I’ve been writing a daily blurb on my facebook page with the above title. It’s just a little activity that helps me choose to be happy, to focus on the happy things in my life.

But today, I’m having a problem with that!

The word ‘opt’ means it’s an option, it’s something we can choose for or against. I don’t know about you, but some days things just don’t go well and, well, darn it, I just want to be mad! I don’t want to choose to focus on happy things in my life.

The downside to this is that it will ruin my day and that’s the choice right there! Do I want to salvage the day and choose happy? Or do I want to indulge in the self-destructiveness of giving in to my anger, frustration or whatever?? And, in truth, sometimes, don’t we just want to stay mad?? As if somehow, the person or situation that’s causing the ‘mad’ will pay for making us feel this way. Most times if it’s a person that’s the cause, they don’t even know they’ve done anything!

Saying that out loud reveals it for the silliness it is!

Choosing to stay in the negative emotion and stewing in it doesn’t just affect our mood, it has a negative effect on us physically and it affects how we treat others around us sometimes damaging those relationships that are most precious.

Choosing to focus on the happy things that are in our lives, and there are lots of them if we look, it changes our lives for the good. Our blood pressure goes down, our brains release those happy endorphins, relationships don’t suffer and we just feel good.

I read a quote a while back that helped me, ‘Each day I must consciously choose to let go of that which I cannot control’ (Anon).

Some days I have to repeat that till the angst goes away!

It’s not easy to choose, but there is always a choice and it’s ours to make.

So, this is me, a Girl on a Journey making choices every day! I hope we all choose to make more happy choices than not 🙂