Chapter 5
How to Create Your Own Happiness
WHO DECIDES WHETHER you shall be happy or
unhappy? The answer — you do!
"I have two choices — either to be
happy or to be unhappy, and what do you think I do? I just
choose to be happy, and that's all there is to it."
But say to yourself, "Things are
going nicely. Life is good. I choose happiness," and you can
be quite certain of having your choice.
Children are more expert in happiness than adults.
carry the spirit of a child into middle and old age is
a genius, for he will preserve the truly happy spirit with
which God endowed the young.
the boys' list: "A swallow flying; looking into deep,
clear water; water being cut at the bow of a boat; a fast train
rushing; a builder's crane lifting something heavy;
my dog's
eyes."
And here is what the girls said made them happy:
"Street
lights on the river; red roofs in the trees;
smoke rising from a chimney; red velvet;
the moon in the clouds."
There is something in the beautiful essence
of the universe that is expressed,
though only half-articulated, by these things. To
become a happy person have a clean soul, eyes that see
romance in the commonplace, a child's heart,
and spiritual
simplicity.
This was surprising, for she did not seem to be
the industrial or executive type,so I asked,
What does she manufacture?"
"Unhappiness," he replied. "She manufactures her own
unhappiness.
Yes," the man answered, "as a matter of fact, I am happy. I
do feel cheerful." Then he added, "I make it a habit to be
happy.
book of Proverbs, tells us that "...he that is of a merry heart
hath a continual feast." (Proverbs 15:15) In other words,
cultivate the merry heart; that is, develop the happiness habit,
and life will become a continual feast, which is to say you
can enjoy life every day. Out of the happiness habit comes a
happy life. And because we can cultivate a habit, we
therefore have the power to create our own happiness.
Tomorrow try this plan instead.
When you arise, say out loud three times
this one sentence, "This is the day which the
Lord hath made; we will rejoice and
be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
Only personalize it and say, "I will rejoice
and be glad in it." Repeat it in a strong,
clear voice and with positive
tone and emphasis.
"I believe this is going to be a wonderful day.
I believe I can successfully handle all problems
that will arise today.
I feel good physically, mentally, emotionally.It is wonderful to be alive. I am
grateful for all that I have had,
for all that I now have and for all
that I shall have. Things aren't going
to fall apart.
God is here and He is with me and
He will see me through.
I thank God for every good thing."
What is the value of
having known these principles all your life if you
have never
made use of them? Such inefficiency in living is tragic.
They have found God as a living, vital, honest-
to-goodness reality. Yes," he said, "they have got spirit all
right, but it isn't the kind that you get out of a bottle. They
have got spirit in their hearts."
Well, I went away from that party with a Bible verse
running
through my mind,
"In him was life; and the life was the light
of men." (John 1:4).
That was the light I saw on the faces of
those happy people.
An inner light was reflected outwardly
on their faces, and it came from an effervescent spiritual
something that they had taken into themselves.
Life means vitality, and these people obviously were getting their vitality
from God. They had found the power that creates happiness.
I saw that she had braces on her
legs, and she said, "They told me I would never walk again.
Do you want to see me walk?" And she walked up and down
the room.
"What did it?" I asked.
"Jesus," she replied simply.
Then another fine-looking girl said, "Did you ever see a
victim of the narcotics habit? Well, I was one and I was
healed." There she sat, a beautiful, modest, charming young
woman and she, too, said, "Jesus did it."
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