The greatest truth about being happy is that happiness is a choice and a decision. It’s just a thought away! Every day you wake up and make the decision of how you want to feel.

Ask yourself, “Do I want to be happy today?” Isn’t that the choice most of us would do want? And yet we often go in the other direction.

maybe life has been hard You may feel you have reasons to live in unhappiness (loss of a loved one, a job, a home…), but the greatest purpose in life is to live a life of service and joy and you cannot live any of both. those without making the decision to be happy.

My life was challenged when I experienced “the worst that could happen”. Tragically I lost my 16 year old son to meningitis. At the time, I thought the grievance was my life sentence, my burden to bear. I thought I would never experience joy again. How could I? My son died!

In fact, it was a journey to find the rungs through grief recovery. It’s a long road, but I discovered that each step was simply a decision. I would wake up feeling the shroud of sadness and then I would see my youngest son happily playing with action figures, or my five-year-old daughter with a crown, playing fairy princess in her tutu and I would think: I can’t be sad when I see that! That is denying the other gifts that God has given me! I’d force the smile, and then I’d really start to feel that.

I decided then, I am the creator of my feelings and the joy of my life.. I began to write down these moments and the ease with which I could transform my sadness into joy. It was just a thought away! And so… I decided to write my own future. I would write in my journal, describing what happiness would be like in my future life.

Often it was simple things, like seeing my garden bloom in the spring or a trip to the beach with the kids. Every day, I would try to gently push myself away from the suffocating cloud of pain and discover a rainbow of joy. Sometimes I found joy in my own tears of sadness, because it was an expression of the depth of love I had for my son. I began to feel excited by the vitality of reclaiming my joy.

Learn to love your life! It is your decision, and your heart. So why not start writing the script for your future today? Don’t ignore the past! Hard times are your badge of honor and what you have learned from them is the platform for your future.

9 story points to write the script of your own life:

1. Do something you love and it will never feel like work.. If you can’t work your dream job right now, pursue your interests within your job and that can get you on the path to your dream career.
2. Keep your driving young at heart! Never use age as an excuse. Louise Hay started her business at age 60 when she sold her self-published book, You Can Heal Her Life, out of the trunk of her car. At 86, she heads the Hay House publishing empire. She sets her goals now and begins to renegotiate a life she loves.
3. You will never run out of money because you will never run out of ideas. A wise friend told me this. Your ability to think and create ideas are the tools that God gave you to be resilient. Use your talents and skills to break new ground.
4. “If someone says no, just say NEXT!” -Jack Canfield, author Chicken Soup for the Soul. The entertainment business is a constant rejection with widespread success. Don’t stop pursuing what you love. If you give up too soon, you may have been standing at the door of the person who was about to say “Yes!”
5. Take steps to eliminate worry from your life and let passion fill it. That is resilience. I remember seeing the actor, Will Smith, being interviewed by Oprah, and she asked if it felt good to be rich. She said that he still falls asleep worrying about money. That is the pattern he learned in life. Will Smith! Yew Hey worries, then “worry” is really the enemy of our spirit. “Worry” is just fear at war with your faith.
6. Consider additional streams of income. Look at their talents like cooking, tutoring, or selling products or services for a mattress. Ask a friend what they think your talents are. It may surprise you! Even if it’s just paying your utilities or helping replenish your savings…it’s worth it.
7. Life is about expressing love.. Never let career or money problems ruin an evening with your significant other, ruin a day with your child, or interrupt your sleep at night. When you feel those worries taking hold, exchange them by expressing love. Take your partner on a date or spend a day with your children.
8. When you have a tragedy, recognize it as a time to grow in faith and strength.. William Bridges, author of The Way of Transition, wrote: “Change can happen at any time, but transition comes when one chapter of your life has ended and another is waiting in the wings to make its entrance.”
9. Look at your past and write the first act in your life script.. You will see the cycles that you have already lived. There is no story without conflict, but you have survived! Now write the second act as you would like your life to be. That’s called having a vision for your future.

I urge you to start writing the next part of his life. Write your story with passion! You are the star of your own show! And remember… Happiness is just a thought away! I urge you to live life with love. It is the only approach that will bring you peace and a life full of joy…happily ever after.