I don’t know what’s going on with the world today…

Five Quotes on Happiness That Will Make You Think Twice

Today I decided to share with you five quotes on happiness that will make you think twice. I don’t know what is going on with the world today, but I have seen some very unhappy posts. These posts surround my Facebook feed and other social media that I am a part of.

There are many terrible things that have happened in the world. However, we all need to start focusing on the positive parts of life. There are some amazing things you can discover when you stop focusing on negativity! I understand that life is hard. I have been there! If you want to know how crazy my life has been, check out a previous post and introduction: Sharing an Enthusiastic Hello and Thank You.

Life As We Know It

Life can kick you down and beat the H-E-double hockey sticks out of you if you let it. I was there so many times. At one point, I even considered ending my life. To me, my life was so crazy, so sad, and so full of trauma that I wondered why I was even alive. There were times I asked God why He let me live if all people wanted to do was beat me down and keep stomping on me.

My history is filled with trauma and anxiety. If anyone can understand how stressful and atrocious life can be, I am your woman! I was sexually abused before I even knew what sex was all about. I dealt with controlling parents. My step-dad verbally abused me on a daily basis. His favorite words to use were “fat” and “stupid”.

As An Adult

When I was old enough to move out of the house, it was no surprise that I picked and married a man who raped and physically and emotionally abused me on a daily basis. If it wasn’t one thing it was another or all on the same day.

I finally left him, but after that three different other people raped me. Two men took advantage of me when I was drinking. I tried to say no, but they thought it was a joke. A person I knew drugged me up by putting something in my drink and waited until I passed out. I woke up not knowing what had happened except I didn’t have any clothes on. A friend told me I hit the floor and he took me to the bedroom.

And this all happened before I was 19 years old!

I’m 35 years old now. There are so many horror stories I can share with you. However, the point of this horrendous story is not to get you to feel sorry for me. The point is that you…YES, YOU…right now can look at your life and choose to find the good in it. Believe me, once you do, things start getting better and falling into place.

I am not saying that my life is really easy. Life is DEFINITELY NOT easy for anyone! Life is challenging, strenuous, tough, troublesome, and problematic at times.

This leads me to the first quote I found on happiness…

“Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy. There’s going to be stress in life, but it’s your choice whether you let it affect you or not.” ~Valerie Bertinelli

This is pretty self-explanatory. You have the choice to be happy or not. You can’t choose your situation, you can’t control others around you, but you CAN find something to be thankful for and be happy about. Whether that’s just one thing or a handful of things, there are people in other countries going through so much worse than we are. I’m not saying that makes your situation and sorrows any less important. However, when you view things like that, it makes it easier to be happy and grateful for what you do have.

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~Buddha

You go, Buddha! This is true about candles and happiness. If you pass your happiness to others, what happens? Yes, it becomes a forest of lit candles (or other people gaining the drive to see the big picture and share it with others).

This is really what my whole intentions were when I started blogging. I wanted to make a difference somehow. I wanted to reach several people, and I was (and still am) happy doing this for others. What am I getting out of this? I’m not getting paid for this, but I’m getting the satisfaction of possibly helping someone who is in a situation that I have been in before or something similar to it. When you’re reaching for something…anything…you somehow are guided to a place where you can get help. If I decided not to share my words or my story, who knows… I really don’t, but I’m not taking the chance that someone might be needing my help and I’m not there for them someday.

“Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you’re doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.” ~Joel Osteen

Again, I CANNOT stress enough that you have that choice. No one controls your mind…not really. The only time that happens is when you let them. Your mind…your brain is yours. You can choose to be negative or positive, happy or sad, ultimately it’s your decision, so make it a good one!

“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” ~Thomas Jefferson

Friends, this is in the Declaration of Independence! Thomas Jefferson set out to create a happy world. I know that politics have skewed and altered how we view society. I know it seems as if there aren’t many choices we really have when it comes to government decisions and how other people are treated. However, remember always that this statement is true no matter where you go in the United States. Everybody has a RIGHT to be happy!

“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.” ~Martha Washington

Even Martha Washington knew that happiness is a state of mind. How you view the world has a huge impact on how your life occurs. I have seen some really optimistic people go through hell and back and do it with a smile. I have also seen people fed with a silver spoon as miserable as a person who had nothing.

 So there you have five very awesome, amazing points of view on happiness and life.

Additionally, there’s a heartwarming video that will be guaranteed to make you tear up. Remember, life is what you make it, so make it a good one! Have a wonderful day or night depending on where you are and don’t give up, happiness is just a thought away!

Carrie Pottberg–MoveOverOptimist @ allurasybilbrites