Is Happiness Really a Choice?

“Happiness is a choice.”

Many years ago, that was the quote I had as part of my email signature. I was not the first person to say it, certainly, nor would I be the last.

I do believe happiness IS a choice. But I’m not talking about the Hallmark or new-age bypassing version of happiness. I know a lot of times we confuse happiness with pleasure. We focus on the externals in our life, such as “When I finish this project, then I will be happy. When I get my next promotion, then – I will be happy. When I finally get that (fill-in-the-blank), THEN I will be happy.”

I know, I’ve said them all.

Deep down, we know, these are the musings of the personality and ego. The problem is there is always something more to want, when the reality crashes down on you that what you thought was going to make you happy, only made you happy for a short amount of time.

So… what I’m really talking about is PRESENCE. Presence is an energy that comes from you and connects you to the world around you, the outside world. It is your personal intimacy with each moment, situation and person.

Presence induces hope, dare I say JOY. I think joy is similar to happiness but is a deeper and broader experience. Happiness feels a bit “me, me, me” – which is just fine, but keep in mind that “me, me, me” doesn’t take you through the tough times. And you can be sure there are always going to be tough times in life. Happiness is emotional and fleeting, PRESENCE is an attitude about, and engagement with life, your life, and can remain even when happiness seems elusive.

Presence brings us out of Self and into other, and a sense of something “greater” than ourselves, God/Goddess/Source/Awareness, whatever you wish to call it.

We know full well that chaos and spirit crushing events happen in life… and it is our internal reaction to these things that dictate our mental and emotional health.

Presence ushers in the deep abiding serenity and poise we experience when we are grounded in our willingness to know the good that we have and that we are, to know the Universes’ power for good, while simultaneously being real about chaos and challenge.

It is our power to choose how we feel. It is our choice to profoundly know that our Life is in complete support of us. It is our choice to become open-hearted to all that Life offers.

So, yes, the choice is yours.

Learn more about Presence in my Impactful Communication + Presence Training

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For questions or to schedule a complimentary discussion on how you can leverage being happier, to maximize potential and transform to lead a more balanced, fulfilled and significant life, email coach@maximizeu.life

Live, Work & Lead with greater Freedom, Power & Peace of Mind.

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