Although you may want to feel good and be happy, you may still feel bad and be unhappy. You may blame your unhappiness on external circumstances such as loss of a job or loss of a home. These examples are certainly reasons to be unhappy, right? Or maybe it’s snowing and you just don’t like the snow and you will not be happy again until it stops snowing and spring arrives. Does any of this sound familiar?
The truth of the matter is that happiness is an inside job and need not much be affected by outside circumstances. Granted there will be times in our lives that it will be perfectly understandable and acceptable not to be happy and smiling such as when a loved one takes ill or dies. We are human after all and to be happy every minute of every day may not be realistic. There is a normal grieving process that takes place when we experience loss but we can certainly lessen that grief and expedite our process by being spiritually and mentally fit. We can even be sad and cry while still maintaining our inner peace and happiness. Having a happy and grateful heart doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to be laughing on the outside. When someone dies, it should prove better for us if we can learn to celebrate their life, relishing the memories, while being grateful for the time spent together with them. Death is an inevitable part of life and it can come at any time. If we can accept this fact, we should have an easier time handling death when it hits home. Having said all this, although I have experienced the death of loved ones, I have never lost a child or a spouse, and hope to God that I never do. So my experience with death is thankfully limited. I made my wife promise me that she wouldn’t die before me 
Major tragedies aside, when do outside circumstances affect our mood? Simply put, our mood is affected when we don’t get our way, right? Since much of life doesn’t go our way, if we let outside circumstances affect our happiness, we will often be unhappy. True happiness is, for the most part, not affected by outside circumstances. True happiness stems from having a grateful heart and accepting life as it is.
We don’t control much in this life, such as weather, the economy and other people. So, why do we let these circumstances and other people have an impact on how we feel? Doesn’t it make more sense to accept them the way that they are? Your emotional state will rival that of a roller coaster if you let life’s everyday ups and downs affect you.
I have personally experienced the loss of homes, a business, jobs and all of my money! Yet through it all, I remained happy and grateful. Accept what you cannot change and be grateful for all of the blessings that you have in your life and you cannot help but be happier. May you be happy and at peace.
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