It should be no secret that happiness are a sheer choice. The reason that so few people know this is because so few families teach this at the dinner table and in the car. If you understand that happiness is a choice, you must teach everyone around you actively and often. Even at work and among peers, encourage and counsel everyone with the undeniable truth of life that happiness is a choice. If you don’t teach an idea to others, then you will forget it yourself.
Uncontrolled anger is easy to recognize in children, while adults mask their emotions by “acting mature”, but the untame emotions remain the same. For the child, hold him and let him cry on your shoulder; after a few minutes, poke his cheek and provoke a smile. Help him see that happiness is still a choice. For the adults around you, even yourself, find whatever way this truth applies to the situation. Proactively seek out opportunities to inject the small, subtle presupposition that happiness is a choice. Do it everywhere you can.
This does not mean silencing people with “negative energy”. Happiness being a choice means being happy when other people are not. “Getting rid of the negative people” may be necessary for family and organizations. But, in brief times like staff meetings and dinner out, the ability to choose happiness means overcoming negativity with your own joy. If you can’t, then you are the one who needs to learn.
One example was Brad Pitt’s character in “Fury” when he wouldn’t let his fellow soldiers ruin his dinner. People who reject the truth that happiness is a choice label it “propaganda”. Whether they doubt the choice or they try to be happy by “negating all the negative people”, such people did not grow up knowing about the choice. At one time, they wanted to be happy too, but it’s not easy. When we try and fail, we want to give up.
Happiness must be contagious. Once you stop sharing your happiness with others, you’ll stop being happy. There are plenty of sad people who need cheering up. But, happy people can become happier still. Choose happiness by spreading it everywhere.