What does it mean to be happy?

If you sat down, right now, and compiled a list of things that makes you happy—what would that list look like? What would make the cut? I can imagine that most people would put down something like “family”, “friends”, “chipotle” (Ok, maybe that’s just me) or things like that. Each item written, would most likely have critical value to your everyday life. Things that you could not be without. (Or maybe even things that couldn’t be without you.)

To a child, happiness could mean playing on the playground or scribbling on furniture. To a parent it could mean just doing nothing at the end of the day with their spouse. See where we are going with this? Happiness can look like many things, and it can look like nothing.

So now what if I asked you, after you had finished, to write a similar list but this time writing what makes you unhappy? I know for me that list may be a tad bit longer. But why? As we go about our days we find plenty of things to be upset about. Not only that, but sometimes it even seems like there is WAY more things that can bring us down, than there are things to encourage us. 

But is that really how it is? What if happiness came from within, a natural desire to be happy in spite what was going on around you. Seeing the good, seeing the bad, and choosing happiness. It sounds easier than it is sometimes, but I can tell you this after you’ve chosen it once—it begins to choose you. And that is a beautiful thing.

Challenge yourself to pick happiness over all the troubles of your day, week, or even life and see what a difference it can make.

God Bless,
Gabriel Gibilisco,

@IAMGABRIELJAMES

@THEWRITERSBLOGG