I have seen countless quotes about choosing to be happy, but what I believe these quotes lack is the reality of the choice; the work that is pit in to achieve the final goal of happiness. I think it's important to be happy in ways that we can, but it's also important to take mental illness into consideration when posting these false perceptions of achieve the end goal of happiness. Let's be real, happiness takes work. A lot of work. It doesn't just happen overnight. It could take days, weeks, months, years, or maybe even a lifetime, and that is completely okay. Everyone's achievements deserve praise and noticeability, no matter how long it takes them to reach their goal.
If you are dealing with mental illness, like me, please know that you are no where near alone in your feeling of frustration with the idea that happiness is easily achievable. I do believe that to some extent, it is a choice, but a lot of time, effort, and mental-drainage comes with it. We choose happiness every time we step foot into that therapist or psychologist session, take out prescribed medication, and when we practice other forms of self care, but sometimes happiness does not choose us.
Sometimes we wake up and our mental illness decides that you are not going to be happy. You choose happiness by pushing g that; by doing what you need to do in order to get through what you are experiencing. Just because you don't feel happy at that moment does not discredit your urge or want for happiness. It doesn't not mean that you will never be happy. We have to remember that happiness isn't a constant or permanent feeling. Even the happiest of people experience the most intense, sad, depressing thought and emotions.
Happiness is not a tangible thing we can grasp. It is a state of mind that we need to work towards. You can experience mental illness and negative emotions even if you have reached your perceived full potential of happiness. This is a perceived notion because your potential never stops growing with you. As you change, grow, and mold into the person you want to be, your idea of happiness and contentment changes with it. This means that happiness cannot be completely and utterly a choice that just sticks with us once we finally decide to be happy.
If it is always changing, then sometimes doing the things that once made us happy do not anymore, so we must be proactive in how we continue to live this happy life we all want and perceive. We have to discard the things that once made us happy, but no longer do. We have to be honest with ourselves, our therapists, with the people in our lives who care for us so that we can adjust to our new forms of happiness and contentment.
