I was a fairly sour kid in high school. My mother often told me to ‘happy up.’ Sour as I was, though, I did not think it was that easy. It wasn’t until I had the freedom college life gave me that I found out she was right (smart woman, my mother). My discovery that I could in fact become happy just by trying was followed closely by the corollary that being happy is a, well, happier existence than any other, so I decided to be happy most of the time. That strategy has worked well so far.
True, sometimes it is good to stretch and express the full range of emotions, from time to time I watch sad movies for that very reason, but that still serves primarily to contrast and refresh the general happiness that pervades my life. That the happiness is voluntary is of no import, because I am happy. I do not spend time or energy debating whether or not I am deluding myself.
The best part about being happy is that with happy as a baseline, high points, when things happen that would make me happy, are truly divine. I am able to truly and fully appreciate an excellent bit of comedy, a quiet conversation with a friend, the emotional contact of a shared moment.
Current Mood:The Euphoric Afterglow of Giddiness