CHOOSE To Be Happy!

"Four Ways to Make Sure Your New Year Is, Indeed, Happy!"

As we now head into the last few days of 2009, I want to put out some thoughts for you to consider as we approach another new year.

We often hear - and/or say - the phrase, "Happy New Year!" around this time of year and yet, so many people are unhappy year after year. Why? Is there anything that can change that mindset? I believe there is!

First of all, get out a piece of paper and write this down as a heading: "What would make me happy!" Now, just brainstorm and list anything that you can think of that you feel would bring happiness to YOUR life. Just go with it. Go on...do it. I'll still be here when you get done.

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Still waiting - go ahead, get finished THEN read on!

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Done? Now, look over that list and put a mark of some sort (check mark, circle, star, etc.) by all of those things that are "externals" - things, people, places, "stuff", etc.

Are you surprised at all how many of these items on your list are external items?

You see, too many times we expect other PEOPLE or THINGS to make us happy and, this will prove to be true again and again - we WILL be disappointed with those expectations. Sometimes it takes longer than others but, it WILL happen - we WILL be disappointed!

Yes, I understand that people can bring happiness into your life. We just spent a wonderful Christmas holiday with my wife's parents as well as her brother and his family and all of my kids and their wives - it was WONDERFUL and this brought happiness into my life!

But, you know what? I CHOSE to be happy! I could have griped about having to drive to my in-laws on Christmas day. I could have let the fact that we had to take a detour that put us an hour behind time ruin the day. I could have griped that it was crowded and noisy. And on and on and on it could go. See what I mean? I COULD have - but I chose NOT to! Instead, I CHOSE to be happy!

I have spent a little time down in Mexico - about 8 hours into the country away from the border and the real "American influence". The family that my son stayed with for about a month had a home that consisted of a kitchen and two bedrooms. Yes, they were blessed in that they had a few appliances in their kitchen but still it was not what we would consider "suitable" in our lives. They shared a court yard with about 4 or 5 other families which all shared one bathroom. The hot water heater for the bathroom was a black barrel which sat on top of the building so that the sun could heat up the water in the barrel.

And yet, these were some of the most contented and happiest people that I have ever met! Why? They CHOSE to be happy! For one, they didn't have all the distractions of the American idea of what happiness was (drive this kind of car, wear this kind of cologne, own this certain size house, wear this certain brand of clothing, etc.) although it was starting to creep in.

So, here's the thing, friend - you have a CHOICE to make! As we get ready to head into the new year I want to challenge you to CHOOSE to be happy REGARDLESS! That's right - REGARDLESS!

Be determined to find good - to be happy - in any situation...REGARDLESS!

This thought just came to me - the original version of the movie "Pollyanna" which was actually released on January 1, 1960 and starred Haley Mills as Pollyanna. I remember one scene where a group of the cooks, maids and Polly sat around and griped about the church service that they had just sat through. Each one of them had something negative to say about the service and about how much they hated it! Polly had a game that she liked to play called "The Happy Game"and one of the people sitting in the group said to her something along the lines of, "Well Miss Polly - let's see you use your 'Happy Game' on THIS one!' " Polly paused and thought for a moment and then said, "Well, we can all be happy that we don't have to go back until next week!"

I love that! Don't you?

And we can do the same each and every day of our lives by REFUSING to go with the negative and CHOOSING to go with the positive and, thus, CHOOSING to be happy!

Tomorrow: Point 2 of "Four Ways to Make Sure Your New Year Is, Indeed, Happy!"

Until then....

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike