#WCW = We CAN Wednesday: Choose Happiness
/Life can be ridiculously stressful sometimes. The pressures and responsibilities of careers, finances, family, and on, and on can test the limits of faith and endurance in many people. Some respond to stress by lashing out and inflicting the pain they feel onto those who are closest to them. Others have pent up negative thoughts and emotions to the point that they experience emotional distress, physical pain, and even illness. Negativity can ruin our experience here on Earth and become a self-imposed prison that blocks us from embracing our journey.
In my own life at one point I felt that I was at an impasse... live in joy, or simply exist feeling defeated. I needed to make the choice to live my best life. What was I waiting for?
God gave us the power of free will. He has set guidelines for us (the Bible) to be able to lead a life that is fruitful, but only if we choose to follow that path. The longer we procrastinate or drag our feet without making positive changes to our circumstances, the longer we subject ourselves to frustration, unhappiness, and lack. Happiness is a choice. We have to make the conscious decision that we will be happy in the Lord and be thankful for what He has blessed us with.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us REJOICE and be GLAD in it.”
Make the choice to be happy. I know it's easier said and done, but when I look back on all of the moments that I've wasted in anger, bitterness, jealousy and frustration, I regret not having a different demeanor in those situations. If my mindset was of joy and peace - the memories would be much more comforting, and the outcomes would have been a lot different. Acting out in anger and negativity has ruined many lives, families, and communities. Let's stop the cycle right now by making the choice to be positive. We've wasted too much time.
Think about all of the situations in your life where you had the choice to be positive rather than negative, happy instead of bitter. Don't you wish you chose happiness? As long as you have breath, you can choose to be happy. It's a process, but why not start today?