Consider this list...do you ever find yourself thinking in these terms?
I can either be positive, or I can be authentic
I should decide whether I want a life that’s interesting, or a life that’s happy
I can have a few close friends or lots of superficial friends
I can choose a job I enjoy, or I can make good money
I have to decide to marry this person now, or accept the fact that I’ll never have a family
I must worry about the happiness of other people, or about my own happiness
I can have a life full of fun, passion, and adventure, and I can have security
I should decide whether I want a life that’s interesting, or a life that’s happy
I can have a few close friends or lots of superficial friends
I can choose a job I enjoy, or I can make good money
I have to decide to marry this person now, or accept the fact that I’ll never have a family
I must worry about the happiness of other people, or about my own happiness
I can have a life full of fun, passion, and adventure, and I can have security
Maybe these are your only two choices -- but maybe not.
I often struggle with the first one; I try to find ways to be authentically enthusiastic, and sincerely positive. Usually it's not as hard as I expect.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.” Happiness is a goal and a by-product.
-Gretchen Rubin-Happiness Project
