I found my way back to the treadmill.  I *think* I missed it.  From the obvious benefits of better health and losing weight, the treadmill has almost become a new friend for me.  It’s such a great way to get lost in my thoughts and to think very clearly (okay, more clearly) about my life, my career, and what I want to be when I grow up.  I mean, seriously…does anyone really know?  As I run, I keep thinking about people who seem to be happy, people who are always complaining about something, people that appear to be doing exactly what they want to be doing and those well, that aren’t.

I recently wrote a post about things that make me happy.  (http://ow.ly/3IMi5).  I keep coming back to the thought of happiness because I’ve been told that “it’s easy to be happy when you don’t really deal with anything.”

Interesting.  Thanks for that.

Wait.  Do I live in a perpetual state of denial? .

I don’t think so.

What good does it do to let something or someone affect your state of happiness when there isn’t really anything that you can do about it?  There are things in the news every day that make me sad.  There are things that have happened in my life that will stay with me forever.  I’ve lost friends to car accidents, I’ve watched our close friends bury their child, I’ve grown apart from a friend I never thought I would.  I can remember experiencing sadness that at times I didn’t think would ever end.  But, as time went on and the pain slowly (s-l-o-w-l-y) eased day by day, I was able to to start seeing things and feeling things and doing things that made me feel better.  And, while those moments will be with me forever, they won’t stop me from being a happy person.

What do you think?  Can a person choose to be happy?

No matter how crazy work gets.

No matter how crazy family can be and will continue to be.

No matter how bad the news gets.

No matter how bad the stress of being a full time working mom gets.

No matter the amount of personal stress I put on myself to be a better blogger or Tweeter.

No matter what.

I know that this choice is easier for some than others.  I think people only have enough room for a limited number of emotions.  It’s like an upside down triangle with the emotion you’re feeling the most on top (the biggest space) and as you move your way down there is less and less space for other feelings.  Make sense?  The space will move and shift depending on the day, or the week or even the year.  But, it’s up to us, to YOU, to choose where we’re going to fit happiness in.  It won’t always be on the top, but, please don’t let it always be at the bottom either.

What are you going to choose today?