happiness: a choice beyond cliche

It's natural to believe our happiness is dictated by circumstances. "If only X happened, then I'd be happy." While it's trite, cliche wisdom to say that happiness is a choice, the cash value of anything wise is beyond intellectual acknowledgment. It demands understanding it in your bones and deploying it in a way that makes sense.

Choosing happiness often means accepting responsibility—a commitment many avoid. Similarly, self-pity can be a convenient means of stalling action to wait for change from external forces.

You are more than the sum of your experiences. You are the choices you make and the meanings you assign to them.