Happiness! It’s one of my favorite topics.
Today my friend and bestselling publisher Linda Joy released Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Choosing Happiness featuring the soul-inspiring stories of 27 amazing women who share their intimate stories of transformation.
Choosing Happiness also includes Reflection Questions after each story which will empower you to integrate the vital lessons of each woman’s journey into your own life. For a limited time you can get over 40 transformational gifts with your copy of Choosing Happiness. Grab your copy today>http://bit.ly/Happiness_Book
Happiness is a choice
You might not believe that. In fact there was a time in my life that I didn’t believe it. But now I know it to be true.
In fact happiness isn’t a single choice. It is a series of choices. You can make the choice for or against happiness every day – often multiple times a day. Sometimes the choices come as part of a big decision, but sometimes the decisions seem quite small.
Today I am sharing one story about a time that Dave and I made the choice for happiness.
Years ago, when our girls were still quite young, Dave was presented with a wonderful opportunity at work. He was being considered for a new position within his company. That position represented a two level promotion for him. His boss, his mentors, our parents, everyone who knew about this opportunity was excited for him and everyone was telling him to take the opportunity.
It was a very exciting time! We were thrilled that Dave was so highly thought of. I had left my job when our girls were born to care for them, so the prospect of a big bump in salary was very enticing. In fact, it seemed like a complete “no-brainer.”
Except for one thing…
Make sure you are making the right choice for you
As Dave was telling me about the new job, at the end of his explanation about the type of work he’d be doing, the projects he would participate in, and all the other details, he shared the most important detail of all.
He said to me, almost as an aside, “I have the potential to hate this new job.”
The reaction inside of me was like squealing car tires when the brakes are slammed on in order to avoid a collision. Did he say he might hate this job??? Not dislike it or like it less, but actually hate it?
Yup, he did.
My instinctual response was “Then why would you ever take it?”
That surprised him a little, because remember, this was a no-brainer. Everyone who knew about it already had him enthusiastically stepping into this new position.
But with that last almost afterthought about the potential to hate the job, my alarm bells were going off.
If he took the job, Dave would be spending well over 40 hours a week on it.
Now, if he was spending 9 or 10 hours of his day doing something that he hated, what kind of mood do you think he would be in when he got home? My guess was not a very good mood.
I have had the experience of dreading going into work. And while some may think that it makes your non-working hours all the sweeter, that was not how it was for me. I found it difficult to set the stress of the job aside in order to fully enjoy the rest of my life and I certainly didn’t want that for Dave. And honestly, selfishly I didn’t want it for me and the girls either.
So although on paper this looked like the perfect opportunity for Dave, we decided as a couple to not pursue it. He went into work the next day and withdrew his name from consideration. We have never once regretted this choice.
You see, although other people thought the opportunity was a no-brainer and also thought he had to say “yes” for the sake of his career, we realized we did have a choice. And for us it came down to choosing happiness.
Often when we are presented the opportunity to move up a level or to have more we can be distracted by the sexiness, glamour or ego-stroking aspects of the new choice and we forget to ask the most important question. Will it make you happy?
We think that the achievements and benefits will bring us happiness. And sometimes they do. But, if they also bring more stress or require us to spend our day doing things we don’t like, the shine of the achievements and benefits might be short lived.
Your Assignment
Take a look at your life as it is right now and write down all of the parts about it that make you happy. Do you love reconnecting with your friend at a monthly dinner date? Do you currently have enough vacation at your job that you can take off time both for house projects and trips away? Do you enjoy the Saturday morning ritual of sleeping in and then enjoying a slow breakfast and coffee with your significant other? Whatever it is, write it down. Be aware of your blessings and you will be less likely to jeopardize them.
Also write down what you want but don’t yet have. In future decision making situations take into consideration whether the decision will move you closer to or further from these desires. Being clear about what you want in life makes choosing happiness much easier!
Please share your story in the comments below about how you are going to choose happiness today.
And if you want more inspiration, grab your copy of Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Choosing Happiness today! The stories are amazing and the 40 transformational gifts are only available for a limited time. Enjoy!
