If you want to be happy, be
leo tolstoy
I love the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 where we are told that there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. There is a time for everything! Life is full of adventures and emotions. Of course, most people just want to be happy. Umm, that’s okay. But I understand that you can’t be happy all of the time. Besides, it is the sad and mad times that make the happy times even sweeter. But I shall agree that we can all use more happy.
We’ve all heard the random fact that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile. (Although when I researched that random fact, there was quite a bit of debate over exactly how many muscles are used for each emotion.) But I think we can all agree that anger simply takes so much more energy. There are a few co-workers at my job that come into work in the morning simply gloomy. Their walk and their talk just ooze with slow sodden miserableness. And that’s before they even start working! How can they be wasting so much energy first thing in the morning?
I think that happiness is a choice and that too many people don’t choose it. If you simply spend more time counting your blessings and looking at the glass half full rather than half empty, then it is simple! It is actually childlike in how simple it is, case in point:
A few weeks back, my daughter shared a story about my almost 4 year old grandson, Henry. He has a loft bed and was angry when his little sister tried to climb up the ladder to the bed where Henry was playing. Henry tried to block his sister from coming up and got so angry about having to share his space and toys that he jumped off his bed and stomped into another room. After a few minutes where my daughter briefly validated his frustration of having an ever present little sister, Henry looks up and says cheerfully, “Alright, I’m going to go play with her now”.
Simple.
He could’ve stayed mad and milked it for a while but, it was a quick choice to go play with her instead. To continue to be angry would’ve taken too much energy. He could miss out on the fun. An adult might have held onto the anger. That’s called a grudge – and adults do that. And then adults miss out on the fun.
Remember the song, “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin? (I’ve included the music video below if you are looking for a smile today) Love the simple lyrics.
Here’s a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don’t worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don’t worry, be happy
If you continue through chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes, you will come to verse 12:
I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.
How’s that for basic instructions for life? God wants us to be happy and to do good. God also knows that it isn’t always that simple for there is a time to weep a time to mourn a time to search a time to love, etc. But if we live and love and try to do good and trust God with our lives, blessings will abound and we will be happy.
It’s a choice.
It’s simple.
If you want to be happy?
BE.
Justlaurel
DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY by Bobby McFerrin
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