If you see me out and about I guarantee you will see a smile on my face. If not, then I must be concentrating on something. Wait a moment and the smile will appear, along with the spring in my step.
In this world full of tense, stressed out, unhappy people somehow it just doesn’t seem real to people that I can be genuinely happy most of the time. My husband gets people asking him all the time if I am really this happy. His response, “Yep!”
Why not be happy? I LOVE what I do. Just yesterday I was part of a recording project where I recorded not only a CD, but footage for a major TV station. While the day was intense (imagine trying not to make any musical mistakes for about 9 hours!) it was amazing! I was doing what I love – playing violin. As a bonus, I was surrounded by other fabulous musicians who made me laugh and smile throughout the day. When I came home I was exhausted, but really happy. Here is a picture of all of us musicians in action. : )
I’m also happy because I really, really, really love being a parent! I enjoy the day to day responsibilities that come with being a mom because I love being there for my kids. I love watching my kids figure something out for the first time or hearing them laugh. Are there times it is too much? Not really. I set pretty strong boundaries and expectations for my kids and then balance that with giving them freedom within those boundaries. What happens is that I have very happy kids who also have high expectations for themselves and know that they have the freedom to explore and be creative. This balance makes parenting really easy.
I super love my husband. Sure he leaves dirty socks at the end of the bed, but that isn’t why I love him. I love him because he is thoughtful and kind, he makes me laugh (as you can tell from the picture to the left), he’s really smart, he is adventurous, he is one stellar dad to his boys, he is calm and he can go with the flow yet is he a detailed, get things done person. We are a good balance. Since I cannot stand details and am a big picture person, he gets the details for me.
We see the strengths in each other and respect each other for who we are. We choose to see the strengths and understand that each of us has an area that could be strengthened. That is exactly why we are together. To be a team. We love being together. So it doesn’t matter that he leaves his dirty socks at the end of the bed or I forget my dirty dishes right next to where I was reading a book. That is not why we got married. We didn’t get married to get mad at the little insignificant things. We got married because we love each other for who we are and how great we feel when we are around each other.
What I am getting at with all of this is that happiness is a choice. It is a lens in which to see the world. I could choose to get mad at the little things in life and the big – or I could choose to see all the good in this life.
I always find it interesting when people find it annoying that I am happy and that I choose to see the brighter side. These are the same people that complain to me that their life isn’t going right or they are super overwhelmed… Well….
See things don’t always “go well” in my life either. I have things that are sad, maddening, etc. You can read about something that made my cry for weeks here. But I chose to not be drawn into that. I chose to see it as an opportunity to grow in gratefulness. This choice ultimately created more happiness. Believe it or not, when I am mad, I see it as an opportunity to realize that something is out of balance. If something is out of balance, then I simply re-balance it. It is not always an easy thing to do, but being happy is worth it!
There are a gazillion things going right everyday! Think about your life. Even on the days that everything feels like it is going wrong, there are still 1,000’s of things going right. Your heart is beating, you are breathing, your blood is pumping, your stomach is digesting. You have people in your life that love you. Think that doesn’t matter? Ask anyone who has cancer and they will tell you that all that matters in life is relationships (friends and family) and health.
The reason why I LOVE health coaching is that my “job” is to help people see all of the things that are going right in their lives. I don’t do rocket science to get people well, I just help them see that they are already a whole, incredible person and that they can create more health and happiness by making little changes.
So I wish to leave you with a gift today. A Guide to An Abundant Life.
Wishing you happiness today and beyond… : )
Summer Joy
P.S. Making happiness a choice does not mean you stay in a situation that is dangerous or bad for your health either mentally or physically. Sometimes choosing happiness means you have to choose a new path…
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