Happy Thoughts

       The way I see it, we're all soul-searching. No matter who we are or where we live, at the most basic level, what we are all truly seeking is to be happy. And it is my humble opinion that this quest is not as complicated or challenging as we often make it out to be. 
       Abraham Lincoln is attributed with the wise words, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." The concentration camp survivor and author of "Man's Search for Meaning", Victor Frankl said, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." And in the classic children's novel "Pollyanna" by Eleanor H.Porter, the reverend Ford is inspired by these words, "When you look for the bad, expecting it, you will get it. When you know you will find the good - you will get that."
       I'm not saying there's no such thing as a bad day. I've had my share of them. I have gone through prolonged times in my life where I felt overwhelmed with negativity, alone, afraid, and downright depressed. I won't claim these feelings are merely figments of the imagination or something that can be easily ignored. Evil exists. Injustice is commonplace. Hatred runs rampant and fear looms before us in a constant barrage of cold, hard facts. "Welcome to the real world." they say, though never in a very welcoming way. It's these hard "truths" that weaken our optimism, strip us of our child-like faith and rob us of hope for the future. They are the reason we hesitate before choosing to do something drastically good -- like compliment a stranger on their smile, or bear children when you're still in school, still renting, still scared. And it's these harsh realities that stunt our growth, making us settle for mediocrity when in actuality, there is so much more being offered to us. 
       I am currently enrolled in a Health class. Recently we studied a bit about mental health, focusing mainly on depressive disorders. The doctor that teaches my class was very wise in establishing a routine before and after the lecture to allow students to share any "Happy Thoughts" they had. She explained at the beginning of the semester that she believed in the assertion by Peter Pan, that happy thoughts will indeed make us fly. Simply reading the material about depression was enough to darken one's mood and outlook for the rest of the day - or week! She wanted us to use the power of happy thoughts to keep those depressive thoughts at bay. 
       I know to many others, my optimism and faith may appear foolish and naive. I know that overcoming doubts, anxiety and fear is not always as easy as taking a hot shower and indulging in a big bowl of ice cream. And I'm not a fan of masking symptoms. When I'm sick, I want something to heal me, not just provide a momentary lull in the discomfort. I want something real and lasting. 
       I'd like to suggest that the needed remedy is much simpler than we might think. But whether or not it is effective is up to us.
       Looking back on the more troubling times in my life, I can see that most often my sense of hopelessness was aggravated by a refusal to accept the small and simple pleasures that presented themselves in my life. I felt that by denying those happy things, I was being more realistic; that I shouldn't feel happy as long as the bad things still existed. I don't believe that to be true anymore. I believe that one's choice to be happy is a sign of strength and wisdom, not childishness or naivety. By choosing to be happy, I am not living in a bubble. I am not living in ignorant bliss. Rather, I'm creating a better world. I'm carving out a place for hope to germinate and spread. I'm making change and healing possible.
       Here are some things I've noticed lately that, when viewed through the eyes of faith, hold more significance for me. These things have the power to make me happy - if that's what I choose.

Exploring, hand in hand.

The triumphant struggle.

Freshly baked banana bread.

A discovery made walking back to my car after class one evening.

On the way to my Health class, I spotted this student sitting in the hallway. 
His shirt made me laugh so hard, I asked him if he'd mind me taking a picture.

My son shared a heart-shaped Nerds candy with me.

       Look around your own life. The things that bring you joy may look very different from mine. But you'll start to recognize them more and more as you express gratitude for them, acknowledging them as the miracles they really are.


      My proposal is simply this: Every day you are presented with a myriad of choices. There is plenty of truly depressing, fear-inducing, faith-destroying stuff out there - that's a fact. But there's also a lot of good, energizing, faith-promoting stuff. You decide what you want to focus on. You decide which reality you prefer. You decide what kind of world you want to live in.