You may have heard that happiness is a choice. But when you're feeling down, it doesn't seem as though deciding in that moment to be happy will make any difference.
That's because happiness takes work. Like most dispositions, it requires us to devote time and energy to demonstrating it every day before it becomes default.
Great joy—the kind detached from the mundane goings-on of the world—is one of the benefits of having a relationship with Jesus. But there are certain things that we must accept and work out for it to become a reality in our lives.
Here are five things that we can all do to embrace this wonderful emotion on a daily basis.
Hate won't bring you happiness; find it in your heart to forgive
Holding grudges makes no one happy. Despite how we can sometimes think that getting our own back or giving someone a taste of their own medicine will make us feel better, it won't. Well, not for long anyway. And if we fail to exact the revenge we so badly think we need to, then we'll be forever preventing ourselves from experiencing happiness.
We can all opt to teach people a lesson in a different way by forgiving them and helping them realise why that is our ultimate response to their hurtful behaviour. Not only will doing so facilitate our own happiness, it can also encourage theirs.
Accept that forgiveness is yours for the taking
The feelings that follow wrongdoing can be unbearable and a real barrier to our happiness. But thankfully, God forgives. When we're racked with guilt, it's impossible to feel joy. When we find it hard to remember what God's grace means for us when we sin, these Bible verses can help. But if it's something that we battle with regularly, we'll need to more comprehensively remind ourselves of His character and His mercy by studying His Word, seeking counsel from other Christians and praying.
Build and maintain meaningful relationships
Our relationship with God should be the most significant one in our lives, and one that we give our all to improving and exploring. But it's not the only one that matters. God wants us to connect with each other, and love and support one another. It's vital that we develop meaningful relationships with people around us. We don't need to have lots of friends to be happy, but the ones who we can trust and learn from will help us find lasting joy.
Look after your mind, body and soul
For happiness to become a reality, we need to nurture it in all aspects of our lives. Exercise and healthy eating are both scientifically proven to have an uplifting effect on our wellbeing. As we take steps towards developing a happy outlook, it's important that we take care of our external and internal health. Giving our whole self to God is the start to safeguarding our mind, body and soul. But we still need to act to ensure that we live this out constantly.
Don't sweat the small stuff but learn to love the little things
American author and motivational speaker Leo Buscaglia's famous quote: "Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy" is extremely accurate. It echoes Luke 12:25-26: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"
We shouldn't allow worrying over things which are in God's hands to prevent us from pursuing happiness. Simply worrying won't make us feel any better and it won't have any positive impact on our concerns either. Furthermore, focusing on the little things that go wrong often blindsights us from seeing the little things that go right every day. Small pleasures, whether they come in the form of 20 minutes of gardening, our favourite sweet treat on a Friday afternoon, or the reward of doing something unexpected for someone we love, all help fuel our happy.
