Someone recently told me that they are “hardwired” to be unhappy – to worry and fret and be afraid. Her therapist told her that, given the way her parents raised her – worrying and insecure and fearful of the future, themselves – she has no choice but to be that way too. I’m not a psychologist, but that sounds like ____________. (You can fill in the blank with whatever you think of that theory)
I have always believed – and in my innermost being believe it to be true – that people are just about as happy as they decide to be. (A famous quote of Abraham Lincoln: “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”) I’ll take that theory over the “hardwired” one any day of the week.
If our past is the whole determiner of what we must be, all of society is destined to be on a continual downward spiral. If we can’t be better than the generation which raised us – if our only options are to be the same or not as good – then, logically, degradation is inevitable. But that is obviously NOT the way it works.
Today – break just a bit from your “hardwiring” and do something positive. Choose to be happy today. See if you can.
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