Life Loves Happy People

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“What are you so damn happy about?” asked the production chief. He was generally grouchy and it seemed to annoy him when I came in with a Howdy-Doody smile on my face.

“It’s better than being sad,” I replied. “Do I need a reason to be happy?”

“There’s not much to be happy about,” he groused. “Don’t you watch TV?”

I had to laugh at that. It explained a lot.

“No, man; not much… but I’m guessing you do.”

Mood Influence

My moods (and probably yours) are influenced by my surroundings. More accurately, by the energy I feel. Like the chief whose mood was influenced by the bad news he watched every day… if I hang out with Grouchy Gus, sooner or later, I’ll be influenced by his mood. But if I spend my time with happy people, their good vibes rub off on me.

But some people wait for a reason to be happy. Some little or not-so-little thing that needs to happen first… as though happiness is conditional. I’m sure you know plenty of people that believe – really believe – that they’ll be happy when they make more money or have more things or different conditions. And they’re not wrong; those things bring a temporary rush of happiness.

But things come and go; that’s the nature of life. I’ve made money and lost it. Same with friends and lovers… all kinds of things. And when I equated those things with happiness, I FELT the loss.

Accidentally Happy

One time, after a particularly miserable set of events, I was in the gym trying to work off my blues. A couple of guys exercising on the machine next to mine were laughing out loud and having a great time. For some reason, I dropped my guard (that’s right; we sometimes defend and protect our unhappiness), got caught up in their conversation, and found myself laughing along with them.

Influenced by their good energy, I was accidentally happy. Their good energy broke my concentration and, for a minute or two, I forget about the reasons I had to be sad. I left the gym grateful for the reminder.

Happy or Sad; My Choice

Like everyone, I can list plenty of reasons to be sad or mad or even depressed. Mine has not been an easy life, but people looking in from the outside think I’m the luckiest guy they know. Few have any idea of how I’ve struggled in this life.

And that’s why they think I’m lucky; they don’t hear me complaining about my bad breaks. I learned long ago that my life is as good as I think it is… that I create a good mood and make my good luck by generating good energy. Just like the guys at the gym reminded me.

Jokes make me happy. Laughter does it, for sure. And the people that tell jokes and share funny things and laugh with me… these things are guaranteed to make me happy. And no matter what I lose or fail to obtain, good people and their good energy are fuel to keep my happy engine running.

Sometimes, though, we’re alone in our sad times. In the absence of good people, I had to learn to create and entertain good thoughts on my own. I had to rely on myself for happiness during my years alone in the backcountry. Totally isolated, I learned not to expect Life to feel sorry for me. I could be happy or sad; my choice.

Is It a Gift?

What I haven’t been able to figure out is what or why or how did I come by this knowledge… this attitude. I’m sure I read about it (just like you’re reading about it now), but that didn’t give me the mindfulness or willpower I needed to exercise it. And I can’t really give credit to a mentor; I’ve been influenced by others… seen perpetually happy people and wondered how they did it… but I wasn’t trained in the art of being happy.

As it turns out, I didn’t learn to be happy… I chose to be. I’ve had opportunities to embrace depression. I won’t bore you with details because you don’t read this blog to hear sob stories. People subscribe to this blog because it is predictably upbeat and will unsubscribe in a hurry if I fail to deliver on that promise. But believe me when I say “you wouldn’t believe”… because my mate has said it many times.

A Reminder; Not a Reason

That is one of the great things about Elzbieta… she doesn’t MAKE me happy, but reminds me to be; reminds me that I can be happy if and when I choose to be – at that moment or any moment throughout the day. My love for her inspires me to let go of my blues (because my bad vibes will rub off on her, and I don’t want that to happen).

Ask her how she’s doing and she inevitably replies, “Perfect”. It’s not always an accurate report, but it sets her frame of mind. And it sets mine, as well.

I’m happy because I choose to be. Not just because it feels better, but because it brings me luck. Being happy and putting out that good energy attracts more of the same. It’s a cosmic law – Like Attracts Like. An example? When I walk down the street here in Poland, I smile and wave… and in spite of themselves, Poles (who are not generally inclined to do so) smile and wave back. I give good energy and get recharged in return.

The universe reciprocates. If you think that’s a bunch of cosmic foo-foo, think about this:

Good Reason to Be Happy

Have you ever wondered why some people seem luckier than others? Why some people seem to get all the breaks… no matter what happens to them, they always land on their feet? I’ll tell you why; because Life loves happy people. It reciprocates. Good energy creates more of the same, which is the best reason to be happy.

My bad moods are just as influential (if not more) than my good moods. If I walk around blasting everyone in the vicinity with bad energy, they feel it and respond accordingly. People in bad moods often wonder why no one takes the time to understand them and empathize. Because no one wants any of your bad energy… the answer is as simple as that. And no one wants my bad energy, but they embrace the good stuff with enthusiasm.

Life loves happy people. Even if you have to fake it, even if you only have a couple doses of love to share before you feel you’ll run out, give it freely. It has been my experience that it will come back to you in as great a quantity as you are open to receive it.

And that is my good reason to be happy. I don’t have to wait until life takes a good turn, either; even on a bad day, I can muster up a little good energy. And I feel better as soon as I give it away.

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