Pro-Choice

The measure of a person is how they deal with the bad things that happen in their lives.  Do they choose to believe that they are the only person who copes with bad things, or do they recognize it as part of life and get on with the business of living.  While it is a horrible cliche, we only have one chance at this thing life.  Yeah, just one shot at it all.  Don't waste it on being unhappy.

Happiness, as defined by me, is not that super excited feeling that passes through our lives periodically.  But, rather a state of contentment with the overall drudgery of our daily lives.  Bad things happen to all of us, and it belittles the bad things that have happened to me to assume that your bad stuff is worse than mine.  Really, at the end of the day, we all have problems and issues.  Everyone has had to deal with traumas.  Who amongst us hasn't shaken their fist at fate and said "why me?"  But you see, it isn't personal it just is, and until we realize this, we give a whole lot of power to circumstance.

In life we get to choose how we react to things.  Choice comes with responsibility.  When we choose to do something and we don't like the outcome, we have to own that choice.  We are ultimately responsible for our situation.  We choose to be were we are, based on how we react to the circumstances of our life.  We get to decide how much power to give circumstance.  Because remember, circumstance is just that, circumstance, it isn't personal.  Where you are, how you feel, what you think, those are things in your control.  So, at the end of the day, when we take stock of our lives, we have to look at the choices we made, did we choose to be happy or sad?  What did we choose for today, for yesterday?  What will we decide for tomorrow?  It can be a bitter pill to swallow when we realize that we have chosen to be unhappy.  I think of all the years I wasted worrying about totally worthless things.  I used to be really unhappy.  I used to cry myself to sleep on a pretty regular basis.  I was not in control of my choices.  I am sure that in 10 years, I will be better able to make better choices, but for now, I try and do the best I can.

When I reach the end of my life and I am asked, Did you have joy in your life?  Did you bring joy to others lives?  I want to be able to answer yes, without hesitation.  So, while I am not perfect, I hope that today, I make better choices and am just a little bit happier than I was yesterday.  I hope that you choose to be just a little bit happier today than you were yesterday.