This world of ours has become fast-paced and moving increasingly faster each day. No longer do we have to wait for news from across the globe – it's almost instantaneously fed to us over the Internet and through our television sets. Our cities are bustling hubs of busy folks, many of whom feel the need to rush to each new appointment as if their lives depended on it.

Countless individuals go through their days in fear of the unknown, or in anger, sadness, or despair. The truth is that even though you cannot control all the events in your life, you do have control over how happy you feel.

It takes a lot of energy to choose to be happy. The path of least resistance is to be miserable, in fact. It's far easier to mope and complain about circumstances and other people instead of deciding to be content with your life.

When you choose to be happy, you are deciding to be a beacon of optimism that will affect not only your own immediate environment but also other people with whom you come into contact each day.

Why not practice being happy? For starters, your watchwords will be courtesy, compassion, and integrity towards others. To be happy, you'll want to monitor your conduct for any undue criticism, intolerance, and rudeness, and focus on positive and loving behaviors instead.

Each day, you'll rise and give thanks for what you have, even if what you have doesn't match up to what you desire or think you deserve. Each morning, you'll spend some quiet time alone, even though your schedule is bursting at the seams with required activities.

To strangers and acquaintances alike, you'll be a model of patience and caring, offering smiles to brighten their days. You never know how your radiant smile will affect someone, and it costs you nothing at all. You can literally change someone's life with a smile.

One day, after practicing being happy, you'll wake up and realize that you are happy. All that practice being happy has become reality – and you will have found the secret to fulfillment that so many continue to seek.

© Kathy Sanborn
Life Channels Staff Writer
All Rights Reserved

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