To Be or…

November 23, 2021

To be or… To be or not to be has been a question asked throughout the centuries. There is never one answer. Sometimes you are, and sometimes you are not. To be or not to be what? For our purposes here, I will say to be or not to be happy. It seems like the answer should always be a resounding yes. Yes! Yes! Yes! I want to be happy. Well, if you go by my theory, then happiness is a choice. Happiness should be a slam dunk. Unfortunately, life happens. Circumstances and humanity sometimes make it impossible to be happy. Don’t give up hope. Everything that is a bother, a problem or even a catastrophe is only a temporary interruption to your happiness. Happiness should never be the exception. It should be the rule. Happiness should dominate your life. Okay, I would guess I might be getting some resistance here. I don’t know what to tell you. Hear me now or believe me later. Happiness should dominate your life. Again, your choice. I am seventy-three years old. I have had a lifetime to see how things work. I love being happy. I love being old. I could just finish out my life here on earth being happy, but when I was 21 God said to me in a gigantic silent voice, “Be a teacher.” So, I became a teacher. I want to keep using my gift from God to help more people. I want to show people how to be happy, or how to find their happiness if they have lost it along the way. There are so many unhappy people. I believe many many people the world over have not figured out how to be happy. Okay. Here is a quick tutorial. Appreciation and gratitude will start you on your way. It is not an attitude change. It is a change of focus. It is a life altering change which enables you to see things differently. You can make ow moments into wow moments if you try. It might be tricky at first, but remember the only way to change your world is to change yourself. Don’t freak. it is not that hard. Don’t just be grateful, be amazed at being alive. Thank God for all the gifts you have been given. Start there. Life is a gift. This is not a theory, it is the truth. Life is a gift. Wow. The day after tomorrow is Thanksgiving. A lot of things might be going on for you and your family. There is stress. There is stress just fighting the traffic when you are going to the grocery store. Thanksgiving, Black Friday and the weekend before going back to work will hopefully be filled with happy moments, but undoubtedly there will be stress. During the preparation or celebration somebody might say something in a moment of frustration that has nothing to do with what is going on. I have found in my lifetime it is best not to respond to anger with more anger. Anger causes loose tongues. During the holiday weekend there may be many things happening in ways that you are not used to. Be careful. Hold your tongue. Don’t say something you will regret saying. You are with family or with friends. A compliment goes far when trying to keep the peace. Go with the flow. Remember there is enough stress. You do not have to add fuel to the fire. I find when I might want to say something that should not be said, I go into the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. I try to reconnect with who I am. Sometimes when I feel like lashing out or want to respond in an unfavorable way to something that has been said it is because I have forgotten who I am. By looking into a mirror, I can again look into my soul. I take a deep breath, and splash a bit of water on my face. I am not by nature an angry person. So why should I be acting like an angry person? I look into my eyes and reconnect. Then I go back into the room and reconnect with those I love. Give others room to let off steam, and also give yourself time to diffuse your own emotions in time of stress. Usually it is not something that is taking place now that causes the frustration or anger. Anger and frustration have a tendency to have built up like steam in the whistling kettle on the stove. Don’t react to what bothers you, until you know the cause for the blowup. Cool out. Find a mirror. Let this Thanksgiving be a happy occasion, not the beginning of World War Three. Be nice. For sure appreciate everything on the table and everyone sitting around the table with you. Aren’t you glad you have a family? Aren’t you glad you have friends? Smile. It is your choice to be or not to be happy. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Granny-o