I Choose Happiness

I laid back as the massage had come to an end. Looking at the ceiling, in a moment of contemplation, suddenly all of my thoughts from the week came flooding back into my head. Every worry, every moment of sadness, every ounce of incomplete joy was swirling around. I quickly sat up, and for some reason I told myself no! No, you must choose happiness. You must fill your life with ordinary gratitude. So ordinary that it becomes a habit. 

When you fill your day with gratitude instead of a schedule of sadness and regrets, soon your world takes on a whole new perspective. 

We are living in a home I never knew I needed. The months leading up to our move were some of the saddest of our lives. We were thrust into a very unenviable position, something I was not prepared to navigate. At one point we feared we would be left with nowhere to go. In a purchase agreement that went bottom up, we lost $23,000 and every sense of security and comfort we ever had. Oh, we prayed, we prayed endlessly, and still the answer was not clear. Then we found it! The perfect home for us, and we had 2 weeks to move out of a home we had lived in for 13 plus years. Saying goodbye to the memories we had created there hollowed out our hearts. But Faith pushed us forward with the belief that God had much different plans for us. Ultimately with the help of family and friends we were planted in an amazing home. More beautiful than I could have imagined. 

And so, each day, I chose gratitude. When I walk down the stairs each morning I say, "Thank you God for all you have given me, my home, my family and my friends". Every night when I fall into bed, I close my eyes and thank him again, how fortunate I am to be safe and secure. Periodically through the day I stop to express thanks for the beauty of the flowers, the smell of lilacs and lavender, the breeze that freshens the air, and the moon that guides the night. There are bits of gratitude to capture every day, and your Father created them just for you. 

Once you begin to do this, joy will replace your disappointment. Happiness will fill your bowl of regrets. And your life will be filled with peace. Gratitude will become as much a part of you as each breath you take, or step that guides you on your journey. 

I choose happiness, and always will....