6. Only you are responsible for your own happiness.

If asked today to rate my level of happiness on a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably rate it a 9. This does not indicate that I am unhappy, it just leaves a little negotiation room for some wonderful experience to elevate it to a 10. There is always the remote chance for a lotto win. What number would you chose to rate your level of happiness? 

I would confess that my life has been quite a happy journey. Many of my saddest or unhappiest moments were related to school performance. If I didn’t get a high mark on a test or had trouble with a problem, I could be unhappy. As I matured, I learned not to sweat the small things that had made me sad as a child. I just accepted that little disappointments in life are natural and soon forgotten. 

My adult happiness was centred on good friends and family, and often exploring the road less travelled. I enjoyed the camaraderie and friendships that I encountered in my 34 years as an educator. I always claimed that I never complained about going to work (school). I loved my interactions among the staff and with the students.

For those who consider themselves to be unhappy, they are often looking in the wrong places for happiness. In particular, they feel their job, or their house, or their possessions, or their holidays will make them happy. They often experience brief moments of joy from the above but they are not lasting. Their primary mistake in their quest for happiness is that they look outside of themselves to other people or things to bring them happiness. No one else can make you happy!

We will only find happiness if we look within ourselves. Only if we can develop a peace of mind and spirit, will we be truly happy. Research shows happy people devote time to family and friends. They practice gratitude. They practice optimism. They are physically active. They savour life’s pleasures, try to live in the present moment, and often provide service to others. 

If you prefer a simpler philosophy, Charlie Brown mused that   “Happiness is  a warm puppy.” Maybe he was right.