It’s fun to be around nice and happy people. Being around a happy person can actually help you become a happier and nicer person. It’s like spreading a virus, the happy virus. The only thing we can control in life is how we react. No one makes us upset, we let ourselves become upset. We let what happens around us affect us. I am not saying that we all don’t deserve to have our own “pity party” when things are not going well for us. We just can’t let the negative thoughts or energy win for too long. It just brings you down and sucks you dry. 

 

I just spent some time searching the web about what makes us happy. (What did we ever do without Google?) I found lots of articles on it and even a Harvard study that has been ongoing for over 50 years. Guess what? Money does not make you happy. Where you live does not make you happy. Relationships, they make you happy. Creativity, curiosity, bravery, and kindness can make you happy. Of all the articles I read the biggest common thread is that you have to “act as if” or my favorite have a “fake it until you make it” type of philosophy.  

 

If you would like to read one of the best articles I found on being happy here is a link. http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/what-makes-us-happy/037b72e50d803110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/health/emotional.health/positive.thinking/0/0/1

 

It kind of made me happy just reading it. I am not sure why seem to be so obsessed this year about “staying in my Happy-Place.” If you have been reading my past blog posts it does really come up often. Let’s be honest here. I have really had a crazy year full of life changing events. My Mom had a massive stroke and now lives in a nursing home. My husband closed his software company. I had to have major surgery. I could go on about the negative stuff that has happened to us this year. I guess that must be where my obsession to be happy is coming from. Stuff happens to us all. Some of it is worse than other things. I am not saying that I have not had my meltdowns or horrible and not so nice moments. I just WON’T let myself get STUCK there. I try as fast as I can to get back to my “happy place”. I try to look at what is good in my life and focus on that. I try to spend my time doing what makes me happy. 

 

 

A few days ago at the studio we had a really sweet, nice couple and their children in the studio for a family portrait. They were so kind and positive to be around. (She even told me how she loves my blog. How nice is that?) For the most part we get to have really nice people in the studio. We are so lucky to deal with happy people just about all the time. However, on this day we just had a really not so nice person in the studio earlier that morning. You know, one of those people that is pissed off at the whole world, all the time. No matter how hard you try to make them happy it does not work. Of course, we all come across people like that at times. Have you ever noticed that it is really hard to get that un-happy person out of your mind? No matter how many super nice people you come across in the same day, that miserable person is still in your thoughts. 

 

I think that most of us are people-pleasers and we want to make others happy. That is a really good quality to have. It’s good up to a point.  We just have to make sure that we don’t please others so much that it hurts us. So you can’t make all the people happy all the time.  BIG DEAL! We just can’t let the “Debbie-Downers”, the queens of negativity in the world get us down. We have to stay in our “Happy-Place.” We have to put our personal powers of persuasion into play and do a number on ourselves. 

 

This started out to be a quick post on how great it is to be around nice and happy people. As usual, as I started writing I went off in to my own little world. It’s my blog so I guess I get to do that. As I wrap this rambling post up I would like to challenge you to stay in your “Happy-Place.” Don’t let the “Debbie-Downers” of the world get to you. Be that happy and nice person we all want to be around. I think I say this mantra out loud as well as in my head a thousand times a week, “it’s all good!” The more I say it, the more I believe it. Thanks so much for reading and until next time, be well.