Happiness & Sadness

Happiness and Sadness are both so temporary. One never lasts long before the other creeps up and takes over. This isn’t necessarily good or bad, just a normal part of life I guess. It’s not good because happiness can’t possibly last forever and at some point it’s going to fade into some type of sadness. But it’s also not bad because then sadness can’t last forever either. The cyclical process can be really tiring sometimes.

Although, I’ve decided that at any given moment you are choosing your to be however sad or however happy. No matter what the circumstance, you are consciously choosing. In theory, no one ever really has to be sad because there are always things/reasons to be happy about. The reasons are different for everyone, but I swear they are always there. 

For me personally, reasons why I should never actually feel sad/depressed/like my life is terrible/whatever/ are: I have food, shelter, and clean water which are things that actually should not be taken for granted because a lot of the world is not as blessed with these, I have a family that loves me and provides everything I need, I have the best friend anyone could ask for and a few other good friends I can also count on, I potentially am going to be in a relationship soon with the only guy I’ve ever really liked, I’m Christian and I trust that God will protect me and keep me going in the right direction in my life, I have the privilege of being in college and living on campus, I’m completely healthy with no serious illnesses, I’m decently attractive and in shape and manage to have self-confidence a good amount of the time, and I’m naturally a pretty smart, understanding, and compassionate person.

There you go. So whenever I’m sad I know that it is something I’m consciously choosing and I really don’t need to be, and that it’s temporary and will soon pass.

I suggest that other people make their own list and really think about trying to see the good in things and “look on the bright side” as cheesy at that may sound. There’s a lot to be grateful for and excited about if you let yourself recognize it, so stop dwelling on the negative and try to live appreciatively!

“People are only as happy as they make up their minds to be.” - Abraham Lincoln