Don’t worry, be happy?

Is it really that easy? Don’t worry. Be happy. It sounds easy. A Harris poll published in 2013 says otherwise. It found only 33% of Americans say they are very happy. If this was our batting average, we could probably at least make the playoffs. Considering that only a third of the people we come across on a given day regard themselves as happy though is a bit eye opening and puts us in the loser’s bracket.

Do you know people like this? People whose smile never reaches their eyes. People who answer your inquiries about how they are doing with an obligatory “fine.” Are you this person? You hate your job, your pants are too tight, you cringe at the touch of your partner, and your kid’s voices send you into a fit of rage resembling Hurricane Katrina… I was her. I know this person well.

I am one of the lucky ones though. I was shaken awake by my mediocrity… well mostly by a big fat divorce. There are many humbling moments that come along with the admission of what feels like an epic fail in life. After you start to resurface from the muck, your world shifts, your viewpoint transforms.

The way you pivot out of a life altering moment is a choice. You can make a choice to focus on the bullshit and let it handcuff you. You can criticize people around you to make yourself feel significant. You can manipulate situations so you feel powerful. You can squash the joy out of your life until you despise it so much that you don’t even recognize it as yours.

Or… OR… You can choose a path of positivity and light. You can greet people with a smile and a compliment. You can think of what you can give instead of what you can take. You can love yourself enough to keep your eyes focused out the windshield instead of in the rearview mirror.

So, if happiness is a choice why do so many choose misery? Personally, I think it goes back to middle school. Peer pressure. Being happy isn’t the cool thing to do. Now, overstressed/ overworked/overtired… THAT’S where it’s at. How often do we hear people boast about how busy and exhausted they are? We wear the bags under our eyes as a badge of honor. We announce how little sleep we can function on as coffee and energy drinks flow through our veins just to maintain a semblance of alertness. Isn’t adulthood everything you dreamed it would be?

The ironic thing is, we are all driven to achieve as if happiness is waiting at the end of the success rainbow, when in fact the opposite is true. Choosing happiness in our day to day lives is what creates the rainbow. Success, achievement, prosperity… these are byproducts of positivity and pleasure. Did you know that happiness makes you smarter? Think about that, happiness makes our brains more efficient, more creative, more open to ideas. It also attracts other happy people… just as misery loves company, cheer breeds more joy. Jim Rohn, esteemed entrepreneur and motivational speaker, has said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.” If that is the case, and I believe it is, let your happiness attract more happiness which will attract more success.

A couple of years ago, I started instituting a daily habit that I have passed along to my direct sales team as well as my kiddos. I call it the “three good things.” Each night I reflect on my day and think of three good things that happened over the course of the day. My kids love this routine and love to hear about the positive parts of my day as well. Some nights my daughter will say to me, “it was a bad day at school mom, it’s hard to think of three things.” What an awesome moment to teach choosing happiness and gratitude and end both of our days with positivity.

Don’t worry, be happy is a possibility if you choose it. Trust me, I’ve done it. I’ve kicked out the negative influence and shitty attitude and chosen perspective. Do something for yourself today and take twelve minutes and watch this Ted Talk that will make you laugh, reflect, and contemplate the happy…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLJsdqxnZb0