Being Happy is a Choice. This is How You Start Choosing It.

Happy people know what many have not yet realized — that happiness is in fact, a choice. Those among us who have learned this, make the conscious decision every day to be happy and not allow themselves to be held hostage by circumstances or surroundings.
Consistently happy people don’t seek their happiness through other people or possessions — they have stopped chasing the persistently changing definition of happiness, and have found that the key to true happiness has been within their grasp all along.
Although happiness is a choice, it’s an active, conscious choice that we need to make daily — rarely can we just make a one-time declaration of “I will be happy!” and have it be so. Being happy means always choosing to be so, and that is particularly important in our frenetic world.
Fortunately, fully experiencing that deep-seeded feeling of happiness is relatively easy — each day, upon waking, make the personal commitment to be happy, positive and energized. Determine that you will be happy and remind yourself of that commitment throughout your day.
“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
To help you find the splendor that surrounds us each day, try using these motivational mantras to put you in the right frame of mind each morning:
- Today, I choose peace, happiness and positivity.
- Today I choose love and compassion and I reject fear and anger.
- I take joy and strength into my life and I banish the sadness and stress out of my life.
- I am thankful for everything I have. I am fulfilled. I am fearless. I am happy.
- Today, I choose love. I will not let circumstances get me down. I will take love into my soul and I will radiate that boundless love to others.
- Today, I will smile and positively impact someone’s day. I will give to others what I would like given to me.
- On this and all days, I will breathe deeply and fully experience all of the joys that surround me.
- I will be grateful for this day and I will act and speak with kindness and generosity.
- I am the only me. I am unique. I count. I am worthy. And, I am here for a reason!
These motivational mantras are a great start, but you may find that you want to create your own, which is preferable, since they should come from within you.
Don’t postpone joy. Make the conscious decision to be focused, happy, grateful and generous. Each day, choose love and reject hatred, anger, envy and pride. And remember, everything you’ve been endlessly searching for, has been inside you all along.
These quotes will help you to actively choose happiness each and every day:
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Do not say, ‘It is morning,’ and dismiss it with a name of yesterday. See it for the first time as a newborn child that has no name.” — Rabindranath Tagore
“Someday is not a day of the week.” — Denise Brennan-Nelson
“Make each day your masterpiece.” — John Wooden
“It’s time to start living the life you’ve imagined.” — Henry James
“Do not let the shadows of your past darken the doorstep of your future. Forgive and forget.” — Rachael Bermingham
“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” — Buddha
“Some days you just have to create your own sunshine.” — Sam Sundquist
“How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” — Charlie Gilkey
“Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day” — Unknown
Wake up each morning and immediately focus on something positive. Enjoy the day, and every day, by making the decision to be a happy, thriving person!
Read more: 10 Things to Let Go of if You Want Lasting Happiness

