Choose to Be Happy
Well, if you’ve been paying attention, you probably guessed that it’s that time again. It’s been a few weeks since I shared THE FOURTH DECISION FOR SUCCESS from Andy Andrew’s book, “The Traveler’s Gift”. Have you been sticking with this little experiment? Still reading the decisions for success each day? It can be tough starting a new habit. Let me know what your journey around this has been like in the comments or email me directly if you’d prefer.
Now, it’s time to learn the FIFTH DECISION FOR SUCCESS.
THE FIFTH DECISION FOR SUCCESS
Today I will choose to be happy.
Beginning this very moment, I am a happy person, for I now truly understand the concept of happiness. Few others before me have been able to grasp the truth of the physical law that enables one to live happily every day. I know now that happiness is not an emotional phantom floating in and out of my life. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is the end result of certain thoughts and activities, which actually bring about a chemical reaction in my body. This reaction results in a euphoria that, while elusive to some, is totally under my control.
Today I will choose to be happy. I will greet each day with laughter.
Within moments of awakening, I will laugh for seven seconds. Even after such a small period of time, excitement has begun to flow through my bloodstream. I feel different. I am different! I am enthusiastic about the day. I am alert to its possibilities. I am happy!
Laughter is an outward expression of enthusiasm, and I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world. I laugh throughout the day. I laugh while I am alone, and I laugh in conversation with others. People are drawn to me because I have laughter in my heart. The world belongs to the enthusiastic, for people will follow them anywhere!
Today I will choose to be happy. I will smile at every person I meet. My smile has become my calling card. It is, after all, the most potent weapon I possess.
My smile has the strength to forge bonds, break ice, and calm storms. I will use my smile constantly. Because of my smile, the people with whom I come in contact on a daily basis will choose to further my causes and follow my leadership. I will always smile first. That particular display of a good attitude will tell others what I expect in return.
My smile is the key to my emotional makeup. A wise man once said, “I do not sing because I am happy; I am happy because I sing!” When I choose to smile, I become the master of my emotions. Discouragement, despair, frustration, and fear will always wither when confronted by my smile. The power of who I am is displayed when I smile.
Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
In the past, I have found discouragement in particular situations until I compared the condition of my life to others less fortunate. Just as a fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so a grateful spirit removes the cloud of despair. It is impossible for the seeds of depression to take root in a thankful heart.
My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. Too many times I have offered up the prayers of a beggar, always asking for more and forgetting to give thanks. I do not wish to be seen as a greedy child, unappreciative and disrespectful. I am grateful for sight and sound and breath. If ever in my life there is a pouring out of blessings beyond that, then I will be grateful for the miracle of abundance.
I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
Today I will choose to be happy.
Andrews, Andy. The Traveler's Gift
I wrote recently about how I bookend my days with morning and evening rituals. One of the mantras I do in the morning while practicing yoga starts my day with gratitude. I simply say, “Thank you”, and go on to say, “I am grateful for the ability to breathe in another glorious day, and to breathe out love and light into the world”. It is a simple way to get into a humble, joyful, and grateful mindset before jumping into the day. It reminds me that I am lucky to be alive and that I get to do whatever it is I’m doing that day. Whether that’s quality time with myself, and my loved ones, or serving others artfully in my business.
Do you have a way that you start the day that gets you into a similar mindset? What do you think about laughing “for seven seconds” each morning? Sounds kind of silly but fun, doesn’t it? Laughter is infectious and is free, just like hugs. And it can be shared virtually or in person. More on that in a bit.
Another aspect of this decision that came up for me along with gratitude, is humility. Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to all kinds of places around the world. Getting to visit places that some might say are “not as developed”, has been so eye-opening. Seeing what it’s like for people with less really sheds a light on how much we might have. The interesting thing is that I consistently see others with less and yet seem to have so much more where it really counts. I’ve seen children playing football (“soccer”) with a ball they’ve made out of something they’ve found or brought from home, but they are having the time of their lives, laughing and playing for hours until the sun sets and it’s time to go home for dinner. With the simplicity of purchasing things online, people are buying more and more things in the hopes that they will bring them happiness. I’ve seen people strive to retire early, become influencers, and make seven figures by the age of thirty. Only to still be unhappy, burnt out, and feeling less than others because they haven’t achieved the romanticized view of success they see others “achieving” in their feeds.
This leads me to the next thing that came up for me. Minimalism. Over the last four or five years, my wife and I have transitioned to a lifestyle of minimalism. As we planned and prepped for our trip around the world (knocked off course by a global pandemic), we went through a life-changing experience of clearing years of clutter and accumulation in our home. We used the KonMari Method created and popularized by Marie Kondo. After reading her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and later watching her show Tidying Up on Netflix, we decided to go through everything from clothes and books all the way to sentimental items in our house. We started by spending every weekend for a month going through all of our stuff, touching it, and deciding if it sparked joy. It seemed silly at first. Then it began to click. It made sense. It became easier and easier to decide what stayed, what would get sold, what would be donated, and what would go into storage while we traveled around the world. Finally, we got through it all. After four weeks of exhausting, sometimes tear-jerking work, we did it. Albeit much easier since we were doing it together, both with the buy-in to see it through and to support each other along the way. I’ll tell ya, once it was done and we finished selling and donating all the things and dropped off the rest at the storage unit, we felt light as feathers. It was magical! Letting go of possessions and choosing to invest in yourself, focusing on buying the things you need and truly spark joy, and devoting your time and energy to experiences with others, have really supported a path to happiness. Choosing to let go of the things that pretended to fill the void inside allowed for the space and permission for the things that really matter to show up. The clearing of clutter in the external world supports the clearing of clutter inside.
One thing I constantly thank my wife for is her appreciation for comedy and stand-up. She’s told me often that my silliness and humor help to bring that out in her and she keeps me in stitches (and from overthinking about my business) by inviting me to watch stand-up shows with our favorite and upcoming comedians. As we get older, we can oftentimes take ourselves so seriously. I can get in my head and overthink things sometimes, and humor is a wonderful reminder to not be so serious and to laugh at ourselves and our imperfections. With the current “hustle culture” and comparison issues due to social media and influencers, it can be so easy to get in our heads, take ourselves too seriously, and get to a place of stress and even overwhelm because of it. “Taking the piss”, as they say, or joking around is so therapeutic. No one said that we can't enjoy life while being serious about our dreams and goals. It seems like it’s about time we pulled back the throttle a bit and chilled out on how we walk through life. We are all where we are supposed to be on our journey. Nothing worth doing comes easily or cheaply. All worthwhile things will take time, effort, commitment, and hard work. That doesn’t mean it has to suck and we have to suffer the entire way. We can choose to laugh at ourselves. Laugh at the silliness of life and all of its quirks and enjoy the journey while embracing the detours.
Another thing that came up for me as I reflected on this decision was music and dance. Music saved my life, on more than one occasion. Dance has also been a part of my life since I was a wee lad. I've loved funk, r&b, and hip hop ever since I was young. Motown was big in my house. Michael Jackson’s Thriller was my first record. I wore that record out! I loved to dance, and through Michael Jackson, I started to investigate breakdancing and hip-hop culture. That lead me to the dance music culture, which was where I really felt a connection. It was a culture about peace, love, unity, and respect. It was about being yourself and expressing your individuality through music, dance, and style. I love the music. It helped me to focus when I’d had such trouble with that growing up. I loved to dance and connect with people in the scene and most of all, on the dance floor. As I got into deejaying, I realized that this was not a fad or trend, and was a movement that was not going away. Now, years later, we have seen the expansion of dance music and how it has infiltrated everything from pop, hip hop, alternative, and rock to country music, scores, and soundtracks.
My partner also shares a deep passion for music and dance. I remember when she first started to watch the show, Word of Dance, back in the day. In the evenings after dinner, she would turn it on and be yelling, crying, and jumping for joy when she’d see amazing routine after routine. I would be working and would walk by and dismiss it. Just thinking how great it was that she was into a show, but that I had to stay focused on my business. Every once in a while she’d stop me and invite me to watch a routine she thought I would love. At first, I resisted because I was so committed to my business and I would politely decline, forgetting how much I truly love dancing. She persisted. Finally, I started to pause and watch the routine. I’d get caught up in it and began to remember how much I loved the culture and that connection to others through music and dance, that ability to express freely and physically. I began to sit a little bit longer each time, until eventually I opted to watch the entire episode, joining in with my wife in the tears, gasps, and screams of excitement as we watched unbelievable moves and emotional routines. Sometimes, we’d get “goosies”, as J-Lo calls them. It was another reminder of the things in our lives that spark joy, that keep us connected, and fill our cups as we work toward our dreams and goals. Having reminders like these are important and are not to be missed. Sometimes we need a friend, peer, or loved one to remind us of those things and their importance.
I hope you gained some insights relative to the fifth decision for success through my own stories, and that this post finds you well as you spend time doing things that make you happy, my friend. You are worth it. You are enough. You deserve to be happy. Life is hard enough when dealing with the things we can’t control. My invitation to you is to choose your own happiness and practice it each and every day. Our happiness comes from within not from without. And remember that it is nice to share happy times with those you love whenever possible. ;)
p.s. If you’re a fan of dance music, I invite you to listen to a recent playlist I curated on Spotify, called Just Play. The mixtape is almost six hours of some of the biggest and best classic tracks from over the years. It’s a feel-good mix of tasty beats to tickle your eardrums and shake your tush. Great while you’re working, making dinner, or getting your weekend started. Enjoy!
