Once upon a time ... Second of Three Happiness Articles

... in a land not so far away, there lived a group of people: old, young, tall, short, black, white, men, women, happy, sad.

They could not change the fact that they were old or young, tall or short, black or white; or men or women.

What they could change was whether they were happy or sad.

The happy people did not want to be sad, but the sad people did want to be happy.

The sad people couldn't understand why they were sad, so they decided to ask the happy people why they were happy.

This is what they found out ...

Happiness is not about what you have or want to have, nor is it a destination that you can point out on a map. It is not about what money can buy.

Happiness will never be about your job, hairstyle, clothes, restaurants, marital status or if you have blue eyes instead of brown. No. Happiness is not about any of these things.

Happiness is about choice. The choice to be reactive or proactive, mean or kind, angry or calm, hating or loving.

The sad people said they understood about making choices, but still could not figure out how to be happy. What if you do want to be happy but continue to be sad: How can you make the sadness go away?

The happy people tried, once again, to help the sad people become happy. They shared some loving pieces of advice:

1. Smile. Smile a lot. Share your smile. Smile at strangers. The sunniness of your smile reaches out to others but also makes your insides feel good, too.
2. Keep busy. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop" accurately describes what happens when you allow yourself to think too much about nothing.
3. Hang out with like-minded people. You cannot expect to be happy if you hang around negative Neds and Noras.
4. Appreciate. If you're not happy with what you have, you can't expect to be happy with more.
5. Live in the present. Too much time dwelling on the past or being anxious about the future robs you of the joys of Now.
6. Think happy thoughts. Not sure of what to think about? Go through each letter of the alphabet and find select words that are positive, joyful and serene. Examples: able, abundance, angel, etc.
7. Commune with God. However you name the spirit or energy that lifts you, commune with it. It will never let you down.

... Once upon a time, not that long ago, happiness became a way of life; and on the hilltops and in the valleys, throughout the forests and the plains, there lived a group of people who at times became thoughtful as they tried to remember what it meant to be sad. Happily, the memory had faded.

May your blessings be many and may you happily share them with others.