Scan environment for a bouquet of happiness daily

A 90-year-old woman lost her husband and now had to move to a nursing home. So, the day she had to move there in the morning, she woke up early, dressed up and perfectly applied make-up. She was ready to move, got into the cab, and arrived on time.

At the facility, she was asked to wait in the lobby, where she sat patiently for hours.

She smiled when told the room was ready. As she manoeuvred her walker to the elevator, the nurse gave her a brief visual description of her room, including colours of sheets on the window.

“I love it,” she announced. The nurse was surprised to hear her reply and responded, “But you haven’t even seen your room yet… Just wait until you see your room.”

She replied: “That doesn’t have anything to do with it. Happiness is something that you decide. It doesn’t depend on how my room looks or I will like my room or not. It depends on how my mind is arranged. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make when I wake up in the morning. I have a choice,” she went on.

But she was not done, yet. “Either I can spend my day counting the problems I have to face because of my body parts, which no longer work, or I can get out of bed and be thankful for one that do.

As long as my eyes open I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away. Just for this time in my life.”

From this encounter, lessons galore about choosing to be happy and what makes it work. The following are some that I listed as key.

It’s a choice, not occasion

1. Being happy doesn’t mean everything’s perfect, it means you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections: You may never have everything that’s perfect, and it’s alright. You may never need it that way. So, all you need to do is to give your best and be happy.

2.You can’t change what people think about you, so don’t try, just live your life and be happy: You will never be able to make everyone think good and positive about you, what people say about you is a reflection of them and not you. Don’t let opinions become your reality, just be honest and be happy.

READ: Worries of past, fear of future need not ruin your happiness

3. Stop looking for happiness in the same place you lost it, there are many other reasons to be happy: HOPE (Hold on, Pain ends). Give a break to yourself from those reasons that keep you sad and disappointed. Don’t look for happiness in people and situations that gave you sadness and don’t let that sadness control you, just get happy.

4.Sometimes happiness is a feeling, sometimes a habit, sometimes a decision to make: We can’t control the wind, but we can adjust the sails. Life is full of moments of happiness and sadness, it is up to you which one you pick and make it a way of life.
5.Be crazy, be stupid, be silly, be weird, be whatever, because life is too short to be anything but happy: The real secret is to accept life the way it is, and make the most of what life has to offer to you.