Learn to let go. That is the key to happiness. -Buddha Per Merriam-Webster Dictionary, happiness means a state of well-being and contentment and/or a pleasurable satisfying experience. Is it fair to say that happiness can only be experienced for a moment or just because of something? I’d beg to differ. I believe that happiness is an everyday choice that lies within the individual. Nothing or no one can make you happy as a person until you decide that is what you want. Happiness starts with you, it does not start with your relationships, not with your job, not with your money, or etc.

The reason that happiness means so me to me because I experienced the pain of depression for ten long years. That is ten years of my life that I cannot get back. I was lost and I felt so hopeless. I was at a point in my life where no one could help me. I could not help myself because I was unable to function like a normal person. It appeared to me that every few months or every other year a tragedy was coming my way. I lost three children after giving birth to them, I lost my baby sister two days after she had surgery, I fell asleep driving and totaled my car (I walked away without any injuries), I experienced a bitter divorced, not to mention, I attempted suicide seven times. But I am still here.

After all this, I decided to seek counseling with a Psychiatrist. He started me on a regimen of medications. In the beginning of the medication process, I could not tell if they were working or not. I followed the therapy process of medication and counseling together for a few months. The counseling sessions ended. Now, I am just taking the medications. For a few years, I felt good, but I notice that the medications began to have less effect on me.
One day, I decided this enough of taking medications that are not having any impact on me.
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So, I asked myself what is that I can do for myself to have a better life and be happy? I decided to flush all the medications down the toilet and relocate. I began to address my own issues about my life and face reality. That’s when I realize that life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we react it.

I choose to be happy knowing that there is going to be stress in life, but it is my choice how I allow it to affect me. Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response (Mildred Barthel). I have made a promise to myself that I will never allow depression to overtake my life again. Therefore, every day that my Lord allows me to wake up again, I put a positive thought in my head up raising and remind myself why I am grateful and appreciative to be alive. One positive thought and a smile on your face can change your entire day. What does happiness mean to you? Do you think that happiness is a conscious choice or an automatic response?

I am in charge of how I feel, I choose happiness. Happiness means everything to me; therefore, I will always choose it.