Secrets to Choosing Happiness

Why is it so hard for us to be happy? We like to view happiness as the biggest smile on our faces, but true happiness is more like a calm grin. Just like the saying goes "there will always be something or someone better," the happiest people have found a way to be completely content and satisfied with their state of being. The secret is options.

Your state of being is determined by the way you present yourself with options. Do you choose to spend time with your family on the weekend, or do you choose to play with your friends? Would you like coffee, or a non-fat soy latte with extra foam? Despite how complex the world can be, the happiest people on earth have a tendency to present themselves with a dichotomy of choices: Happy or Sad, Black or White, Up or Down.

Confusion and discontent are born from two problems with options. First is the inability to see one's options. It's plain and simple...if you're stranded in the desert with no roads, you won't be happy. Even though roads aren't paved before you, know that walking in any direction will make you happier than sitting still. The second problem is being presented with too many options. We spend ridiculous amounts of time deciding which cereal to buy at the supermarket because we are flooded with a barrage of options. Despite there only being a handful of categories of cereal, the sheer volume of all the options we face at the moment instills overwhelming feelings of poor decision-making from the slightest dissatisfaction with our choice. We tend to have huge regrets with our decisions because the mass of alternative options makes us feel we could've chosen much better.

Happiness is a filter. The complexity of our world should not be a distraction, but a miracle to be awed by. Filter through your options and narrow your choices. Be grateful for all that you have. Be thankful for all that you get. When a successful person talks about how lucky they are, that person is expressing their overwhelming gratitude for all of their blessings. Ironically, it's that thankful attitude that made them successful also.