet your next question would be: ‘What exactly brings happiness? What is the formula to happiness? Are you trying to say nobody can ever achieve happiness or is happiness a fleeting part in our lives and we only get to be happy at some point of our lives and we’re destined to remain unhappy for the rest of our lives?’

So what is the ingredient to happiness? I like to think that it is not something that can bring happiness to our lives, but us that can bring happiness into our lives. I believe that happiness is a decision. I believe that if you choose to be happy, you will be, regardless of your job, your relationships or how your life is now. I believe that everyone has the key to their own happiness, and it is up to them whether they want to open the door to happiness. There is no general formula to happiness like math, but everyone can choose to get happiness not by having the things that you believe will make you happy, but by wanting to be happy and choosing to be happy. This is perhaps why you can see people with illnesses and having the most unfortunate events happening to them, and yet they seem to be the happiest people you have ever seen in your lives.

How can we just choose to be happy? It’s not like there’s some button we can press and voila, happiness comes to us naturally. Making the choice to be happy is the first step; taking action to reinforce this belief would then result in true happiness. This might sound complicated and confusing, but it seriously is not. Taking small actions like counting your blessings and choosing to view life optimistically are things that you can do to reinforce the belief that you are happy. After that, happiness will gradually come to you, because you want it to come to you. Subconsciously your mind would seek happiness in your lives. So what are you waiting for? Make the choice to be happy now! Your happiness lies in your hands, capture it today! Remember, it is often the small decisions that make a BIG difference in your lives. Start by choosing to be happy today!