Embracing Happiness

FOR SOME, happiness seems elusive—something always just around the corner or over the next hill, to be found only when everything is finally perfect. And yet for others—even those whose circumstances may be less than ideal—happiness seems to come naturally, with little apparent effort.

But effort is usually involved when it comes to choices that matter. It’s been said that “most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”1

Happiness is a choice—not because we can choose every circumstance or every feeling, but because we can choose where we place our attention, what we cultivate, and what we embrace. Embracing happiness means we elect to focus on the good while properly assessing and addressing the imperfect. It does not mean ignoring reality or putting off necessary, albeit unpleasant, tasks. Happiness can be found in those moments too.

Sunshine is often associated with happiness. But endless sunshine would bring nothing but desert. If it were always sunny and never rained, plants and grasses couldn’t grow. Likewise, happiness can be found in both the sun and the rain, in blue skies and even dark clouds. Much depends on the eye—and the heart—of the beholder.

One young mother determined that she would never allow herself to become offended. As a result, the actions of others could not easily disrupt her happiness. Decades later, she remains genuinely happy.

A wife determined to softly sing hymns when tension arose in the home. She chose happiness, embracing it even in difficult moments.

A man, troubled by the decisions of another, posted a scripture on his desk to remind himself of the importance of his own choices, even in challenging circumstances. Each day he repeated the scripture, “A bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water.”2 He repented of the bitterness and chose instead to focus on the good. In time, happiness returned.

Happiness can be found all around us, but we must choose to see it and then embrace it. As we make that conscious effort, we discover the happiness that was always there and can be enjoyed both in times of sunshine and in seasons of rain.